Residency restaurant opens in Manchester

The Cotton Factory, which has opened within the Whitworth Locke hotel on Princess Street, promotes itself as being the city’s ‘first permanent residency restaurant’.

Overseen by hospitality project consultancy The Initiative Group, The Cotton Factory will play host to an ‘ever-evolving’ series of residencies beginning with Mexican food traders El Camino, which hosted its first pop-up earlier this year.

The menu will feature a range of street food-inspired options including beer-braised ox cheek quesadilla with chipotle aioli, red pickled chilli and crispy shallots; masa fried chicken tacos with red salsa and habanero aioli; and grilled sea bream served with charred greens and salsa verde.

Vegetarian options, meanwhile, include a chipotle cauliflower taco with radish, red chilli and sweet potato puree; and a sweet potato quesadilla served with cheese and red chilli.

The restaurant has 78 covers, with the kitchen situated in the middle of the open-plan dining room.

“We have a great space at The Cotton Factory and it is exciting to have the opportunity to fill it with a variety of hungry young operators to create unique one-off experiences in the city,” says Initiative Group director Youri Michel.

Residencies will last between three and six months, with details of future traders at the restaurant yet to be announced.