Bisque and Beyond is coming to Wilmslow Road this April
DIDSBURY Village is about to welcome a new independent art café where families can take part in a range of art projects while tucking in to some delicious and locally sourced food and drinks.
Bisque and Beyond will take over the unit formerly occupied by Delia’s Florist on Wilmslow Road. Customers are welcome to try their hand at various artistic pursuits creating various keepsakes with their little ones, including paint a pot, decoupage, clay imprints and even belly casts.
Kid’s food is their speciality as Marianne is fully trained in nutrition for the under fives
The family friendly café is the ideas of mother of four and day nursery owner Marianne McDowell and her partner Alexander Hassiakos. The idea was developed after over a decade spent working with children of all ages and their families.
Marianne was originally a lawyer, while Alexander did procurement and logistics for the NHS and was part of the team on the new Manchester children’s hospital. After having children, the long hours and cut throat corporate world didn’t suit, so Marianne re-trained as an early years teacher, converting an old Victorian building in Sale into a day nursery, which she ran for then next ten years.
Their aim for Bisque and Beyond is to create a relaxing, fun, family friendly environment to do a spot of pot painting or with coffee and cakes, or catch up with friends in an evening class with a few cocktails. “Hopefully it's just going to be a nice, chilled out place to be,” Marianne told us.
In this case, the ‘Bisque’ refers to unglazed earthenware or pottery ready to paint, which is the underlying theme to the studio rather than the classic seafood soup.
Babies and toddlers will be able to enjoy baby sensory classes every day
The simple all-day menu will use fresh, locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. A selection of homemade cakes and bakes will be made onsite every day with soups, salads, toasties, brunches such as avocado, pancetta and eggs on Trove sourdough, fish finger brioche buns, Manx kippers and scrambled egg (Marianne is originally from the Isle of Mann).
A few Greek and French influences from Alexander’s side of the family are expected to creep in as the menu develops – such as mezze sharing platters, crepes, croissants, waffles and desserts.
Kid’s food is their speciality as Marianne is fully trained in nutrition for the under fives and has been making homemade purees, finger foods, dips and all sort of ideas to support baby led weaning and fussy toddlers. For the grown ups, subject to a successful license application, they have a number of local craft ales, fruit beers, wines and cocktails alongside the breakfast martinis, snappers and mimosas,
A selection of non-alcoholic drinks will include made-to-order smoothies and flavoured milkshakes and a selection of leaf teas. Favourite local roasters, Heart & Graft will supply the coffee.
The rustic, slightly industrial interior will feature exposed brick walls, York stone floors and a timber beamed ceiling - all providing the best blank canvas for the creative concept. Banquette seating is being installed at each end of the cafe/art studio upholstered in teal and mustard soft fabrics, with granite grey seats and Tolix style metal chairs with wooden tables.
Babies and toddlers will be able to enjoy baby sensory classes every day in the specially adapted basement, run by fully qualified, DBS checked and first aid trained early years practitioners. A fully equipped party room underneath the café will take the hassle out of organising children's parties. Bisque and Beyond are also working on a programme of evening classes.
