Lockdown has had a varied and erratic effect on our hospitality sector. Our favourite bars and restaurants have been forced to adapt and change the way they do things in the hopes that they’ll keep their doors open and survive these uncertain times.
It’s so important, now more than ever, to focus on the positive things happening around us where we can, celebrate the good stuff, and support our local businesses.
That’s why we wanted to have a chat and a big glass of red with our friend Jerome, owner of Le Social Wine, Food & Life – a sustainable wine and food provider based in Ancoats.
Le Social was actually born during lockdown when Jerome started delivering wine straight to his friends’ houses for a small fee, with all profits going to charity. He soon realised how much of a difference his socially distanced visits were making. More than an online platform, Le Social is now a community of people sharing a common interest for gastronomy, creativity, and wellbeing…
Our focus at Le Social is on a small but sharp selection of natural, organic and sustainably made wines from around Europe. We deliver the same or next day in Manchester and Greater Manchester, by bike if possible. We see wine as a medium for social interaction, hence our name. It’s also very important to us that our wines are offered at an accessible price point. They start at £9.99 a bottle, so there’s something for everyone.
We needed a flexible space, and a community to join in, so Pollard Yard was the obvious choice for a base for Le Social. Ancoats and Pollard Yard (Manchester’s newest creative hub, housing affordable workshops and studio spaces in converted shipping containers) host so many of our favourite food and drink places. There’s a suburban/village feel to the area that you can’t find anywhere else in the city centre.
We focus on wines that reflect the environment, the place, the history, the culture and the people they come from. Our wines are great tasting and good looking. Each bottle is an extension of the personality of the producer, as shown by some of the fabulous labels. When we can, alongside our suppliers, we visit all the vineyards and are in touch with the producers too. We have very short supply chains based on friendship and a mutual love for great sustainable wines. And now our customers are part of our community too, which is amazing.
In terms of our most popular wines, we seem to be running out of orange wines a lot these days. The colour, texture and taste comes from the skin of white grapes in which the wine is left to macerate for a certain amount of time. These wines have been under the radar for too long, so it’s great to see them flying off the shelves.
Our motto is hospitality, generosity and empathy, and we tend to collaborate with people who share the same values.
We like to team up with local restaurants and businesses and host tasting evenings and experiences. We recently hosted a wine and tapas evening with The Molly House, a great little spot in the Gay Village. We also delivered an Italian wine, food and music experience which went really well. With everything that’s going on, our events are moving online again and we’re bringing back Zoom tastings, private classes, and focusing on wine and food deliveries.
We have a few things in the pipeline exclusively for Broadside residents…We’re looking to set up an exclusive wine delivery service for residents so they can get their favourite wines delivered straight to their doors without venturing out. In partnership with other independent businesses, we’re also developing bespoke experience boxes with food, wine and other goodies from the local area and beyond.
Ancoats is home to so many creative and entrepreneurial people and companies, all sharing a positive and future-looking attitude. It’s full of life and there’s always a buzz around it. It’s a place where past, present and future successfully coexist. It’s thrilling, inspiring and it’s a comfort, especially when times are so uncertain.
People in Ancoats do things differently. We’ve already mentioned the buzz and positivity, but there’s also a very continental, European feel to it with the plaza, the natural light and space between buildings, the Marina…not to mention the food and drink offering! Our personal favourites are Rudy’s, Sugo Pasta Kitchen, The Jane Eyre, Cafe Cotton, Erst, and the amazing bakeries – Trove, Pollen and Campanio.
We’re very confident the area will keep its edge – it’s very independent and creative at the moment and hopefully that will continue. If initiatives like Broadside continue to support small independents then this will remain a very exciting place to live, work and chill.
Unfortunately, for now at least, COVID isn’t going anywhere. We are very concerned for the arts and hospitality sectors in particular – most of our friends have been directly affected. We’ve built a model that’s very flexible between online and offline experiences, but going to an event or a bar where you end up meeting new people and bonding over delicious food and drinks is an important part of it and it’s challenging to recreate that at the moment. We’ll keep trying to find creative ways to conjure that magic though – with all the safety measures in place!
We’re gearing up for our strangest Christmas ever. Our selection will continue to focus on under the radar, sustainable wines and keeping prices accessible to most alongside our growing (and alternative) events calendar – so watch this space…
You can find out more about Le Social over on their website, and make sure you stay up to date with their latest events and amazing deals exclusive to Broadside residents by following them on Instagram.
Quick Fire Questions
Best coffee in the city centre? Just Between Friends
Favourite Ancoats’ bar? The Jane Eyre
Favourite Ancoats’ restaurant? Erst
Where do you like to go for a walk? Up and down the Rochdale and Ashton canals
Best breakfast spot? And favourite dish? Trove’s French toast
Favourite place in the whole of the city centre? So many… but there is no place like HOME
Favourite arts venue? Hope Mill Theatre
Tell us about a local business we may not have heard of but should really check out…I am obsessed with Goldbear’s nut butters this week – grounded nuts without any nasties. Also you can’t go wrong with Mattia Paradiso’s Tiramisus.