SPRING and Spinningfield’s Left Bank is stirring back to life with some interesting food and drink openings. What was once a ‘death row’ of dull chain eateries overlooking the Irwell is now playing catch-up with the rest of the booming area.
OK there’s not the glamour and level of investment evident around the Avenue with the likes of Iberica, Fazenda and, imminently Tattu, but there is an indie vibe that Taste of Manchester finds refreshing.
First up is Scene, Indian Street Kitchen, launching on Thursday, April 16. It is a family run project from Asif Ali, who aims to recreate the street food experiences of his travels around the Sub-continent (see the map he has loaded on Scene’s Twitter account @sceneMCR).
Asif says: “We want to create a truly engaging experience that uses all five senses where customers can see the freshness of the ingredients and the vibrant colours of the spices through our open plan kitchen, smell the different aromatic spices used during the cooking process, and their food being prepared.”
So a big improvement on Strada, which used to occupy the site.
A more radical initiative encouraged by Spinningfields developersAllied London is The Kitchens, a restaurant start-up project finally kicking off on May 21. Chosen from hundreds of hopefuls, six rookie food and drink entrepreneurs will get the chance to test their businesses on the public.
The chosen six are: Bangers & Bacon, Chaat Cart, Hip Hop Chip Shop, Mumma Schnitzel, Wholesome & Raw and Yakumama. All have been given units on the Left Bank for a year during which Allied London and a board of industry experts will gauge the progress of their brands. One triumphant trader will get the chance to continue with investment from the developers. Not The Voice, then. More The Mouth!
Veteran operators also scheduled to move in this year to further revitalise the area include ex-Hilton exec chef David Gale with a fine dining venture and Damson’s Steve Pilling, who will open a follow-up to Dockyard, Media City, which was Manchester Food and Drink Awards Pub of the Year 2014.
Scene Indian Street Kitchen, 4A Left Bank, Manchester. M3 3AN
