Three Greater Manchester food and drink heavyweights join forces in 'hidden' neighbourhood

The people behind three popular Manchester venues are joining forces to open a brand new food and drink concept for the city.

Northern Quarter staple Trof is teaming up with Manchester Union Brewery and Monton's Wandering Palate to launch The Trading Route, a restaurant and bar on Good Yards Street in the St John's district. Opening this November, it will be located next to the new Caravan restaurant and just over the way from Aviva Studios.

The new venue will be serving cold beer and hot chicken as well as offering a luxury larder of expertly sourced goods from Wandering Palate. To celebrate the launch, The Trading Route will be inviting those on their mailing list to be the first to enjoy the space, as well as opening up the lager taps and rotisserie oven for a complimentary day-long party.

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Matt Nellany, of Trof, said: “We’ve focused on bringing everything that people love about Trof to an exciting space in a new neighbourhood. It’s going to be that perfect spot whether you’re grabbing breakfast, stopping in for lunch, or settling in for a proper evening session.”

Open from dawn until dusk, the bar’s purpose-built rotisserie will serve crisp whole and half chicken as well as porchetta, all carved to order fresh from the oven, served with pickles and dips as part of a menu crafted by the Trof team. Focaccia made and baked in-house will also feature on the breakfast and lunch menus, as well as small plates, including slow-roasted potatoes served with chicken fat mayo, salsa verde, alongside pecorino, salads, and house-made sweets.

Having become a local favourite in their home of Monton, Wandering Palate will be bringing their expertly sourced pantry of provisions to Manchester city centre as part of the new venue. Their Salford outpost has earned renown as having one of the finest wine cellars in the region, as well as some of the most sought-after cheeses and sundries - all of which they’ll be bringing to Goods Street Yard.

Will Evans, of Wandering Palate, added: “It’s brilliant to be bringing our wines, cheeses, and deli favourites to a new audience in the city centre. We’ve curated a selection of goods that we’re really proud of, and, of course, we’ll be there to help people discover something special to take home. It’s an exciting space, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”

The venue will also act as a lager house for Manchester Union, with drinkers able to enjoy beverages fresh from their Ardwick-based brewery. Having toured the great beer halls of central Europe to research the perfect pour, they’ll be serving their lager with a continental-style technique, and pints will be served in custom-made Tübinger glasses.

Jamie Scahill, of Manchester Union, said: “The Trading Route is an unofficial tap room for us, and it feels like this has been a long time coming. Working with our friends at Trof and Wandering Palate has been great, with our offerings and expertise perfectly complementing one another. We can’t wait for people to come down to experience our very own lager house over a few pints this November.”

Designed by PHAUS, the Manchester based studio responsible for the interiors of Jane Eyre, Erst, and Freight Island amongst many others, The Trading Route will accommodate 150 guests across both indoor and outdoor spaces. To celebrate the launch, it will be inviting those on their mailing list to be the first to enjoy the space, as well as opening up the lager taps and rotisserie oven for a complimentary day-long party.

Located next to Caravan and just down from Fenix and Aviva Studios, the arrival of The Trading Route marks the latest development in the growth of the St John's neighbourhood. Over the next few years, the district will also welcome private members' club Soho House and classic diner reimagined, Mollies Manchester.