Northern Quarter venue to get new lease of life as restaurant and bar

Folk & Soul

A Northern Quarter venue which closed last month is to reopen under new management.

Vegan restaurant Folk & Soul closed its doors less than a year after it was launched.

And now Wilderness Trading has taken over the venue on Thomas Street with the aim of creating a completely new and exciting two floor bar and restaurant.

The team behind wilderness bar and kitchen are Dan Morris, former group manager of Manchester favourite Trof and operations manager director for Cottonopolis, directors Bart Murphy and Mat Lake of Junk Yard Golf Club and Lyndon Higginson, director for Liars Group and Junkyard Golf Club.

Dan Morris said: “We have been working hard on this new concept for some time and believe we have now found the perfect site for us.

“We plan on opening mid-June and have recruited what we consider to be some of the best young food and beverage talent in the UK to help us create what we hope will be a great addition to Manchester’s hospitality scene.

“We will be releasing news and official opening dates closer to the summer.”

The design for the new project will be led by Lyndon Higginson – the creative force behind the Liars Group and will tie in with the sister site wilderness record store just off Withington High Street which opened this month.

Wilderness record store stocks a broad range of vinyl and incorporates a cafe serving freshly made toasties, cakes and pastries alongside a selection of interesting beers and wines as well as its own wilderness gin and tonics.

From June 2019 the record store will double in size and launch an events programme that will include acoustic sets, Q&A’s with artists and DJ’s, film screening and creative workshops.

Folk & Soul took over the former Odd Bar May, serving a menu of entirely plant-based bar snacks, sharing boards and brunch dishes.

The restaurant was the project of jazz club Matt & Phreds’ founder Matt Nickson and his wife Annabel Holland.

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