City Centre
Snappy Runners
AJ Handley-Rowe -
16th June 2022
AJ Handley-Rowe -
16th June 2022 City Centre
Vanilli’s – the Manchester bakery and dessert spot that has carried on the tradition of an old Italian favourite
Danny Jones
Vanilli’s Cake Company is one of those names whose reach extends far and wide, with a history that goes way back into the past, and a deeper Greater Manchester heritage than you can imagine.
It’s one almost as rich as the desserts they’ve been making across the city centre and beyond for decades, but it also begins back in Italy.
Formerly San Marco Products, a fellow cult-favourite bakery, suppliers and catering company from way back, owner Sapna Kumar took over their old premises on Crown Industrial Estate over in Ancoats more than six years ago, and has been carrying on their sweet treat traditions ever since.
The difference these days is that it’s gone from more of an Italian ‘pasticceria’ to a Mancunian bakery with both local and Indian roots.
Born out of pregnancy cravings ahead of her third child, ironically, Vanilli’s Cake Co. went from an unfortunately timed passion project conceived on the cusp of the pandemic to a mainstay of Greater Manchester and North West markets and now part of a mini Manc empire in the making.
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After taking control of the old commercial premises back in 2020, their understated but impressively high-output unit still has lots of regulars in the know coming in for the good stuff, but still operates somewhat under the radar.
Maybe that’s part of the reason their quality control has remained at such a high level: although they provide to plenty of vendors all across the city and wider region, they’ve never overextended themselves to the point that even the slightest of standards slips.
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If you’ve met Sapna before – the charismatic matriarch behind this brand and others like spin-off Cake Bar Co. and most recently, Punjabee – you’ll know that she doesn’t do anything by half measures.
A familiar face at the likes of Foodie Friday and various other street food stalls across the 10 boroughs and even further afield, she’s been doing some of these events since the very outset.
Sadly, without going into too much detail, she admits that there have been instances where her generosity has been “taken advantage of on more than one occasion”, but they will never stop her continuing to offer a helping hand.
The difference this time, however, is that she’s not simply putting others before herself all the time anymore; the Manc mum who’s played mother to many through her work over the years is finally shouting about herself and her unsung but nevertheless dedicated and talented team more.
And not just a little bit, either (no half measures, remember?) – she proudly proclaims that not only does Vanilli’s serve up some of the most authentic traditional recipes, but she happily lays claim to whipping up “the best Manchester tart” you’ll find anywhere.
You might have even seen lots of them pop up at Morning Glory in the Northern Quarter.
Be it amongst the smaller artisan traders or the big heavyweights, she’s gearing up to take them all on and let her food do the talking.
As for this location, specifically, she simply wants to give people like you a reminder that it’s been there for more than 30 years at this point
She’s also looking to rebuild support throughout the community by teaming up with local brands and creators moving forward. Again, it’s about time she finally got on the receiving end of ‘You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’, which sounds like it’s long overdue.
Having recently put on a speciality spread for us, showcasing not only the classic but some fresh new ideas and creative takes on familiar, we can assure you some very delicious things are coming from Vanilli’s throughout the rest of 2026.
So, if like Sapna, you love “indulging in the sweeter side of life”, give a Vanilli’s cake, pastry or one of their other tasty desserts soon.
Read more:
- Coffee Rules – The Greek-born cafe that’s gone on to become a beloved Greater Manc brand
- Work on Trafford’s ‘Tebay-style’ motorway services near Altrincham is finally underway
- All Brewers Fayre and Beefeater pubs across the UK are closing down
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — The Manc Group
City Centre
The best hot desking spots in the city centre as Manchester boasts the ‘most co-working spaces’ in the UK
Danny Jones
In the modern workplace and post-pandemic employment world, it’s fair to say that office culture has changed quite significantly over the past half a decade, and many people in Manchester simply stick with hot-desking and/or co-working spots these days.
Fortunately for us, there are PLENTY here in the city centre alone for professionals to choose from.
