BREAD and beer – hard to live without them. So residents of Cotton Field Wharf are counting their blessings today with the announcement that Manchester’s hottest artisan bakery Pollen and craft beer specialists Cask bar are moving in,
It’s the latest conformation that the old industrial heartland of Ancoats is the city’s indie foodie hub with the likes of Rudy’s Pizza, Elnecot and Seven Bro7hers already in situ and Sugo and Hip Hop Chip Shop on the way.
Cask, established in Castlefield for 15 years, is opening its second venue this spring, while the hugely popular Pollen is swapping its Sheffield Street archway (below) for a new home in summer with potential for developing the cafe side.
It’s a major coup for developers Manchester Life whose careful investment in Cotton Field Wharf alongside New Islington Marina has seen well over half of their 300 properties already let.
Hannah Calvert, who runs Pollen Bakery with Chris Kelly, said: “We opened Pollen Bakery in September 2016, unsure how a bakery, in an archway, at the back of Piccadilly station would be received. We got busier and busier, the bread got better and better, and our team has expanded.
“We have now grown faster than our little arch can handle and we can’t wait for our next chapter in Ancoats. We look forward to welcoming everyone to our new home in Cotton Field Wharf.”
Cask said: “We are really excited by the opportunity to expand our little piece of Manchester into another great part of the city centre. We look forward to bringing Manchester’s most comprehensive choice of real ales and international beers to Ancoats.”
