Nest Restaurant Group, the operator behind three well-regarded neighbourhood restaurants in south and east London, has confirmed it will open its first northern site in Manchester's Ancoats district this October, The Mise can reveal.
The new restaurant will occupy a former textile warehouse on Redhill Street, offering 72 covers across two floors. The group, founded by chef-director Callum Fraser and front-of-house director Maya Okonkwo in 2019, has built a reputation for produce-led British cooking that shifts with the seasons.
The Manchester site will operate under the same ethos, with a menu developed in collaboration with local growers and suppliers across the North West. Fraser confirmed the kitchen team will be led by sous chef Jess Thornton, who has been with the group since its Peckham opening in 2021.
Ancoats as destination
The choice of Ancoats reflects a broader pattern of independent restaurants gravitating toward the neighbourhood, which has emerged as one of the UK's most vibrant dining destinations over the past five years. Operators including Elnecot, Tast Cuina Catalana, and the team behind Where The Light Gets In in Stockport have established the area's credentials with both local diners and visitors.
"We've been watching Manchester for a long time," Okonkwo told The Mise. "Ancoats has an energy and a genuine food culture that feels closer to how we think about hospitality than almost anywhere else outside London. It didn't feel like expansion for its own sake — it felt like the right move at the right time."
The Redhill Street space has been designed by the same studio behind Nest's Brixton site, working with reclaimed timber and exposed brick to retain the building's industrial character. A kitchen counter running along the ground floor will seat eight and offer a shorter tasting menu separate from the main à la carte.
Supplier network
Fraser said the group had spent six months building supplier relationships in the region before committing to the opening. Confirmed partners include a family-run farm near Chorley for heritage vegetables, a Lancashire cheesemaker, and a fishmonger based at Fleetwood Market.
"We don't want to parachute a London restaurant into Manchester," Fraser said. "The whole point is to cook from where we are. If we're in Ancoats, the food should taste like it."
Recruitment for the Manchester site opened this week, with approximately 28 full and part-time positions available. The group is targeting an October soft launch ahead of a full opening before the end of the month.