EN route to collect our Burns Night vegan haggis from On The Eighth Day on Oxford Road we couldn’t resist walking the extra few yards to investigate the progress of the new Hatch development under the Mancunian Way.
It was yet another foul evening with hurtling Magic buses splashing us rotten, so not the best time to visit Phase One of this Bruntwood project, set to feature 12 units including shops, food and drink kiosks – Eat & Sweet’s Jamaican street food, an espresso bar from NQ coffee artisans Takk and Te Öl, its nano brewery/bar spin-off next door.
Both looked inviting through the murk (and we did pop in for a restorative stout from Te Öl – literally the place to get well oiled) and it was good to see poutine pop-up Blue Caribou Canteen just opened next door to Hath kiosk pioneer El Marchado Tacos, even though we couldn’t find anyone likely to serve us. A shame because their take on Quebec-style chips, curds and gravy was stand-out when they were in situ at the B.Eat Street street food market up on Deansgate Mews.
That bit the dust but with the backing of big developers Bruntwood Hatch stands a better chance – with the aim of eventually growing to 33 container units with plans for a larger food court plus a live music stage. Basically, a Manc take on London’s BoxPark venues.
While we are still dealing with ‘little acorns’, the next expected arrival is peripatetic wine tasters Love + Labour. Expect a mix of natural and organic wines, cheese and charcuterie.
Hatch, Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 7ED. Check the website for opening times.