Hatch - what is it and where is it?

Despite its size, the experience can be underwhelming… Oxford Road that is.

Footfall along the city’s university corridor is high. So why are the shopping, drinking and dining options so crap? Red Chilli, Big Hands and perhaps Kro aside, it’s mostly Greggs, Costa, Subway (there’s two of each), takeaways and a couple of joyless university canteens. Shops? There’s a Spar and a Maplin.

Into this void steps property group Bruntwood, which has hatched plans to turn a dark and desolate space beneath the Mancunian Way into Manchester’s answer to the BoxPark in Shoreditch – a pop-up shopping and dining complex constructed of repurposed shipping containers. 

Having had plans approved by the council last week, Confidential went for a coffee with Bruntwood surveyor James Tootle, who talked us through their plans...

It’s much bigger than you think... 

“Hatch is split into two phases: phase one includes twelve units including shops, food and drink kiosks, an espresso bar and a nanobrewery; phase two is where it really comes to life, growing to 33 units spread along a corridor beneath Mancunian Way with plans for a larger food courtyard and a live music stage – we’re under the road so can make a decent racket.”

It’s going to be around much longer than you think… 

“Hatch is not so much a pop-up as a semi-permanent five to ten year project for Bruntwood, tied into the wider Circle Square masterplan next door. BoxPark in Shoreditch was only ever supposed to be a pop-up, but they’re now seven years in and opened a second in Croydon last year. 

It’s going to be open before you know it… 

“Should all go to plan we’re hoping to have phase one launched by December. Phase two we’re hoping to have ready by late spring to early summer next year.”

The beauty of shipping containers… 

“We can shift them about as we see fit… which is handy should another sink hole appear in the Mancunian Way. Each will be designed so that traders can easily move in and move out – we’re thinking leases of between one and six months. The containers will also differ in size, meaning those who do well may have the option to move to a bigger unit further down the line.”

Big or small, it’s all about innovation… 

“The idea behind Hatch is to attract new and innovative ideas, whether you’re a big brand or smaller independent trader. We want to create a space for makers and creators with interesting products, but also have those bigger brands in to drive footfall. If Nike came knocking with a new concept store, of course we’d be interested, but only if they were doing something new.”

Afflecks Palace are in on things… 

“We’ve partnered with Afflecks because they’re approached by so many great traders with new ideas, but have nowhere to put them. Don’t get me wrong, Hatch isn’t going to be a bunch of Afflecks cast-offs, only the best and most innovative ideas will make the cut.” 

And so are Northern Quarter's Takk… 

“They’ll take on two 1,000 sq ft units; one for an espresso bar and the other for a nanobrewery and keg beer bar called Öl - a collaboration with a brewery called Byrne the Cake from Levenshulme."

Students could make a few quid… 

“We're in talks with the universities about giving some of their students the chance to trade too. Students rarely get the opportunity to commercialise their work, so maybe we’ll have five arts or fashion students take over one of the retail units for a week – sell their stuff, make a few quid and learn to trade.”

They want to change the way you see Oxford Road… 

“The perception of Oxford Road currently is not great. The likes of Gorilla and The Refuge have done great things at one end, but head towards the universities and things drop off. The most popular thing that’s opened here in recent months is KFC. We want to change that. 

"Hatch will be somewhere you can go to eat, drink, shop, catch a gig and just hang out. Corridor Manchester (Oxford Road) hopes to become one of Europe’s top innovation districts, but it can’t do that until the offer improves and people want to spend time here.” 

Where there’s a will there’s light… 

“Yes we’ve got a bit of a sunlight problem being stuck under the Mancunian Way. But we’ve been given a big lighting budget, so don’t worry about that…”