Half Dozen Other and The Wayfarer - new Red Bank bakery and coffee shop and Northern Quarter bar unveiled

A bakery and coffee shop and a bar which will be two of the newest additions to Manchester’s food and drink scene have been unveiled.

Bakery and coffee shop Half Dozen Other is preparing to open its doors in the Red Bank area, while The Wayfarer is shaping up to be the latest addition to popular hospitality hotspot, the Northern Quarter.

Half Dozen Other is bringing a new lease of life to a warehouse in the area not far from Manchester Victoria railway station and will be dishing up a delectable selection of sweet treats and continental pastries.

The Wayfarer, meanwhile, is taking over a prominent junction on the edge of the Northern Quarter and is owned by a business which already has a number of popular drinking establishments in the city.

What are Half Dozen Other and The Wayfarer and when are they opening?

Half Dozen Other will be located in the Red Bank railway arches, an area which is becoming more popular with Mancunians heading out to eat and drink which is already home to businesses like restaurant The Spärrows, which has the prestigious Bib Gourmand recognising quality cooking on a budget.

The eatery is being created by Pot Kettle Black, which has a coffee shop in Angel Gardens in Manchester. Half Dozen Other will be an artisan outlet in a warehouse offering breads, sweet and savoury croissants, Danish pastries, focaccias, cakes, sweet confectionary from Vienna and other contemporary takes on classic creations.

Customers will be able to see the team at Half Dozen Other mixing, rolling and shaping the items filling the displays when they come in for a bite to eat and a coffee.

There are a number of independent food outlets already in the area and the new bakery and coffee shop is in an area which is part of the major Victoria North regeneration project which is promising to bring more than 15,000 new homes, a 46-hectare park which will be one of the largest green spaces in the city centre, healthcare facilities, transport links and schools to a swathe of north Manchester.

The Wayfarer, meanwhile, will be located in the old Mecanica bar which sits on Swan Street at its junction with Oldham Street in the popular Northern Quarter.

An extensive refurbishment covering two floors plus the building’s facade is currently taking place, with CGI images being released to give some idea of what the finished exterior of The Wayfarer will look like.

It’s the brainchild of Urban Village Bars, which already has the likes of Oldham Street pub The Freemount, the West Village bar in Didsbury and Australian-inspired Northern Quarter eatery and natural wine bar Another Heart To Feed in its portfolio.

Official opening dates for Half Dozen Other and The Wayfarer are yet to be announced.

What has been said about the new venues?

Much of the work on both of these venues is being done by RECOM Solutions, which is based at Salford Quays and was founded in 2015. It has previously worked with Urban Village Bars on three of its other premises before The Wayfarer.

Jordan Stent, head of construction at RECOM, said: “We are thrilled to be continuing and strengthening our working relationships with the Pot Kettle Black group and Urban Village Bars with these contracts.

“It’s an exciting time for Manchester city centre, and managing projects such as these, which will help add further to the vibrancy and choice on offer, is extremely pleasing for the whole team at RECOM.”