Inside Pollen 2.0 - the Manchester bakery where you can watch patisserie masters at work

Having started its life underneath Manchester’s Piccadilly's railway arch in 2016, Pollen - Ancoats’ hugely popular independent sourdough and viennoiserie - has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Founded by Hannah Calvert and Chris Kelly, the business has established itself as the go-to bakery for city-dwellers in search of fresh loaves of sourdough, cruffins and coffee.

From railway arches to a brick-and-mortar, the pair opened their flagship bakery at Cotton Wharf next to Ancoats Marina in 2018, bringing with them more menu options and brunch bits, which were an instant hit with locals and visitors alike. Now, they’re preparing to open their second site, a significantly larger offering, over at the Kampus neighbourhood opposite Canal Street.

The new, grown-up bakery’s centrepiece is a glass-fronted patisserie kitchen, which gives customers a front-row seat on all the action, as pastries are carefully prepared in front of them. It’s accompanied by a café with indoor and al fresco seating, which overall, feels like an important evolution for the brand.

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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News at the pre-launch, co-owner Hannah Calvert said: “We wanted to create a space that truly reflects what Pollen is, which up to this point I don’t feel like we have been able to do because of limitations on space. It should feel relaxed, well designed and modern in its approach.”

“Initially we were looking for somewhere to increase our bread and pastry production and Kampus came up as part of that search. It’s such a great development, the focus on independents here was clear and they have created a really vibrant neighbourhood - we wanted to be part of that.

“Our pastry kitchen has moved here because we’ve