Anyone who knows their way around Manchester city centre will know that the Northern Quarter is the area to seek out all that’s best in fashion, music, bars and cafes. It’s also the home of David Cook and Alyson Doocie, experienced restaurateurs who have been involved with two highly successful catering venues in this vibrant community. Apotheca and Dough are separate but interlinked premises comprising a cocktail bar and adjoining restaurant. They opened in 2008 and have become highly rated and very popular.
Now David and Alyson have branched out on their own with a new venture. Bakerie is an exciting concept that they launched in April. It’s a trendy venue that describes itself as a restaurant, bar and wine merchant all in one. And it’s set to offer the local populace something really different in their choice of catering and restaurant options in this offbeat, alternative environment.
Unique experience
David and Alyson conceived the new venture based on their previous formula. Bakerie is a bread and wine store, comprising a bar and restaurant, with an adjacent unit that will become a specialist wine merchants and tasting shop. Wine tasting events and bread making classes in-store will also help to make Bakerie an appealing venue for Manchester’s trendies.
Located within The Hive, an award-winning development of offices, shops and galleries, as well as restaurants, Bakerie serves freshly baked bread to eat in or take home, and offers small plates of food and selected quality wines. This unique concept also houses Manchester’s first wine dispenser and preservation system, supplied by a company called By The Glass.
Clever selling
This is where Johnson Reed played its part by providing the necessary catering equipment finance for the innovative equipment for David and Alyson. With our help, they now have simple direct debit payments over a 3-year lease period, which means they can plan their budgets and keep their credit lines intact. As a start-up business, they will appreciate the help with their cash flow, and can always upgrade or add to the existing equipment without any hassle.
The By The Glass display system is a method of serving and preserving opened bottles of wine for at least two weeks in perfect condition. As well as reducing wastage and maintaining quality, it’s easy to use and is turning out to be a real boon to wine bar owners who reckon it’s increasing their wine sales. It also means that customers can sample wines before they buy them, creating distinct new marketing opportunities for the off trade.
High praise
Manchester Confidential’s online food and drink revue also rates Bakerie highly:
I like this place, it should do well. I’ll be back. Manchester needs more of these sorts of venues, the type of funky little place you’d find in a cooler corner of Soho.
And finally, we have it on good authority that the owners will be approaching Johnson Reed again soon for finance to buy a comprehensive new dictionary to find out how to spell ‘bakery’. But then again, they are so confident about the future of their new venture, that it won’t be long before they simply add an ‘s’ to Bakerie as they open more and more outlets.
