Third Floor Rising: traditional British cafe opens in Afflecks in Manchester serving classic homemade food

A new traditional British cafe serving much-loved homemade grub has opened in Manchester indoor market Afflecks.

Third Floor Rising, which as the name implies is on the third level of the Northern Quarter emporium, offers a hearty selection of breakfasts, lunches and snacks in a retro setting.

It’s the brainchild of husband and wife team Tommy Heaton and Sarah Abell, who have long been fans of the building and its independent ethos and felt it was the right place to launch their new venture.

Here’s what’s on the menu at Third Floor Rising and what people can expect if they drop in for a bite to eat.

What is Third Floor Rising and what sort of food does it offer?

Third Floor Rising is a traditional British cafe which has now opened on the third floor of Afflecks and specialises in dishing up homemade, well-loved British food.

Visitors can get the day started the right way with a cooked breakfast, with Third Floor Rising serving meat, vegetarian and vegan fry-ups as well as breakfast rolls and BLTs.

Later on in the day there are classics such as pie and chips and quiche as well as homemade paninis, toasties and filled rolls. There’s plenty to appeal to people’s sweet tooths too, with tray bakes and cakes, as well as a drinks selection including coffees, smoothies, milkshakes and coolers.

The cafe open from 10.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and 11am until 4pm on Sundays. The ambience is relaxed and homespun with plenty of retro touches including daily handwritten menus and original ‘70s printed wallpaper.

Who is behind the new cafe and what have they said?

Third Floor Rising has been opened by husband and wife team Tommy Heaton and Sarah Abell, who have around 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. They have been fans of Afflecks for a long time and decided it was the right place to open their first eatery, with the location on the top floor of one of Manchester city centre’s best-known buildings one they decided they couldn’t pass up.

The new cafe’s styling has been influenced both by Tommy and Sarah’s own home and their love of all things retro.

The inspiration for the name, meanwhile, comes from the book of the same title written by celebrated author Hilary Mantel when she worked at Affleck and Brown department store in Manchester.

Tommy said: “Since we‘ve joined we have loved getting to know everyone, from the cleaners to the management to the stall holders and the techs! It feels like a family - a family we are proud to be part of. We are excited about the next few years as we plan to serve up hearty, homemade food in one of our favourite places in the world and we hope other people will love it too.”

AJ Martyn, general manager at Afflecks, added: “We are thrilled to welcome another amazing independent business to the Afflecks community. Third Floor Rising is the perfect fit for the cafe space and we think the classic menu will really appeal to our customers. Tommy and Sarah have poured so much into the concept and we’re excited to be supporting them on their journey.”