Yellowhammer

Bread, buns and other bakes are the name of the food game at Where The Light Gets In spin-off Yellowhammer – but equally important is what else is being blasted to a high heat, and it’s not what you’d expect; if you fancy some ceramics with your sourdough, you’re in the right place.

Beyond a plant-topped partition door, an open pottery studio in the back is where the pots used in the kitchen and the plates used for service are rustled up by Joe Hartley – he’s even been tasked with knocking together door handles for the stripped-back continental-style cafe, shop and bakery space, purposefully flexible and with limited outdoor seating. Ceramics are available to buy and Joe, along with another two resident potters, will be running craft workshops in keeping with the ethos of Yellowhammer’s Green Michelin-starred sister restaurant, offering a focus on sustainable materials and low-tech production methods. Chef residencies are also promised, and Where The Light Gets In chef/owner Sam Buckley is going for a “French coffee shop vibe”, with the space down the hill offering a place to catch up with friends before or after work. Coffee – espressos, cortados and flat whites – is sourced from Staffordshire roastery Hasbean; a small selection of natural wines are also stocked, and line the shelves above the counter. The food offer is the remit of co-founder Rosie Wilkes, a local sourdough baker who has been oven-side at Manchester bakeries such as Trove and Pollen. Keen to incorporate as local as possible UK-grown and milled organic grains into her baking, Rosie has developed a number of British farm-friendly recipes, including sourdough loaves, baguettes and rye bread. Savoury bites might include leek and butter pies; sweet treats, candied orange teacakes and marmalade cream buns. Another initiative of Rosie’s is evident in the quantities available: if a whole loaf is too much, you can pick up a half or even a quarter. The team hopes this will discourage food waste, as will using up WTLGI leftovers in sandwiches, cheese, homemade butter and ferments.

One business will feed into the other, you might say. Head to the Underbanks Wednesday to Friday, and on Saturdays, remember: when it’s gone, it’s gone.

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