There are carb overloads, and then there is Bread & Bowls‘ Full English breakfast in a hollowed-out loaf.
First launched in February 2020, these ginormous loaves of sourdough – stuffed with fry-up favourites like high-grade local sausages, crispy streaky bacon, beans, cheese, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes and hash browns – became something of a hungover lockdown sensation.
Now, Charlotte has revealed that she’s coming back into town, with plans to move her kitchen into brand new Spinningfields coffee shop 92 Degrees later this month.
With a range of dishes designed ‘for the greedy’, as well as the famous Full English breakfast bowls fans of her bready-heavy creations will also be able to get their hands on a full loafed-up lunch and brunch menu.
Image: Bread and Bowl
Image: Bread and Bowl
Served between 8am and 4pm every day, think smashed avo and poached eggs, alongside the signature bread bowls and loaded hash browns topped with cheese and beans, sausages, streaky bacon and a perfect poached egg, all made to order.
The kitchen is also vegan friendly, with plant-based alternatives available for all meat products.
The move to Hardman Square sees Charlotte take it back to where it all began, having first launched her Bread & Bowl concept here two years ago just before the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
Initially opening at The Tavern (now The Lawn Club) in February 2020, following some incredible pop-ups with the likes of Mary & Archie, Lifeshare and Feel Good Club, she will head back to Spinningfields on 16 September.
However, whilst her bread bowls have been undeniably popular, it hasn’t all be plain sailing.
With just two weeks to go before the Spinningfield launch, she found that she had been locked out of her Instagram account, leaving her “low key losing my sh*t” all thanks to a verification scam.
Her mum, an admin on the account, saw that she had been tagged in a verification request and uploaded some account details.
The Instagram Verification code scam is a common one, but unfortunately it has hit at the worst time – leaving Charlotte unable to promote her move to her 4,000+ followers just when she needs to communicate with them the most.
She told The Manc: “[I’ve] definitely been stressing alot about loosing the account and getting the word out.”
When they open inside 92 Degrees next week, she tells us that the coffee shop will “boast a cocktail menu alongside their amazing coffee.”
For those unfamiliar with 92 Degrees, it is an independent coffee company first established seven years ago with a single shop and roastery in Liverpool.
Owners have been successfully operating in the city’s John Dalton Street and Middlewood Locks for the past 18 months, now they will launch their third in the city this month alongside kitchen residents Bread & Bowl.
Speaking from their North West headquarters, Jack said: “Spinningfields is the perfect location for our third site in Manchester and it’s an area that we have been paying close attention to for some time. We’ve enjoyed great success at our two other Manchester outlets and the reception we have received over the last 18 months there has been awesome.
“We are super excited to make our presence known even more so in the city and to get to know our new neighbours and customers. It is a brilliant space that really does lend itself to what 92 is all about, and we are looking forward to being able to call it ours.”
Jack added: “We have literally roasted billions of beans, opened sites all over the country and launched our own products and subscription service – but we will never get over the excitement attached to the launch of a new store. Opening in Spinningfields is another major step in the right direction for us and what we have planned further down the line.
“Our 92 family is forever growing and the more the business expands, the better our offering becomes. Our Manchester family is just about to get a whole lot bigger, and we cannot wait.”
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
“We are definitely going to see the very best of what Rochdale has to offer over the next 12 months and people will come from far and wide to see it.”
Featured Image – Rochdale Council
News
The Lowry Theatre undergoes revamp following Biffa Award grant
Danny Jones
The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.
Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.
As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.
The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:
Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.
After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.
The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.
This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.
The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.
The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update:“It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.
“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.
“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.
As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”
As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.
“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”
Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.
We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.
Georgina Pellant -
7th September 2022 
