Originally opened as a fire station in 1903, the once-bustling square of Salford’s Fire Station has been transformed into the city’s latest artisan eatery.
The old Fire Station’s extensive collection of home-made gourmet breads and sun-baked glazed crumbling goods was unexpected in the narrow corridor of caffeine-filled undergrads and zig-zagging staff.
Tucked behind a takeaway waiting area, the cosy ex-fireman accommodation’s industrial revamp was completed by a mixture of refectory and stylish pub tables, with a contemporary workspace feel.
Given the Grade-A listed building has only been open for a matter of weeks, student staff at the eatery seemed incredibly settled in their roles, radiating an easy energy from behind mountains of fresh sourdough breads and crafted coffees.
The on-site Lark Hill brewery was also on sale at the cafe, with top-quality, bold-tasting craft beers such as Hazy IPA, Cask Ale, Wheat Beer, Sour Beer, West Coast IPA and Imperial Stout.
Settling on a Triple Cheese, Salami and Pesto Toastie and Iced Mocha, the distant bustle of the A6 and Chapel Street provided a soundtrack to the chit-chatting of conveyor belt streams of customers – most of which opting for the spacious outdoor seating area. When the station was operating the outside square was used by the firemen for training and the cleaning of the fire engines and hoses.
However after admiring the focal fire engine red doors, which are rumoured to have originally housed ambulances, the building’s motif felt neglected, with a lack of departmental memorabilia across the walls and menu.
Nevertheless, the cafe’s wafts of sweet pastries will undoubtedly continue to draw in herds of customers, from commuting businesspeople and students cramped over laptops, to groups of friends sharing stories of university days.
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