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Michelle Collins launches Manchester's Tea 42

Coronation Street’s Michelle Collins joined Manchester’s movers and shakers for a ‘brew and a bevvy’, as the city’s latest hotspot opened its doors.

Tea 42 – the alternative tearoom experience – held its official launch evening, with guests being treated to a selection of specially blended teas, cocktails and tasty bite-sized samples of the new menu.

The exclusive launch night featured a special reading from renowned tea poet Elizabeth Darcy Jones, who was commissioned to pen a bespoke poem for the occasion.

Also performing on the night was The Northern Violinist who treated guests to renditions of Manchester favourites, such as ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis and ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ by The Stone Roses.

The High Street-based restaurant is the latest venture from business partners Will Hannah and Jason Abbott – the brains behind luxury boutique hotel chain Blue Rainbow Aparthotels.

The pair wanted to create an alternative to the traditional tearoom experience and capitalise on the ‘art of tea-drinking’. Among the 60 dishes on offer – each of which is also available as gluten-free – are hearty pies, sharing platters and homemade cakes.

Guest of honour, Michelle Collins, who Will and Jason credit for coming up with the original idea of Tea 42, said: “It was a great night and it was lovely to see Will and Jason’s plans come together so successfully.

“I love the concept of Tea 42 and I believe it’s one of a kind, not only in Manchester, but in the UK too.

“As a coffee and tea addict who only drinks soy milk, this is the perfect place for me to come and be able to choose from a wide selection of great hot drinks.

“I’m sure the restaurant will become a popular hotspot for everyone – from shoppers looking for a quick pit-stop, to after-work cocktail drinkers.”

As part of the launch, the restaurant served guests gluten-free canapés and treats all evening in a bid to quash myths about such foods.

Will Hannah, managing director of Tea 42, has been close friends with Michelle for many years. He said: “We have to thank our friend, Michelle Collins, for suggesting the idea of a gluten-free menu. As someone who is gluten intolerant, I wanted to show people that these foods aren’t ‘weird’ and they taste just as good as their regular counterparts.

“Everything served tonight has been gluten-free – we did this deliberately without our guests knowing, to show that gluten intolerant people are no different from everyone else.”

He added: “We have worked incredibly hard to create a fun and unique dining experience for the city of Manchester. We wanted to stand out from the crowd and offer something different from the usual haunts that you’d find across the country.”

Available for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Tea 42’s menu champions locally sourced produce, with over 25 bespoke teas also on offer.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Blue Rainbow .