Ditto Coffee expands its Manchester City Centre portfolio at Bruntwood Works' Union building

Following the success of its first venture at Oxford Place on Oxford Street in Manchester City Centre, Ditto Coffee is launching a second, flagship coffee shop at another Bruntwood Works’ building, Union on Albert Square.

The expansion at such a challenging time for the hospitality sector is the product of an ongoing, collaborative partnership between the two organisations. 

Due to open in Spring 2021 Ditto Coffee, which blends great coffee with the brand’s passion for new independent music, will take over the ground floor space at Union.

The new Ditto concept will have an entrance opposite the Town Hall on Brazennose Street and intends to be a destination for coffee and music-lovers from all over Manchester and beyond, as well as providing an excellent food and drink option for businesses based at Union, the surrounding business district and visitors to the city.

The opening embodies Bruntwood Works’ ethos to blend work and lifestyle whilst creating strong communities - something that many people are missing right now. 

The space, in partnership with Bruntwood Works, is to be transformed to create Ditto Coffee’s flagship destination with 38 covers in the cafe and 14 around the DJ stage area, as well as the brand’s first menu of hot food and an extensive ‘grab and go’ offering. The range will include vegan and healthy options as well as classic and seasonal dishes providing hot and cold, dine/in and takeaway offerings for all moods and lifestyles. 

Ditto’s coffee is roasted and supplied by Liverpool-based artisan coffee roasters, Neighbourhood Coffee. It’s ethically sourced and procured fairly, well above the current Fairtrade prices. Ditto serve their own unique blend made from the finest Brazilian, Nicaraguan and Guatemalan beans, which customers will also be able to purchase by the bag for brewing at home. The cake selection will be provided by independent baker Ginger and Fig and the choice will include the best selling Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Brownie as well as other cakes and sweet treats. 

Ditto’s connection to music will remain strong at the new Union venue, with a movable stage at the front of the shop to welcome acoustic artists for stripped back music events. Bruntwood Works will invest in the very best sound system to create the perfect and distinctive ambience with expertly curated sounds coming via a Soundcraft EFX8 mixing desk and top of the range EV ZX1I speakers.

Ditto Coffee is an evolution of worldwide music distribution Company 'Ditto Music'. Coffee was what powered founders, Matt and Lee Parsons through the day when they were setting up Ditto Music. The brand now supports over 150,000 artists around the globe and the pair have experienced coffee all over the world. It was falling in love with Melbourne’s famous coffee culture that inspired them to take the leap and create a dedicated coffee side to the business. Ditto Coffee brings the brothers’ two greatest passions together, creating an environment to support independent musicians and enjoy excellent coffee. 

As in all of Ditto’s stores, there will be an "Artist Dropbox" which encourages local musicians to share their music, and each month an artist is picked for free distribution services from Ditto Music, with acoustic artists also invited to play in store. 

The design will be understated featuring warm, nude colourways and sustainable materials across furniture and workspace areas. 

Ditto Coffee at Union will be the fourth Ditto Coffee in the country, and will be open Monday to Saturday 8.00am to 5.00pm.

Commenting on the opening, Natasha Murphy, Head of Operations at Ditto Coffee, said: “We’re really pleased to be sharing some positive news after an incredibly challenging year. We can’t wait to get stuck into this concept which we’ve worked hard to develop in partnership with Bruntwood Works. Our Oxford Road shop was a huge success, and we’re delighted to be extending our presence in Manchester, a natural home for us as a brand with music at its heart. Albert Square is a great neighbourhood, an area steeped in wonderful architecture and heritage - we can’t wait to bring our flagship operation to Union and to see the city centre bustling again!”

Charlotte Wild, Head of Retail and Leisure at Bruntwood Works said: “We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Ditto Coffee at Union. The success of their shop on Oxford Street, shows just how well the brand has resonated with the Manchester audience. We’re excited to be supporting them on their journey to a second flagship site… and we’re particularly delighted that our HQ is right upstairs as we look forward to catching up with colleagues and friends over coffee and lunch again before too long.”