Meet the food and drink vendors at the revamped iconic hall
We've been anticipating the opening of Manchester's new events, music, food and drink destination since plans were announced back in February. Back then, all we knew was that the "social destination" in the NOMA area near the Co-op building would take up three floors and that Jonathan Schofield was pretty chuffed that the "fine structure" of New Century Hall had been saved from demolition.
The pizza ovens are the only electric ovens to be approved by the True Neapolitan Pizza Association so you know they're going to be something special
We are now altogether more chuffed that one of those three floors will be dedicated to food. Six vendors, each with an impressive repertoire, have now taken up home in the new space, with room for 300 hungry people to indulge to their heart's content.
Chef Adam Reid, who has been teasing us all on Instagram with hints at his new butty shop concept said, "New Century approached me and asked if I knew anyone that'd be interested in setting up something, and I said I'd been working on a new concept. This spot is a great place to test out new things and see how they go down."
A look inside the new New Century
Put simply, the food hall is wonderful, with details harking back to the new century modern style of the '70s - wood panelling, stylish booths with low-hanging lighting and a white tiled central bar area. Seating ranges from intimate tables for two, to low leather sofas and bench-style seating making the space ideal for occupancy from morning through to evening.
Live music and events in New Century
The programme for live music and events, which will open on 21 September with a special intimate preview with John Cooper Clarke and Mike Garry on 20 September, has also been announced. Performances from The Charlatans, Los Bitchos, Hard-Fi and Confidence Man are confirmed among others.
This eye-catching space on the first floor of the development which is soon to be finished will feature a sprung dancefloor and colourful strip lighting.
For now, let's take you on a little tour of the new-fangled food hall and introduce you to some of the independent traders who have taken up residence:
Banh Vì
The last time the city centre saw the Banh Vì bods, they had just started a stint in the bungalow down at KAMPUS. Banh Vì's plant-based South East Asian flavours are still a hit at Alty Market, so we're happy to see summer rolls, fragrant pho and, of course, its own version of Vietnam's famed bánh mì on our doorstep once again.
Baobros23
Please be upstanding for the British Street Food Awards "People’s Choice" winner that has come to Manchester for the first time. Currently set up at the Riverhead Brewery Tap in Marsden, the father-son team has appointed a new chef to hold the fort back in Yorkshire to pursue this new (century) venture on the correct side of the Pennines. Expect "slider-baos", "bao-dogs" and all manner of fluffy bun variations with flavours like gochujang braised beef brisket and curried oumi cheese.
The Butty Shop by Adam Reid
Adam hasn't made it into our list of Manchester's best butties quite yet, but things are looking bright for the next instalment. "This butty is like a Northern bakery ham salad on steroids," Adam told us with a glint in his eye. The ham for these butties is cured and smoked by the team, roasted on-site and matched with other well-sourced, high-quality ingredients before being served on Adam's handmade oven-bottom muffins. This concept with fine dining pedigree will tick all the taste boxes as well as dishing out a big spoonful of Northern nostalgia alongside. Breakfast sandwiches are also on the cards, so catch us there with our laptops and an Adam Reid brekkie bun every single day from now on.
Tallow by Tom Lowe
Tom Lowe is a classically-trained chef with a passion for great steakhouses and great beef. We also have a passion for great beef so bring on the burgers, Tom. He guarantees to use only sustainably sourced, 28-day dry aged beef from local butchers in his residency at New Century, so we're expecting the best damn burgers of our sordid little lives.
Wild by Ply
Just how can you elevate pizza more than pizza has already been elevated is a mystery that drives us insane on the daily, but chef Carl Fraenki may have the answer. By working with Wildfarmed - a movement on the hunt for solutions to the planet's food crisis helmed by Andy Cato from Groove Armada - he has developed a recipe using biodynamic flour to create a 24-hour slow proved dough. The pizza ovens installed in New Century are the only electric ovens to be approved by the True Neapolitan Pizza Association (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana) so you just know they're going to be something special.
Zumuku Sushi
Sushi in Manchester is feeling a little bit like buses at the moment. We haven't seen much of it for ages, and now we've been inundated with new openings like Kitten, MUSU and now Zumuku. You might have heard of Zumuku from such towns and villages as Didsbury, Wilmslow, Worsley and Ramsbottom and we're over the moon to welcome the team to our quiet little corner of the North West. Bring on the uramaki *sushi emoji*.
New Century's food hall opens Friday 26 August and there are plans to open from 8am 'til late.
New Century 34 Hanover St, Manchester M4 4AH
Read next: First look: Gooey Cafe - baked goods and brunch at new NQ venue
Read again: New Century: a new three-storey events space and food hall
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