Harley Young finds out more about the vendors at the brand new Central Bay food hall in Media City
Media City announced the opening of its latest food and drink offering, Kargo MKT, earlier this week. This comes as part of the new neighbourhood overhaul known as Central Bay.
The 25,000 square-foot venue will act as one of the biggest food and drink operations in the North. It’s the first of its kind in Salford and will house four independent restaurants, 20 kitchens, markets, pop-up events, live music and have recreational space for children amongst other features yet to be announced in the coming months.
Well-known hospitality brands have already decided to make Central Bay their new home, including our pals at SEVEN BR07HERS and FOUR SIS4ERS who have come together to create their new brewhouse, 11 Central.
Blend Family, the operator behind Cutlery Works in Sheffield and The GPO in Liverpool, has been brought in to develop the food hall side of things.
I asked some of the vendors at Kargo MKT five questions to find out a little more about them and their choice to set up shop at the new community hub Central Bay.
Who are you and what do you do?
We’re That Ziki. We specialise in Greek street food and are on a mission to serve the best gyros in town.
Which other trader is your favourite?
Impossible to pick. Leopard Pie is our local pizza gaff and it slaps. We haven’t tried a lot of the food vendors' menus due to sliding gyros every week, but we literally can’t wait to try them all.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
It has to be the chicken gyros, it’s the G.O.A.T of our menu. Paired with our house sauce…yes please.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
We have lots of different concepts; a shop, dark kitchen and food truck. But we have always wanted to be part of a buzzing food hall with lots of cracking vendors. Dreams do come true.
What do you like the most about Media City?
It’s a vibe. I think with Kargo MKT, MediaCity is going to be even better. It has some great companies and a great community around it. Plus, you can see Old Trafford from our kitchen, what more could you want?
Who are you and what do you do?
We are Enrico and Daniela, owners of Ad Maiora. We decided to leave our jobs to bring our own idea of sandwiches to Manchester. Our speciality is our homemade Schiacciata bread, which makes our product unique and inimitable. We use only ingredients imported directly from Italy from the flour to the cheese and cured meats.
Which other trader is your favourite?
Although we have not yet tasted other merchants' food, we can definitely say we are looking forward to trying House of Habesha because of the authenticity of its food and the way it's presented.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
Regina (The Queen) is our best-selling sandwich, definitely. The Mortadella from Bologna with our homemade pesto and topped with burrata and crumbled pistachio is a real treat. Try it to believe.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
We started by selling our sandwiches from our apartment. We thank Central Bay for the great opportunity it gave us to expand and be more in touch with our customers. The Central Bay project immediately seemed great to us. In fact, being part of this big family is an honour for us.
What do you like the most about Media City?
It's an up-and-coming area with great potential. The area is neat and clean, less hectic than the city centre and that's why we already love it here.
Who are you and what do you do?
We’re Jensen and Ste from Wong Dumplings. We started our business as a pop up street food trader specialising in Asian inspired dumplings. Our dumplings are made from scratch and wrapped by hand, steamed and pan fried for a crispy bottom. We have since expanded our offerings and for Kargo. We have added Cantonese roast meats (Siu Yuk and Char Siu) to our repertoire.
Which other trader is your favourite?
We’ve not tried any of the Kargo MKT vendors’ food yet. But, since joining the street food scene, we’ve been lucky enough to try a lot of different food from other traders. Our favourites are Oi Dumplings (even though they technically are our competitors). Osaka Local with her authentic Japanese Okinomiyaki, and Waffle Kart for their delicious pickle brined fried chicken.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
On the dumpling side, the best seller is between the ever reliable hoisin duck dumpling, and the mouth warming, savoury black pepper pork dumpling. Since we’ve only been able to do the roast meats as a special on our stall, we’re yet to see how popular it will be. We have a little feeling it’ll be a crowd favourite.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
It was the obvious next step for us to take on a unit. With the location overlooking the canal, and the lack of global food options available in the area, it seemed like a great new development for us to be able to share the food that we love to eat to a new community.
What do you like the most about Media City?
MediaCity is such a great location, especially with Kargo MKT opening now. Between the Lowry Theatre, the BBC and ITV studios, and the short hop, skip and a jump from Old Trafford, there’s something for everyone.
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Lucia and I run Hot & Wild Poké; the Hawaiian-Japanese fusion takeaway operating out of a food container at Kargo. We are all about creating delicious food inspired by the exotic flavours of Hawaii & Japan.
Which other trader is your favourite?
I've been eating at my local Jerk Junction since I was seven, so, of course, Jerk Junction is my favourite vendor at Kargo. More than anything, I think my mum is really excited to have another excuse to eat there more.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
I expect my Karaage Sub will be my best seller at Kargo because it is a heavenly concoction of Japanese fried chicken, crunchy pickled salad, fresh herbs, and sauce all served in a baguette - not to mention it's discounted during lunch hours.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
I chose this location because I really wanted to work in a really busy, up-and-coming place that had a great energy about it. Not only does Central Bay have all this, it's also a beautiful location overlooking the water (and, of course, my footy team; United).
