Fort

Fort is one of only a small batch of multi-roaster coffee shops in Manchester. If you want your espresso to be an unchanging beacon of sanity in stressful times, the variety may not be for you. But my long black always more than does the job and the chance to try a rotating range of beans is part of the appeal. That and the banana bread.

It’s a cool coffee hangout with a half-finished look and a permanently temporary feel. The décor stretches to little more than a few Polaroids Blu Tack’d to the walls but the unpolished vibe doesn’t put off the customers and the small space is usually very busy.

Beans have real identity and there is a good retail selection too. Recent favourites include Rush Rush from Antwerp, who roast on restored vintage equipment, and Cafēn, whose lighter roasting style lets the character of the coffee shine through.

Food is limited to cakes and bakes which come courtesy of Wide Awake. Space is limited but hopefully Fort can find a way to go back to serving its own brekkies again too because the stack was messy but absolutely stellar. Hint hint.