It’s never easy to hear about hospitality closures around our city – but the news that Hatch, the shipping container village that’s home to dozens of brilliant independents, would be closing hit harder than most.
This brilliant spot just off Oxford Road, literally beneath the Mancunian Way, has hosted countless traders since it opened in 2017.
There’s been dog fashion shows, Christmas discos, football screenings, supper clubs, gigs and loads more in the way of events hosted in its courtyard.
Dotted around the courtyards are shipping containers – some tiny spaces you can barely swing a cat in, others two-storey venue with their own roof terraces – which are all home to different businesses.
Among them you’ll find vintage fashion, beauty services, tapas bars, breweries, and even someone who’ll clean your trainers up.
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Every one of those traders has been given just 30 days notice to vacate their unit. By the end of September, they’ll be gone, ready for the site to be redeveloped by north east operator Stack.
Depending on who you speak to, they feel ‘gutted’, ‘sad’ and ‘screwed over’.
Such was the anger across Manchester that many of our knee-jerk reactions was to boycott the place altogether.
But the resounding message among those who remain desperately trading for another fortnight is this – don’t abandon them now.
The decision taken to close Hatch is not theirs, and as they all scramble to find a new home for their business, it’s more essential than ever that we put our money where our mouth is and give them every financial boost possible to the finish line.
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We popped down to Hatch one (very busy) lunch time to pick out just a few of the incredible businesses you can support.
It’s A Nail Thing
It’s A Nail Thing’s unit at Hatch, which has announced its closure. Credit: The Manc GroupGel nails created by It’s A Nail Thing. Credit: The Manc Group
Long-time friends of The Manc, It’s A Nail Thing is a bright, welcoming and judgement-free nail bar, where you can get some of the boldest and most beautiful gel nails in Manchester.
On learning the news of the closure, they wrote: “This place that we worked so hard for: I love it. The people who have made it what it is: we love you…
“PLEASE please come and support Hatch traders over the next month. We are small independent businesses being completely screwed over and we need you now more than ever.
“Eat, drink, get your nails done, your hair cut, your trainers fixed, your laptop sorted. The staff haven’t done this – support them, tip them. We will keep you informed on our next steps. We love you.
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Fuku
Fuku at Hatch said that Hatch’s closure is ‘difficult’. Credit: The Manc GroupFuku is one of the street food traders affected by Hatch’s closure. Credit: The Manc Group
If you love your street food with an Asian twist and a whole lot of personality, you probably already know about Fuku.
Salt and pepper chicken, katsu curry, Korean fried chicken, spring rolls, bao buns – it’s all good.
They wrote: “I’ve finally processed the loss of my first business, and it’s time to start a new adventure. I want to thank everyone who made the last 4 years a journey to cherish (customers, staff, management and the independent traders).
“Staying positive but it’s a difficult time for everyone involved, so please support the traders and staff at hatch. We close on 30th September.”
You’ll still be able to find them at Mala and Freight Island.
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Fuku added: “To clear up confusion, we were sent an email at 8pm Thursday night to attend a meeting at 11am on Friday. We were subsequently told about the closure of Hatch. The site is to close on 30th September. Stack (Danieli Group) are in partnership with Hatch/Bruntwood, and it’s set to reopen in late 2024. We have to vacate our stores and reapply for a unit (given priority). That is all the information I know so far.”
House of Habesha
House of Habesha at Hatch. Credit: The Manc Group
This is another street food operator that’s well worth travelling up Oxford Road for – authentic Eritrean and Ethiopian food, like home-cooked stews and curries served atop injera bread.
When we visited for a recent Takeaway Champions episode, we were absolutely blown away by the team and by the flavours they put together.
They said: “It’s just surreal for us… Just when we felt more at home at the amazing @hatchmcr and able to provide the service that we always wanted to give to our loyal customers. The unthinkable happens! We have until the end of September until we close. So we please urge you to support us and the rest of the traders here, and that we are looking for a permanent place here in the city please share this and we thank you.”