In fact, according to some recent research by the Co-operative Bank, Manchester city centre just so happens to have the most co-working spaces and hot-desking locations in the UK, apparently.
As a thriving hub at the forefront of so many industries and being chosen by more new businesses year upon year, it’s no surprise that people make this their city to work in; we also thought we’d give you a few examples of these places and what exactly it is they offer over traditional office blocks and buildings.
15 top co-working and hot desk spots in Manchester city centre
1. Spaces – Various
One name that we’re sure will be familiar to the majority of you is Spaces, who have co-working spaces all over the country, including numerous locations across Greater Manchester – several of which you can find here in the city centre.
From their well-known Deansgate and Spinningfields venues, to outposts over in Salford Quays, Didsbury, Trafford Park and more, they’re probably one of the most recognisable names when it comes to these kinds of services.
Offering everything from day passes and small group discounted rates as well as large offices, you can even just book out one of their meeting/conference rooms for the day. Find out more HERE.
2. Colony – Multiple
In at number two, Colony Cowork, which was founded right here in Manchester (bee, hive, colony – get it?), has gone on to become a buzzing local brand business built for other businesses, pun intended.
Since starting over at Jactin House over in Ancoats nearly a decade ago, the hot-desking space and flexible workplace have practically become part of the furniture here in the city centre.
Now boasting seven different sites, including the likes of Northern Quarter, New Islington, Piccadilly, and other central locations, you can enjoy everything from £20 day passes, monthly floating memberships starting from £200 + VAT, £240 for a permanent desk, or a private office at still only £360 a month.
Best of all, all of their memberships come with 24/7 access and the ability to turn up at any of their Manc venues depending on the tier you go for; you can also hire meeting rooms, podcast studios and more if you’re just in need of a one-off. Check out their full list of branches and range of packages.
3. Whitworth Locke – Princess Street
Third on the list is a long-standing favourite of ours, primarily because it’s FREE and it’s one of the prettiest and charmingly open-plan places to work in all of town.
Whitworth Locke can bend to be almost any kind of office vibe you want, as not only can you sit with a drink in the well-lit glass atrium just through the main entrance, but you can also walk through to the back where there’s plenty of plentys, tables and sofas of different sizes, as well as more private rooms.
Just down the corridor to your left, you can also pop around the corner to Locke Coffee Club (formerly Foundation), where lots of people have posted up for the day to co-work with a coffee and a slice of cake for as long as we can remember.
The name of the cafe might have changed, but it’s still a great place for a brew and to get stuff done; as for Whitworth, you can also read our full review of a Whitworth Locke hotel stay from the last time we slept over there back in 2024.
4. Junction – Petersfield
In the post-GMEX era, Manchester Central has served many different purposes over the years, and one of those is one of the biggest, best and, crucially, yet another free co-working space.
Of course, there is their fantastic food and drink menu, courtesy of the daytime cafe and bar, as well as a restaurant service running until 8pm on some weeknights (their opening times are always subject to change given the wider venue and large exhibition hall’s varying functions); it’s a great catch-all option.
Although groups of five or more people are encouraged to book ahead to make sure they have enough room to share – especially if you’re looking to reserve a more private meeting room – Junction is completely open access to members of the public.
We’ve used it many a time throughout the week, and the terrace outside is also a great place to tap away and casually people-watch when the rare Manc sun comes out.
5. Kampus – Aytoun St
Moving on and over to another bustling central hub for creatives and young professionals, the ever-growing Kampus neighbourhood has lots of options for co-working and/or hot-desking.
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Sitting right across from the main waterway along Gay Village’s Canal Street, Kampus’ official and dedicated co-working and study zones are completely free for residents, but you can also always nip into Pollen, Nell’s, or the creative hub Maker’s Quarter, where there’s always a lively and productive bustle.
Falling all that, you can always sit out in the beautiful garden area or, indeed, on the benches next to the water itself, where the WiFi and general signal are still decent in a pinch.
