Operator picked for Manchester food market

Sessions will run the 30,000 sq ft Shipyard venue within Allied London’s St John’s development, the company’s first venture in the North. 

Plans for the Manchester venue, located within the disused Albert Shed warehouse on the River Irwell, were submitted to the city council earlier this year. 

Now, Sessions, which operates similar venues in London and Brighton, has applied for a licence to operate the venue, which once attracted the interest of Boxpark.  

“It is always our desire at Sessions to find the most exciting talent and concepts and anchor them in dynamic physical environments,” said Dan Warne, founder and chief executive of Sessions, said. 

“The Shipyard represents an expansion into a new region, via a scheme that represents a cultural heartbeat for the community. We hope to incubate some of the top talent from the area and give them national and international reach via our network, while introducing some of the most interesting concepts from around the world to the people of Manchester.” 

The scheme will see the site on the corner of New Quay Street and Water Street converted into a riverside dining destination and is due to launch next year.

Designed by 3D Reid, the plan is to repurpose the former warehouse into “an eclectic and curated destination that compliments the wider St John’s masterplan by encouraging a mix of artisan vendors and rolling smaller stalls”, according to the architect’s design and access statement.  

Precedents for the project cited by the architect include Kyiv Food Market, located within a former arsenal, Time Out Market in Lisbon, and Mackie Mayor in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. 

“St John’s is based on three pillars; Enterprise, Culture and Living,” said Mike Ingall, managing director of Allied London. 

“We have already established tech and media incubators and Sessions at Shipyard will be a unique proposition focussed on food and entertainment.” 

Sessions’ business is based on the Enterprise of Food, and will be a great asset and opportunity for Manchester’s independent food operators to create and grow within a UK network.”