Sneaker Pharm
Sneaker Pharm, at the soon-to-close Hatch in ManchesterSneaker Pharm, at the soon-to-close Hatch in Manchester
Your favourite trainers seen better days, and looking a bit worse for wear after a lifetime of walking on Manchester’s wobbly paving slabs? Yeah, same.
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Sneaker Pharm is a business that will bring your favourite kicks back to life, from cleaning to mending.
They wrote about leaving Hatch: “I moved into Hatch four years ago with nothing but a dream, nerves and excitement. I’ve met my best friends and worked alongside some extremely talented hard working business owners, management and floor staff. It’s our first home.
“It’s with a heavy heart I have to announce that as of 30th September @hatchmcr will be no more. We have just been told the news and have less than 30 days to make a move. This will of course disrupt service so my sincerest apologies to everyone in the coming weeks but it’s beyond my control, me and all my friends at hatch are still processing the news. PLEASE SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENTS AT HATCH FOR THE REMAINDER.”
Crumbled
A pot of apple crumble from Crumbled before Hatch announced it’s closing. Credit: The Manc GroupA pot of apple crumble. Credit: The Manc Group
More comforting than putting on a fresh-out-the-tumble-dryer dressing gown and more Instagrammable than Molly-Mae with a new haircut, Crumbled is a dessert bar with a difference.
They specialise in one thing – crumbles – with different fruit fillings and toppings, like pretty pink piped marshmallow that’s torched and sprinkled with edible glitter.
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They hinted that they may now look for a permanent site, taking the closure of Hatch as a sign.
Pukht
Imagine street food and your favourite curry house made a baby, and then they rented a tiny shipping container and started selling food.
That’s what the vibe at Pukht is – cheese naan toasties, butter chicken burgers, tandoori nachos, and biryani burritos are all on the menu here.
They said on Instagram: “We had so so many plans to introduce new dishes this month, welcoming new students to #manchester and @hatchmcr but it’s not meant to be. We won’t let this sudden end to Hatch ruin your enjoyment of the food and vibes we provide with our fellow traders.
“Come and join us over the next [29 days] to enjoy Manchesters best food and drink served with the warmest welcome and the biggest smiles.”
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Suzy Loves Milo
Suzy Loves Milo has been part of the Hatch family for as long as we can remember, with vintage clothes and street wear galore.
There’s entire walls packed with colourful sunglasses, rails of vintage jackets, and loads more to browse.
‘Northern Lights’ to be visible in Bolton as popular FREE light art festival returns next month
Emily Sergeant
Bolton’s festival full of fantastic immersive light art installations is set to shine on the town centre next month.
Back by popular demand after proving to be such a success during its inaugural year in 2023, with the first-of-its-kind event attracting more than 50,000 visitors, Put Big Light On Festival is returning for another year of festive magic, and there’s some huge and impressive art installations set to descend on the Greater Manchester town’s centre.
Curated by artistic events company, Things That Go On Things, the festival will take place right across Bolton in late November.
This year’s lineup will feature magical creations from a diverse range of artists.
A free festival of immersive light installations will shine on Bolton again next month / Credit: Bolton Council
Returning in 2025 for what’s said to be ‘the final time’, Dan Acher’s fan-favourite Borealis will illuminate Victoria Square by recreating one of planet Earth’s most incredible natural phenomena, the Northern Lights, in the most immersive way possible.
As beams of light travel through particle clouds, visitors can look up to see the show above their heads, and as the particle clouds are moved by wind, over which there is no control, this means they’ll never see the same pattern twice.
Other installations this year include Mars by the critically-acclaimed artist Luke Jerram, which is a six-metre diameter sculpture featuring high-resolution NASA imagery of the Martian surface, and Submergence by Squidsoup – a walkthrough experience with thousands of suspended lights creating an immersive sense of movement.
