Chef, baker and designer trio are ready to open the doors to their exciting new project
NEW life is being breathed back into Wilbraham Road’s former Edwardian dairy, as The Creameries project prepares to launch on Tuesday 24 April.
The new bakery, bar and kitchen will specialise in freshly baked bread, a range of the best British and Irish cheeses, locally-sourced lunch and supper menus, and interesting wines and beers.
“We cannot wait to get going”, says chef proprietor Mary-Ellen McTague, formerly of Aumbry. “This project has been a long time in the making and we’re delighted to be nearly there.
"We’ve had so much support from people in Chorlton who’ve been popping in to say hi as the building works have progressed and we are SO looking forward to welcoming everyone.”
The menu has been a labour of love for the team. The range of snacks and cheese on offer reflect the heritage of the building and will offer a showcase for interesting British and Irish cheeses. The kitchen will also produce home churned butter and fresh cheese curds to eat with their freshly baked bread.
As you’d expect from a chef of Mary-Ellen’s pedigree (which includes stints working at Sharrow Bay and Heston Blumenthal’s pub, The Hind’s Head, as well as an appearance on BBC’s Great British Menu) all components for the lunch and supper menus will be made from scratch. Ingredients will feature locally grown vegetables, ethically sourced fish and seafood, and wild meat.
The bakery element will be at the centre of operations. “We have purposefully placed our bread oven right in the heart of our building, and our kitchen is open for all to see,” says Sophie Yeoman, baker and co-owner. “We want to be able to talk to our customers, and we hope that this approach will spark conversations about food, where it comes from and how it’s made.
“Nothing is hidden away here. You might arrive just as the bread is going into the oven, or as we are preparing lunch, or curing and smoking some meat, which I think is great as it will connect customers to what they’re eating.”
Soo Wilkinson, co-owner and interior designer, added, “as well as having a kitchen that encourages interaction, we have spent time a huge amount of time thinking about what families, groups of friends, and local residents want from us.
“We have created a beautiful, lasting space that will hopefully make everyone feel at home. We’ve built into our design a children’s area for art, playing and reading, and have planned a programme of events that spans from wine tastings to cheese and beer evenings to children’s cookery classes.
“We want The Creameries to be a place where everybody can come and enjoy what we offer, and maybe find new ways of engaging with food, drink and the local community.”
The Creameries, 406 Wilbraham Rd, Manchester M21 0SD (closed to the public on Mondays) Open 8am-3pm Tuesdays, 8am to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday, 9am to 9pm Sunday.