What do you like the most about Media City?
It feels really busy and like there's always something interesting happening. I'm really excited to be opening up so close to such an iconic part of Greater Manchester.
FEED
Who are you and what do you do?
We're Feed. We serve sustainable fish, proper chips and interesting bits, elevating traditional fish & chip shop dishes to modern day delicacies.
Which other trader is your favourite?
Wong Dumplings, without a doubt.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
Our ‘Mad for it’ Manc Mussels. You’d be mad not to.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
We’re Salford born and bred, so what better place to showcase our delicious food?
What do you like the most about Media City?
The diversity and culture. We’ve seen the area grow and develop over the years, it’s only going to get better.
Who are you and what do you do?
We’re husband and wife team Mike and Jin and, together, we run BAB Korean Food.
Which other trader is your favourite?
We’ve spent an hour thinking about this and decided to give a very parental answer…We can’t choose between them - we love them all. But we’ll be trying Baity and Boba Cha first I reckon.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
We reckon the Beef Bibimbap. It mixes the luxury of a steak with the vibrancy of all the veg. Please try our Yukwhey (Korean Beef Tartar) though, it’s excellent.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
I think the area is fantastic, but we now live here so I have to say that. In all seriousness, though, MediaCity is lacking some fantastic independent businesses. My hope is that Kargo MKT can serve as a catalyst for others.
What do you like the most about Media City?
It doesn’t feel like any other city centre location. There’s green space, hardly any traffic and, soon to be, the UK’s best food hall.
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Caroline Martins, founder and executive chef of RIO-MEX. We offer a Brazilian-Mexican fusion food including Brazilian-style croquettes (salgadinhos), burritos, nachos and tacos - all with a Brazilian twist.
Which other trader is your favourite?
I love House of Habesha. It’s an incredible African concept and I was lucky enough to try it when they were in residency at Blossom Street Social. Very unique and delicious.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
Our beef barbacoa taco and burrito. We braise beef brisket for 48 hours with a blend of secret RIO-MEX spices and serve it with our signature biquinho pepper mayo, which is a Brazilian sweet chilli pepper - not often found in the UK.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
Since moving to Manchester and visiting Media City, I always thought there is a lack of independent food traders in the area. There's so many big chains, but not a lot of small food businesses. There's a massive gap in the market for what Kargo is proposing to achieve at Central Bay, and I'm really proud to be a small part of that.
What do you like the most about Media City?
I love the eclectic events and exhibitions that are held in the area. It's a place with a real buzz and great energy.
Who are you and what do you do?
We're a team of experienced baristas excited to serve the people of Salford and visitors some of the world's finest coffees. Brewed without compromise, served without complication.
Which other trader is your favourite?
We're yet to try anything, but looking forward to experiencing food from around the globe from our new neighbours.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
Definitely a flat white. We like them silky, smooth and balanced, with our house espresso Muzo - a natural Rwandan coffee.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
We realised there was a glaring hole in the offering of most food halls; specialty coffee. We wanted to work alongside exciting vendors and showcase what we do best.
What do you like the most about Media City?
Aside from the diverse range of food on offer, the views from the terrace are hard to beat.
Who are you and what do you do?
We're What's Your Beef - pioneers of the finest burgers. We concentrate on quality ingredients to excel your taste buds and elevate your experience of what a proper burger should be.
Which other trader is your favourite?
Nila's Burmese Kitchen - we've known Nila since day dot. We met at Levenshulme Market and became great friends. She helped us a lot in our early days and she's always bloody feeding us with the most authentic and flavoursome Burmese food.
What item do you expect to be your best seller?
Our Stateside Deluxe has been, and still holds the title of, 'best seller’ across the company during our 10 years trading. This burger was acclaimed in the top five in the UK in 2019. We don't expect this to change, but our duck fries and salt & pepper tots are quite addictive also.
Why did you choose to join Central Bay?
We were extremely happy and excited after our meeting with Nina & Matt from Blend. They explained the vision and we were hooked. Once we realised that they were the brainchild of Cutlery Works in Sheffield - which we absolutely love - we knew we were working with the right team.
What do you like the most about Media City?
The clientele. We have spent many years slinging our wares from our tent on the Piazza at the monthly Makers Market and we've built a really good customer base here. We’re hyped to be back.
Kargo MKT is now open to the public and has a variety of events already underway, including R&B performances for adults and mini mermaid discos for the kids. See the full list of food vendors here.
Kargo MKT @ Central Bay, Unit 32, Quayside Media City, Salford Quays, M50 3AG
Header image: What's Your Beef?
Follow Harley Young on X @Harley__Young
Kargo MKT opening times
9am - 9pm Monday to Wednesday
9am - 1am Thursday to Saturday
10am - 9:30pm Sunday
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