A pop-up cheese shop is coming to New Islington Marina

Bread and cheese are made for each other. And now, two of Manchester’s top brands have teamed up to launch a new pop-up combining them both.

The team from New Market Dairy, Altrincham and Pollen Bakery, Manchester have got together to host a pop-up cheese shop at the New Islington Marina Bakery this winter.

So now you’ll be able to buy tasty sourdough breads and artisan made farmhouse cheeses from around the British Isles from one location.

Members of the New Market Dairy team will be on hand on selected dates to make cheese recommendations should you need some advice.

One of their favourites is some strong Westcombe Cheddar loaded onto a chunk of flavoursome Pollen 28 Hour Sour, the bakery’s signature white sourdough, finished off with a generous blob of red onion marmalade to add a hint of sweetness.

Or you could push the boat out a bit and try Brefu Bach, a soft creamy ewe’s milk cheese, which they say works beautifully with Pollen’s 5 Seed Sour, combining sharp and mellow together in dramatic contrast. 

Or Pollen’s 20% Rye works well with St Cera, frequently likened to a little pot of gold, and this distinctive washed rind cheese just oozes flavour.

The team says this pairing is what you might describe as a marriage made in heaven, distinctive flavours and textures that just work so well.

“We’ve been working on this collaboration for a little while, it’s designed to help raise awareness with as many customers as possible of the sheer quality and diversity of artisan made farmhouse cheeses from around the British Isles,” says Martin Gott, owner of New Market Dairy.

“This is especially crucial at the moment, as many of the makers have had a particularly challenging time surviving in the face of COVID, when many lost much of their hospitality trade during lockdown in the spring and summer months.’’

The pairing of cheese and bread is the most natural thing going, says Chris Kelly, co-owner of Pollen Bakery.

“We’ve been huge fans of New Market Dairy since it opened in Altrincham. So, we decided to approach Martin to see if the team at New Market Dairy wanted to host a pop-up cheese shop at our bakery.

“We’re big fans of traditional raw milk cheeses and felt that it would be a good way of helping to showcase what the UK’s cheese makers produce, provide our customers with an opportunity to buy artisan cheeses and get some expert advice as to what to buy alongside our handcrafted sourdoughs.‘’

You can visit the pop-up cheese shop at the New Islington Marina Bakery on Saturday 28th November, Saturday 19th December and Wednesday 23rd December.