Cloudwater Brew Co (who are set to open a flagship venue at the Kampus rental neighbourhood later this year) have announced an upcoming collaboration with celebrated Ramsbottom restaurant Levanter.
It will involve ten weeks of globally themed block parties at the Kampus garden neighbourhood. From escapist California beach sounds and raucous Mexican festivities for Cinco de Mayo, to Irish folk parties and smooth NYC jazz, the Kampus garden will be the go-to hangout this spring, with some of the best imported food and drink from indie partners around the world.
The residency will take over the Kampus gardens and Bungalow starting on Friday 15 April until Sunday 26 June 2022. Each weekend will pay tribute to a different global hotspot, with guest DJs bringing the party vibes and local artists showcasing their talents. Expect eclectic patio parties with laid-back disco vibes, all paired with Cloudwater beer on tap and traditional Spanish tapas, giant paella and charcuterie boards.
Levanter are also introducing a not-to-be-missed Spanish brunch, ‘The Cure’, which will be served every Saturday and Sunday from 11am. It will feature a rotating menu along with Cloudwater’s special Bloody Mary cocktails on tap, using a different base spirit and garnish to fit each week’s theme.
“The vibe at Kampus last summer was knock-out, with people dancing in the gardens and sipping craft beer overlooking Canal Street,” said Paul Jones, co-founder of Cloudwater. “We’re properly excited about this line-up. We not only wanted to celebrate the best of Manchester’s scene, with local DJs and artists, but cherry-pick the best produce from around the world and showcase it during a run of epic neighbourhood parties. The global weekenders mean we can not only rotate our own beers, but serve up amazing imported drinks from our friends in Europe and the US to the Manchester crowd.”
The new residency is a further expansion for Levanter, as their sister brand Baratxuri come to the end of a successful pop-up residency at Escape to Freight Island. The Ramsbottom favourites spawned from its founder Joe Botham’s love for Flamenco music and Andalusian culture. Both restaurants have gained critical acclaim with rave reviews from national food critics, awards and a mention in the Michelin Guide.
“We’re all about serving delicious, Spanish food in a way that’s unpretentious, traditional but above all social,” says Joe. “It’s about the shared experience of having great food and spending time with the people you love the most. This residency will be perfect for that, visitors can expect giant paella cooked outside, hand-carved Jamon Iberico de Bellota and a raft of our favourite dishes we picked up on our travels around Spain’s stunning villages.
From their base at The Bungalow, Kampus’s canal side concrete block on stilts, they’ll be serving food from 11am to 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and 11am to 8pm on Sunday throughout the residency. Giant paellas will be available in the garden from 3pm on weekends, with both meat and vegan options.
“We’ve done our own thing and gained an awesome following at Levanter, but we’ve always loved collaborating with like-minded people,” adds Joe. “Coming to Kampus is like coming home, it’s got that neighbourhood feel that we love and loads of our old mates who’ve gone on to found great brands that are due to open here too.”
Developed by HBD and Capital&Centric, the £250 million Kampus neighbourhood is now complete and planning a packed spring and summer as the neighbourhood comes to life, with pop-up events, exhibitions and operators opening their doors this year, including Beeswing, Great North Pie, Madre and Yum Cha.
The Cloudwater X Levanter global weekender line-up will include:
Manchester Long Bank Holiday (14-17 April) - Known Manchester DJs and homegrown city favourite beers
Spain (21-24 April) - Spanish house music, specially imported Basqueland beers and cider, plus Record Store Day pop-up featuring indie record shops selling and spinning hot records.
California Bank Holiday (28 April – 1 May) - Beach soundtrack, surf rock and hip hop, with guest beers flown in.
Mexico (5-8 May) - Cinco de Mayo celebrations, with traditional décor and Latin party vibes.
Ireland (12-15 May) - Fresh imported beer from our neighbours, folk music, spoken word artists and stalls.
New York (19-22 May- Eclectic mix of Jazz in all its forms, paired with beers from the best NYC breweries.
Canada (26-29 May - Fresh beers from Toronto’s finest, including Bellwoods, Sonnen Hill and Goodspeed breweries.
The Queer Ju-Beer-lee Festival Bank Holiday (2-5 June) - Celebrating the Best of British in honour of Queen Liz! Party bags and street party at the ready, pouring fresh beer from the Queer Brewing Project.
Portugal (9-12 June - Fun-twist on a Portuguese party, with Fado and Flamenco tunes, with port-infused Bloody Marys.
New England USA (16 –19 June) - Levanter dishes with beers from some of the highest rated breweries in the world.
Manchester closer (23-26 June) - Manchester favourites to celebrate our home town, with back-to-back tunes!
More details about the weekends will be revealed in advance.