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Visit Us
Come to our haven in the Northern Quarter to browse, buy and be a part of our community.
For over 40 years, Manchester Craft & Design Centre has provided a home to some of the region’s most talented independent designers and makers. Selling textiles, jewellery, accessories, ceramics, glass, prints and homeware, each of the 20 studios offers much more than just a shopping experience.
We run a regular exhibitions programme that promotes and celebrates regional, national and international Craft talent. Our exhibitions are free to visit and are open to the public Monday – Saturday from 10am – 5.30pm and the 2nd Sunday of the month, 11am – 5pm. We also run a regular series of craft workshops in Space2 on the ground floor. Find out what’s coming up here. Our new cafe Fred’s is now open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5.30pm and every second Sunday of the month, 11am – 5pm.
Food & Drink
Fred's Cafe
Fred’s is exactly what you’ve been waiting for – an English-style café with a northern accent and appetite.
Inspired by classic British staples and high-quality ingredients, we take simple, locally sourced, seasonal things and turn them into lunch things, snack things, baked things, sweet things, comfort things and surprisingly chef-y things, along with all the cups, mugs, pints & bottles of things you’d expect from a café that isn’t mucking about.
Made fresh every day, you might find that some things can and do change. But that’s not a bad thing. You can always try something else.
Open for coffee and breakfast snacks from 10am, and serving lunch from 12pm, you’ll find us here Tuesday -Saturday doing what we do best.
Simple things, done very, very well.
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5.30pm and the 2nd Sunday of the month, 11am – 5pm.
Contact Fred’s on: [email protected]
Follow Fred’s on: Instagram
Exhibitions
Makers Make 2038. Towards a Brighter, Greener Future.
Makers make 2038 IS A manchester craft and design centre exhibition
6TH SEPTEMBER – 24TH DECEMBER 2025
Manchester City Council has set an ambitious goal to become a zero-carbon city by 2038, well ahead of the UK’s 2050 target. As part of this journey, our makers at MCAD are exploring what it means to work sustainably, both individually and together.
This exhibition brings together their responses: thoughtful, practical, and creative approaches to making with the future in mind. From conscious material choices to low-impact processes, each piece reflects a shared commitment to reducing harm and shaping a more sustainable way forward.
Explore our makers
Buy handmade from our makers
MAKER
Buy handmade from our makers
Get in touch
+44 (0) 161 832 4274
17 Oak Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JD