Exchange Quay, Manchester’s flagship office campus, has expanded its site-wide amenity offer with the launch of a new look restaurant, a wide range of new occupier events as well as health and wellness initiatives and welcomes 40,000 buzzing new tenants as part of its biodiversity improvement programme.
The current quayside café, formerly operated by Elior UK, has undergone a refurbishment programme and has been relaunched under a new sub brand, Quay Kitchen, from the stable of existing tenant Bean Coffee as part of their expansion plans.
The new look restaurant, which opened this month, includes a new outdoor area, as well as a ‘grab and go’ express lane. The food remains a quality offering, with future plans to introduce more health and wellbeing products, alongside the brand’s continued sustainability commitment. Bean Coffee @ Exchange Quay also has a new ‘Ready to Go’ food offer which includes a range of Vegan products.
Exchange Quay has also welcomed its biggest occupier deal with a new project bringing 40,000 workers to the business park. The implementation of a site wide biodiversity improvement programme, part of the development’s ongoing sustainability investment strategy, has transformed the park into a haven for birds, bees and pollinators.
The project includes planting 850 site-wide bee friendly plants and wild flowers, the installation of homes and habitats for wild bees, an insect hotel and the introduction of managed honey bee colonies housing up to 40,000 worker bees on the rooftop (20,000 per colony). The scheme also will plant 10 trees.
While the pandemic has seen many tenants forced to work from home, activity on site has been busier than ever. A long term commitment to support the natural environment sees Exchange Quay at the forefront of reimagining workplaces post Covid. Creating a place where nature thrives is good for the planet and for the people that work on site.
The biodiversity programme will be an integral part of future on-site engagement, giving tenants and visitors alike the chance to explore the vital contribution bees and pollinators make to the natural environment. In the near future, tenants will be offered the chance to participate in bee keeping sessions and can book a walking tour of the on-site biodiversity scheme.
A health and wellness initiative has also launched at Exchange Quay with a diverse range of events open to occupiers from Pilates and Yoga to HiiT classes delivered by tenant Pure Gym. A successful events programme is already underway including Pizza on the Podium, Crazy Golf, F1 Pitstop Challenge, Bee Masterclasses and Hanging Basket tutoring with much more planned this year.
Les Lang, Director, Till AM said:
“We continue to invest in our office environment making this a great place for people to work, but we’re also working hard to make Exchange Quay a great place for mother nature too. Investing in biodiversity on site will pay environmental dividends for years to come and benefit not only EQ, but the entire community of Manchester. The bee is also the symbol of the city of Manchester, so we are excited that this innovative new project makes our office development Britain’s most pollinator friendly workplace.
“We are also delighted to offer a refreshed café on the quay from the team at Bean Coffee and look forward to seeing it evolve. Exchange Quay is a great place to work and we are committed to continuing to surprise our tenants with new and exciting amenities site-wide, as well as creating inspiring outdoor spaces and meeting places to further enhance our business community.”
Adam Meyers, Operations Manager at Bean Coffee commented:
“We are really excited to have been given this opportunity to expand Bean Coffee and to ensure the cafeteria is still open for use. There will still be some of the old favourites available, whilst updating the menu to bring fresh and innovative items to the cafeteria. We are also grateful to have been able to keep on the same existing staff, to bring more familiarity to this renewed space.
“Having both the coffee shop and the cafeteria create two great spaces at Exchange Quay to be able to take a break. With the coffee shop providing a cosier and more intimate venue, from hosting meetings to having post-work drinks. Whilst the cafeteria is a bigger, less formal and more communal area fantastic area for socialising on breaks.”
Manchester’s Exchange Quay has 435,000 sq ft of Grade A office space. The quoting rent on Exchange Quay is £21 per sq ft plus car parking and agents are Canning O’Neill and Colliers International.
