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 completely run out of space in Ancoats, and it was definitely time for us to take that next step. We really wanted to grow up a little bit, not in a bad way, but just refining and polishing things more, so here we’ve put in a full pastry kitchen where they have all the space and equipment they need to really go to the next level.”
“You’ll see a lot more chocolate work and more interesting decorating techniques. But, I’m also quite classical in my approach, so one of the things we have in development is a French fancy, but done in our way.
“We want to take the classics and the things we grew up with as children and reinvent them. We also want to lead on patisserie as well, so bringing in more pastry items like mille-feuille and choux buns.”
Designed by local interior studio No Chintz, the space wouldn’t look out of place in London, Paris or Copenhagen with its muted colour scheme, exposed brickwork ceilings and industrial hints. Pastries are showcased in display cabinets fronted with textured metal sheets, while the savoury portion of the menu is served from the adjacent pass.
Make sure to come with an appetite because dishes here are - thankfully - sizable. Take the egg bun, with Westcombe cheddar and watercress - a mammoth task, which I’m sure many will be happy to take on, or the smoked streaky bacon bun with butterhead lettuce and charred tomato ketchup, Pollen’s posh take on a BLT.
The bigger café space will also offer an expansive seasonal menu showcasing the best available produce across the year. Plates designed to share include English pea tartine topped with English broad beans, Pollen’s own ricotta and lardo; a mesmerising hogget shoulder hash brown with dill sauerkraut and crème fraiche; and white asparagus with a soft boiled egg, walnut and lovage.
“The way we personally like to eat is with the seasons and also with a very strong focus on produce. The Ancoats site is better for the more humble foods that focus on breads such as grilled cheese and buns, while here we really want to utilise as much produce as possible.
For Pollen, who have amassed an impressive following over the last seven years, their new site feels both grown-up and familiar. With a track record for some of the city’s best bakes and coffee, their new venture is sure to draw in fans old and new.
Pollen at Kampus opens its doors on Thursday, June 9. The café will be open from 7am from Wednesday to Friday, and from 8.30am on weekends.
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