Manchester’s skies in the winter are usually grey. The new steel-and-glass are glossy grey. The concrete modernist buildings are grimey grey.
The stone buildings of Oxford Road can be grey. And in the middle of all this is an explosion of pink. It’s home to Loaf Mcr, a bakery serving gorgeous cakes and popular coffee. READ MORE: “We just want to get on with our lives": Night & Day music venue back in court over row about noise There are three Loafs.
One’s in Riverside, an apartment building on the Salford side of the Irwell. Another is in the Trafford Centre, and the most visible is on Oxford Street, more or less opposite Andy Burnham’s office.
Managing this branch is Alex Yates, who has lived in the city for nine years. He sees the hustle of offices, buses, and trams from his storefront — so what makes him tick? Where’s your favourite hidden gem? This and That, down the back of Trof, even if it’s not that hidden anymore.