UK. Manchester Airport has underlined its commitment to championing local retailers and ‘up-and-coming’ brands with the reveal of two new tenants.
The Sculpts, an independent Manchester-based producer of handmade decorative homeware and souvenirs, opened its new store in Terminal 1 yesterday (19 August). And next month artisan pasta specialist Pasta Evangelists, a brand with a fast-growing Instagram following, will unveil a restaurant in Terminal 2.
The Sculpts
The Sculpts was established in 2020 by Mancunian couple Richard Bennett and Jade King. The first dedicated store opened in Sale, Greater Manchester last year.
The retailer specialises in handmade homeware and souvenirs inspired by Manchester’s cultural scene and made in the city.
Products include greetings cards, prints, textiles, mugs, and the business’ signature ‘alphabet tiles’. Each letter is accompanied by a hand-drawn illustration depicting Manchester’s heritage, from the worker bee to Stephenson’s Rocket to Factory Records.
Some of Manchester’s best-known cultural institutions now stock the company’s products in their gift shops, including Manchester City Art Gallery, John Rylands Library, the National Football Museum and Whitworth Gallery.
This year, The Sculpts is collaborating with MTV to create an exclusive design for more than 100 world-famous music artists performing at the Europe Music Awards, being held in Manchester in November.
The Sculpts Managing Director Jade King said: “We’re so excited to be able to offer travellers through Manchester the chance to take home a beautiful reminder of our great city.
“We’ve captured the history and heritage of Manchester on exclusive artwork, homeware and luxury gifts that celebrate the spirit of the city: a melting pot of music, history and style.
“We send lots of our work abroad, whether to Mancunians living in other countries, or tourists who’ve visited the city, so opening at Manchester Airport is a natural progression for us and a great opportunity to showcase our city to the world.”
The Sculpts has joined a growing list of Mancunian start-ups that have opened units at Manchester Airport, including Salford brewery Seven Bro7hers, coffee chain Pot Kettle Black and fast-food favourite Archie’s.
Manchester Airport said giving opportunities to local retailers is a key part of its strategy to improve the shopping and dining experience, giving passengers more choice and creating a distinctly Mancunian feel in its terminals.
Pasta Evangelists
Pasta Evangelists was founded by Genoa-born Alessandro Savelli in 2016, with a mission to bring his family’s cooking to a UK audience. The brand grew through its pasta-making classes and home-delivery range.
The company has since opened two branches; one a pop-up in luxury London department store Harrods and the other a restaurant/store in upmarket London district Richmond.
The Pasta Evangelists restaurant will open at Manchester Airport in late September and will, for the first time, introduce customers to its Italian breakfast offering. This will be rolled out to other locations in the future.
The restaurant will also serve Pasta Evangelists’ luxury pasta sauces with each dish complemented by a fresh pasta shape, such as its ‘Carbonara of Dreams’ with spaghetti; beef ragù with mafaldine; wild mushroom rigatoni; and pistachio, lemon and chilli pesto with lumace (snails).
Italian classics including Prosecco, Aperol Spritz and Birra Moretti lagers will be on offer, as well as Italian coffees, tea and San Pellegrino soft drinks.
Savelli commented: “We are thrilled to launch our first airport outlet at Manchester Airport. It is a very exciting time to see the rapid growth of the Pasta Evangelists brand as it continues to reach new consumers. This past year has been a huge step forward for us, the launch of the Pasta Factory, our Richmond franchise store and a wealth of regional openings for our takeaway kitchens.
“We are constantly seeking new ways to innovate and the Italian-inspired breakfast menu at Manchester Airport is just another example of our passion and willingness to expand into new areas.”
Manchester Airport Retail Director Richard Jackson said: “The Sculpts is a remarkable success story and we’re really pleased that they’ve chosen Manchester Airport as the site for what will be just their second dedicated store.
“They already count a number of the city’s biggest institutions as stockists, and now visitors to the city will have the chance to grab themselves a unique handmade souvenir here at Manchester Airport.
“We’re also incredibly excited to be bringing Pasta Evangelists to the airport. I’ve been following their work on social media for a few years so to see them opening here is great.
“There’s no place better to reach a global audience than here at the UK’s global gateway in the North and we’re proud to support all kinds of businesses here, particularly local traders and up-and-coming names so that they can benefit from our reach.” ✈
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