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 fabulous cafe Fred’s is 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
City of Suffragettes: Part of Manchester Jewellery Week
City of Suffragettes is a major contemporary jewellery exhibition celebrating Manchester’s pioneering role in the fight for women’s rights.
Opening as part of the inaugural Manchester Jewellery Week, the exhibition brings together jewellers from across the UK and internationally to explore the city’s remarkable feminist legacy through original, thought-provoking jewellery.
Manchester is known around the world as the birthplace of the suffragette movement. Inspired by this extraordinary heritage, members of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery (ACJ) were invited to create new work responding to the women, movements and ideas that have shaped the city – from Emmeline Pankhurst and her family to today’s activists, artists and community leaders.
The resulting exhibition presents a diverse collection of contemporary jewellery exploring themes of equality, protest, resilience, courage and transformation. Each piece offers a personal interpretation of Manchester’s feminist story, demonstrating how jewellery can communicate powerful social and political ideas as well as exceptional craftsmanship.
Festive Season Launch
Made to Mean More
Kick-start your Christmas shopping with a little creativity!
Join us on Saturday 14 November as we launch our Festive Season, celebrating independent makers, thoughtful gifts and all things handmade.
Explore two floors of independent businesses and discover beautiful jewellery, ceramics, textiles, prints, homewares, cards, and unique Christmas decorations. Whether you’re looking for a special gift or something lovely for your own home, you’ll find plenty of inspiration.
Make a day of it!
– Enjoy a glass of mulled wine
– Soak up the sounds of the season with a performance by KIN Choir
– Get hands-on with festive craft activities
– Tuck into delicious food and drink at Fred’s Café
– Shop small and discover something truly special
Festive fun doesn’t stop at launch day! Throughout November and December, we’ll be hosting a brilliant programme of festive craft workshops, from pottery and botanical Christmas baubles to glass decorations, biscuit decorating and wire Christmas decorations. Perfect for learning a new skill or making something special.
Come along, get inspired and celebrate the makers who make Christmas mean more.
Shop independent. Shop handmade. Shop local this Christmas
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