Inside the massive bakery hidden behind a railway arch in one of Manchester’s newest neighbourhoods

Red Bank has come a long way. Located on the northern edge of the city just past Victoria Train Station, it has witnessed huge changes over the years and has long been a melting pot of cultures and nationalities.

It’s currently part of a major regeneration project which will see new housing estates and a ‘river park’ created. In all, 35,000 people will live in homes as part of the Victoria North project, developed by Far East Consortium, and stretching from Angel Meadow to Collyhurst.

The area is already dotted with hidden gems like award-winning spatzle restaurant Sparrows, Foundation Coffee House and Green Arches Brewery and Bar - and now it can add a much-anticipated bakehouse to its roll call.

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Opening opposite the railway arch that Sparrows calls its home, Half Dozen Other, the bakery arm of independent coffee shop Pot Kettle Black, has opened within a 5,000sq ft warehouse and is inviting pastry lovers down to its new pop-up space this weekend.

Pot Kettle Black, the popular specialty coffee and brunch spot, was first launched by rugby league stars Jon Wilkin and Mark Flanagan in Barton Arcade in 2014 after Mark took a trip to Sydney and came back with the idea of opening an Australian-style coffee shop in Manchester. However, during the pandemic, after being inundated with wholesale requests, they decided to split the business off and create Half Dozen Other - and have grown from a small bakery facility to a full-scale warehouse operation in just a few years.

Boasting a salmon pink exterior, the space features a small pop-up cafe counter where customers can stop by and grab a coffee or one of the brand’s signature