Introduction
About Manna Food Halls
Why Batley?
The Traders
Introduction
Manna food halls: A retail revolution is dawning. Shoppers deserve more and have higher expectations. Manna food retailers and restaurateurs will deliver real choice, quality and value to today’s demanding shoppers.
Manna food halls opened their first 12,000 sq.ft food hall at The Mill Factory Outlet, Batley, West Yorkshire last September. Si King and Dave Myers – aka The Hairy Bikers; the two gutsy, straight talking, hilarious BBC foodies came along to the launch and provided cooking demonstrations along with plenty of their inimitable banter and even an impromptu performance of Don’t Cry For Me Argentina!
About Manna Food Halls
Manna food halls is the brainchild of Raymond Linch, the son of East End market traders, who acquired a passion for good food during a 7 year stint in France whilst designing and building food halls and supermarkets. ‘The greatest lesson I learned in France is that good food is not exclusive. It should be available to everyone. On the continent, if you want to find the best food, go to market’ says Linch whose driving ambition is to revive the great British Indoor Food Hall in towns and cities across the UK.
Although manna will be a national brand within the next few years with openings already secured in London, Rotherham, Swindon, West Midlands, Newport, Warrington and more, every site is populated with LOCAL food retailers and restaurateurs, keeping food miles down and local knowledge to the fore.
‘I am in awe of these guys every time I meet them’ continues Linch....’ They are so passionate about the quality of their food and demonstrate a transparency and honesty that the supermarkets can only aspire to!’
Why Batley?
The decision to open the first manna in the North of England was an easy one. Yorkshire people are justifiably proud to celebrate a wealth of wonderful regional food and an abundance of quality food producers. This is obvious everywhere you visit in the region, from the countless thriving farmer’s markets in small towns to the bustling and vibrant Kirkgate Market, Leeds’ famous indoor market hall.
Recruiting the very best traders at Batley has been a tough yet thoroughly rewarding exercise, interviewing literally hundreds of applicants in order to find the right balance of passionate, honest and dedicated retailers and caterers.
The Traders
Tony Banks – Greengrocery and Fruiterer – recognised as the very best in his field in Leeds’s Kirkgate Market – He knows his onions!
Deli Blue – A continental deli and bistro offering the finest continental meats, quality wines, speciality breads, miniatures, jams, relishes and sauces unique to Deli Blue. Traditionally cooked pizzas are prepared using a wood fired oven for an authentic Italian taste.
Beacocks of Batley Fresh Fish – John Beacock is so proud of the freshness of his fish – he is known as a difficult buyer down at the fish market, only taking the best of the best. Every evening he spends 2 hours scrubbing the floor of his shop on his hands and knees, ensuring everything is pristine for the next day’s trade.
Brindon Addy – Q Guild Butcher – the man is fanatical – he only buys live animals still grazing in the fields that he has chosen himself for local slaughter. He’ll hang the beef for 21 days and anything else simply won’t do!
Established in 1987, Julian Graves is the UK’s largest independent specialist food retailer, selling a range of natural foods including nuts, seeds, dried fruit and berries (including the infamous goji berries), plus sophisticated party snacks, nostalgic sweets and baking ingredients.
Lime Tree Pantry – Harry Toms developed the business to create the most tasty, fresh savoury and sweet pies that he possibly could and now retails from Chatsworth and Windsor ‘Royal’ farm shops.
Sue Bradley Flowers – Sue has been a successful florist in the Batley Area for many years and is widely considered as the best of the best.
Candy Corner Confectioners – Marie MacDonald and Joanne Laycock are experienced traditional weigh-out sweet shopkeepers. Along with a mouthwatering range of chocolates, they have been awarded status as the only factory retail outlet for Fox’s fine biscuits.
Hannah’s Tea Rooms is the brainchild of Jonathan Murgatroyd and will combine the very best of the great traditional tea room with the continental feel of a licensed brasserie. Jonathan is renowned in Yorkshire for his cakes and sweet pastries manufacturing business.