Wave by Are You Playing Out, The Garden by Ant Dickinson, Celestial Carousel by Eye of Newt, and Beacon of Hope by Craig Morrison are a handful of the other installations.
As well as the festival itself, there will also be plenty of vibrant street entertainment over the four-day event too, and residents can expect lots of family activities in the run-up to the festive season.
“Put Big Light On is more than just a festival, it’s a celebration of Bolton’s creativity, resilience, and community spirit,” commented Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Culture, Cllr Nadeem Ayub.
“We’re proud to welcome world-class artists and local talent to light up our town and bring people together in a truly magical way.
“Visitors can expect a family-friendly event packed full of entertainment and moving light art displays designed to inspire wonder.”
Put Big Light On Festival returns to Bolton town centre this winter from Thursday 20 and Sunday 23 November, and it’s free for all to visit.
Featured Image – Joel Chester Fildes (via Bolton Council)
Things To Do
A massive social for Manchester runners is happening in the city centre this winter
Danny Jones
With the bulk of race season nearly over, the local running community is finally starting to wind down and indulge in some well-deserved rest and relaxation – well, that and a sprinkle of clubbing, as the massive Cross Club Social for Manchester runners is back for 2025.
Following a successful sophomore edition last winter, the MCR Cross Club Social is returning for another proper good bash and looks to be shaping up nicely.
Hosted at a brand new venue, with sets from Manc-based DJs, karaoke and even giveaways on the night, the runners are going BIG this year.
So, if you’re part of a local running club or even just a Greater Mancunian who’s partial to a bit of jogging and looking for a night out, you’d best keep 8 November free.
Credit: Cross Club Social
Combining forces once again, the third iteration of the Cross Club Social sees multiple Manchester running clubs putting on one of the biggest parties of the year, with people from all over the community turning up to swap their trainers for dancing shoes.
Ticket prices have crept ever so slightly this year, mainly because of just how well attended the 2025 event was, but also to help raise money for their official charity partner.
However, it goes without saying that all newcomer clubs and solo runners in general and welcome to come along to this year’s event, which is also the first to be held at Fairfield Social Club near Angel Meadows Park – the more the merrier, as far as these lot are concerned.
For example, here’s a taste of the kind of turnout it got last year…
Speaking to The Manc, organiser and resident MC Dave ‘Macca’ McLaughlin said of Cross Club Social 2025: “This event is a celebration of the local running community, by the local running community.
“It’s a great chance to get some of the biggest running clubs in Manchester together to celebrate their achievements of the year without the running kit or carbon-plated trainers.
“It’s a pleasure to organise an event that local runners seemingly love, alongside some of Manchester’s biggest running clubs, all while raising money for our charity partner. Last year, we were able to contribute nearly £400 to their fundraiser, and we’re aiming for even higher this year.
“The demand has been huge – our first event sold out in under 50 minutes, last year was just under two hours at a bigger venue. This year we’re going even bigger to handle the demand, with more clubs than ever and a venue with three separate rooms for different kinds of entertainment.
“Me and Sophie [de Greenlaw – fellow DJ and co-founder] hope to continue expanding the event into a day-long running festival; we’d love to book bigger venues, get more clubs and sponsors involved, and make this a day that every local runner has marked on their calendar. See you there.”
Credit: Supplied
Early bird access will be on sale from 10am this Friday, 10 October, with the general admission tickets going live at the same time next week (17 Oct).
The social itself will run from 5pm until midnight, with last entry at 8:30pm, and you can bank on there being some kind of after-party elsewhere on the night. Get ready to grab your tickets HERE.
It’s also worth noting that the two previous years sold out fast, so make sure you put in a PB-worthy performance when it comes to that online shopping basket if you want to be there.
Once again, the Manchester Runners Cross-club social is a completely non-profit event; all funds from ticket sales go directly towards setting up the next one, back into the running clubs who take part, and to charitable organisations like The MCR 24 Hour Run Against Homelessness.
Daisy Jackson -
16th September 2023 
