LIVERPOOL's hugely popular LEAF tea rooms, bar and creative space will launch in Manchester city centre this summer.
“LEAF is a fresh, dynamic and fiercely independent retailer"
LEAF - first opened by entrepreneur Natalie Heywood on Liverpool's Parliament Street in 2008 - currently manage three operations across Liverpool (LEAF on Bold Street; OhMeOhMy in West Africa House on Water Street; and the Garden at FACT on Wood Street) and will open their latest venue at 113 Portland Street in the former-CUBE Gallery; which bit the dust in 2013 when backer Salford University pinched the purse-strings.
Alongside 35 strands of tea, fifteen wines, cinnamon porridge, falafel flatbreads and a Goan style fish curry, LEAF host live gigs, late night DJs, knitting clubs, art exhibtions, open mic nights, film screenings, vintage markets and the odd life drawing workshop. Blimey.
In recent years the trendy cafe-bar has received accolades from The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Yahoo and the BBC.
113 Portland Street LEAF's 7,000 sq ft space will form part of Bruntwood's 122,000 sq ft 'West Village' redevelopment.
LEAF's Managing Director Natalie Haywood said: “For some time we’ve been looking at opportunities in Manchester but when we were shown this space we knew immediately that it was perfect for LEAF”.
The four Victorian warehouses have been redesigned by Manchester-based interior design company, The Sheila Bird Group, and are now 85% occupied with tenants including global media planning and buying specialists Carat Media and the International Council of Museums.
Toby Sproll, Head of Retail and Leisure at Bruntwood, said: “LEAF is a fresh, dynamic and fiercely independent retailer that has already won a number of national awards. We are confident that LEAF will add to the eclectic mix of customers in our West Village portfolio and provide a further boost to the amenities at this end of Portland Street.”
LEAF will launch in Summer 2015.