We’ve always found this one is a great place for group sessions or a more laid-back meet-up, especially since you can always split one of those big 22-inch pizzas – for the brain power, of course…
6. Regus – Multiple
Next up is admittedly more a big business-feeling franchise, with more than 4,000 worldwide outposts, and more than 10% of those are here in the UK.
Of the 453 flexible business, hot-desking and co-working spaces domestically, there are nearly two dozen across Greater Manchester as a whole, including several here in the city centre.
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While monthly memberships start from around £131, one of the best bonuses that the global Regus corporation offers is not only the ability to work almost anywhere in the world with certain tier plans, but beyond just day passes, you can even pay for a desk by the hour.
Prices start from as little as £3, and depending on how long you intend to stay, you can spend less than the cost of a full daily rate (£25) and adjust timings to suit your schedule. Find the full list of local locations and available plans right HERE.
7. SEESAW – Princess St
SEESAW takes the seventh slot in our round-up of the best places to co-work in Manchester, and with The Manc having personally used this space in the past for team days, it’s one that definitely gets our seal of approval.
But don’t just take our word for it: plenty of people vouch for the creative hub and multi-purpose building all year-round, as it boasts a growing community of professionals, part-time patrons and ‘frequent flyers’, if you will.
Be it by morning/afternoon visits, full 24-hour passes, weekly or monthly membership; whether you need a studio, a mini boardroom, or simply a hot-desk for the day, they’ve got it all.
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Oh, and on top of the usual tea and coffee, they also happen to have one of our favourite places to eat in the middle of the day, cooking up the good stuff in-house, too: RamYum – emphasis on the ‘yum’.
Interested in seeing it for you and/or your colleagues? You can enquire now.
8. Beehive Lofts – Ancoats
Heading over to Ancoats now, Beehive Lofts have just as much history behind them as they do character, not to mention being situated in one of the trendiest neighbourhoods in Manchester.
With multiple floors and whole mills making up the entire development, and boasting an overall review rating of 4.9/5 stars based on hundreds of online testimonials, it’s a top-quality co-working company with a reasonable range of membership options.
Even at first glance, it can’t be denied that the offices themselves are super stylish and cool, with that exposed red brick interior, pool tables for your downtime, comfy sofas and lounge suits to break up the usual desk and chair setup.
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The Jersey Street space also happens to be on the site of the old Sankeys nightclub (before it reopened elsewhere at the start of 2026), which does make it feel a little extra special.
9. work.life – Brown St
Well over the halfway mark now, I’m throwing in a personal recommendation of my own from years gone by, as work.life over at the CORE building just between Market and King Street looked after me for a good year or so way back when.
Moreover, they’ve continued to do the same for their various other hot-deskers and co-workers here in Manchester city centre, as well as down in Reading and London.
With free tea and coffee, fruit, cereal and other snacks available in the main communal area down on the ground floor, this is probably one of the friendliest workplace buildings we’ve ever been welcomed into.
Upstairs on the other storeys, there are, of course, more private office spaces and meeting rooms, as well as even soundproof mini podcast studios and solo booths for video calls and recording sessions, etc. They’ve got a little bit of everything.
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View their full range of offerings right, including affordable day passes, right HERE.
10. House of Social – Oxford Road
House of Social is most commonly known for their events or for being one of Manchester’s most raved-about food halls. While it is true this space is home to five fantastic independents serving up some sensational food and drinks, not everyone knows that they are equally as busy during the workday.
From 9am every single day, House of Social opens its doors to workers in search of a comfortable place to work in style. They have plenty of seating areas across two floors, as well as ‘The Glass House’ room available to hire for larger meetings or presentations.
It is fully wheelchair accessible and located less than a 10-minute walk from multiple train stations and the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop, making it easily accessible from all over the city.
What’s more is that the food hall is dog-friendly, so nobody has to be left at home. To be honest, we’ll have to admit we’re biased, as we like to work surrounded by as much scran as possible.
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11. Department Coffee + Supplies XYZ – Spinningfields
Do you want to make a really good impression on a video call? Head to Department Coffee + Supplies.
Okay, so imagine your dream house interior, but they also serve incredible coffees, pastries, sandwiches, overnight oats, salad and a range of chilled drinks: we give you Department XYZ.
This has got to be one of the most visually appealing workspaces Manchester has to offer. It is one of our favourite laid-back coffee shops with an open-plan layout, sleek furniture, plenty of natural lighting, charging points and great WiFi.
You also have the choice to try the fast-growing Campfield over in Castlefield, which is their other working space available, where a more premium coworking space experience is £20 for a day pass.
12. Kargo MKT – Salford Quays
Name another workspace with bottomless tea and coffee for £6, as well as weekday lunch deals.
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Kargo pride themselves on being a welcoming environment and a great alternative to working hunched over in your bed, with plenty of comfy seating, charging ports and speedy free wifi.
Open from 8am-5pm so you can beat the rush and get ahead. With the option of both comfy, quiet corners or spaces in the heart of the space with a bit of atmosphere, you get to pick whatever suits your working style.
Not to mention their gorgeous terrace with views of the Quayside to separate work from your breaks, get a bit of fresh air and, on those precious sunny days, maybe even top up that tan. And lastly, there’s all that incredible food to get stuck into…
13. Sky High Co-working – Deansgate
The Manchester Deansgate Hotel at Beetham Tower, formerly the Hilton, has seriously elevated (in more ways than one) the working from home experience.
You are now able to work inside their ‘Club Lounge’ up on the 23rd floor from 8am-5pm with city views, unlimited teas, coffees, soft drinks and nibbles throughout the day, along with a breakfast AND afternoon sweet treat. You’ll want for nothing, basically.
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The day pass costs £15, but there is a rather tempting option to add on further food and health club access, which includes the gym, pool, sauna, steam room and much more.
While this might not be an affordable everyday option, it would be a lovely treat once a week. Imagine rewarding yourself with a relaxing swim and sauna after work – go on, you deserve it.
14. Huckletree – Ancoats
Our penultimate pick is the wonderful two floors of Huckletree co-working located in the iconic One Express Building over on Great Ancoats Street.
The futurist structure is arguably one of the buildings with some of the richest heritage in the city, having famously played host to the national newspaper of the same name, but nowadays it’s a multi-storey hub for countless businesses and modern professionals – including those ‘Huck-desking’ (sorry, had to).
You won’t find many more aesthetic places to work here in the centre, and with various different segmented offices, cubicles, studios and meeting rooms, as well as the bonus of having an Off The Press cafe around the back where plenty of people work throughout the week anyway.
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As far as Huckletree themselves, find out what type of memberships they have online.
15. Union by Bruntwood SciTech – Albert Square
Last but not least, we’re going with one right over the road from our own office and a spot that we still use every now and again for meetings, or just for a well-lit change of scenery.
Operated by Bruntwood and now located just across from the new temporary No.10 North base, so you know there’ll be plenty happening in and around the area, it’s also home to DITTO, with some tasty homemade sandwiches and more to sort you out on your dinner hour.
The Union building itself is home to plenty of permanent office space, but it costs nothing to work in the vibrant and plant-laden coffee shop area downstairs, and it is possible to use their flexible co-working spaces elsewhere in the building.
One final thing we’d like to mention is their very handy umbrella hire service, where you can literally grab one from the grab-and-go brolly station on your way out of the door – free for 48 hours, by the way – for whenever the weather goes all, you know, Mancunian on us. A very nice touch.
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Read more:
- P1 Fitness – The Manchester gym for busy professionals that blends PT with group coaching
- The simple discount hack that can save UK healthcare workers money on their holidays
- Work on Trafford’s ‘Tebay-style’ motorway Tatton Services is finally underway
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE
Featured Images — The Manc Group
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