Anniversary celebrations as The Picturedrome in Macclesfield turns five-years-old this week
By Alex Greensmith
29th Oct 2024 | Local News
The Picturedrome will turn five years old this week.
The former cinema-turned foodhall located on Chestergate was established by Nick Johnson and Jenny Thompson, following similar regeneration projects at Altrincham Market in Altrincham, and Mackie Mayor at Smithfield Market Hall in Manchester.
Comprising nine stalls of independent, mostly food-related vendors, The Picturedrome launched at 12pm on October 29, 2019.
Founding stalls that are still there to this day include Levant cuisine Rubens, Tender Cow (recently rebranded into Good Burger TC), pizzeria Honest Crust, Reserve Wines, and CAMRA-approved bar Jack in the Box.
Five years on, stalls have come and gone, but the ethos for The Picturedrome remains the same; serving top quality, locally-sourced food and drink, and supporting independent businesses by giving them a place to serve their food, while covering some of the costs.
Nick Johnson, co-owner of Market Operations, who delivered The Picturedrome, spoke with Macclesfield Nub News.
"It feels like it has been ten years," joked Nick.
There will be no special celebrations at The Picturedrome on Tuesday, with usual opening hours of 9am to 10pm.
But if you are reading this, perhaps tip or buy a birthday cake for your server, as it is the people that work on the day-to-day at The Picturedrome that Nick would really like to highlight.
"We are pretty low key when it comes to this kind of thing. Ten years maybe, but we are not big on anniversaries," said Nick.
"We can't thank people enough frankly, it has been a very challenging time that we've been open in Macc.
"We've seen many things happen in the wider economy, and with the nation's health, that has happened in that period of time.
"We made a commitment to Macclesfield, and I believe that Macclesfield has also made a commitment to us, which is exactly what we want.
"There are many great people who are part of that story.
"Our mission was to take a beautiful building, two open that beautiful building up to the general public, three put content in there that is worthy and enjoyable, and four have an impact on the regeneration of a place, and provide a facility for outs people.
"And pretty much on all those scores, we have achieved what we set out to achieve at The Picturedrome."
2024 has seen a new cocktail stall open, a new burger stall started by a former King's Macclesfield pupil, and sustainable delivery company ELOV move into The Picturedrome.
"There have been some special surprises along the way, such as the relationship with the people in Macclesfield, and response to the place itself, that you could never anticipate," added Nick.
"Particularly working in partnership with Dick's General Store, and the connections they have in Macclesfield. It is great to meet people on exactly the same wavelength. They have been able to add an extra dimension to what we have anywhere else.
"Danielle Marshall [long-serving manager] has been such a foundation for us in Macclesfield, being from Macclesfield, and being so positive about the town. She is remarkable and we are delighted with the work that she and her team do there.
"Like my four daughters, I am proud of what our venues have become. They are all distinct in their own ways, and The Picturedrome is no exception, it has flourished and become its own thing with its initial guide of us."
2024 also saw Nick and partner Jenny awarded MBEs by King Charles, for the regenerations projects they have delivered to old, historic buildings. Plus, Asian food stall Send Noodz celebrated their first anniversary in The Picturedrome.
Current The Picturedrome vendors range from Honest Crust Pizza, who would go on to open a second Italian eatery in Macclesfield from their success at The Picturedrome, to PD Coffee.
Stalls that have gone over the years include Sam Joseph Chocolatiers, Flour Water Salt (still in Macclesfield town centre), and Terroni Pastificio.
But what does the future look like for The Picturedrome?
Well, quite like a classic movie, it is going to be something you can keep coming back to, and expect the same comforts.
"There isn't really any change," said Nick.
"The thing I like about when I visit my favourite places, particularly in Europe, is the longevity of some places. And the fact that those places have not fundamentally changed in decades. If the fundamentals are the right ones, then there should be longevity.
"We have been so used to mayfly moments and people's attention span is increasingly shortened by social media and other actives, that longevity is quite bucking the trend if you like, but one that is really vital and this anchor, this cornerstone happened in Alty, happened in Manchester with Mackie Mayor and it has happened in Macclesfield.
"These are places that change by fraction of degrees because they are very strongly founded philosophically, and physically.
"We try to not play a dominant role in any of our places, because there are people on the ground who deserve the accolades, and I think the kitchens and Danielle and her team at The Picturedrome, Dick and Leigh of Dick's General Store, are all the special mention in school assembly kind of thing. They are the people who are really crucial in giving it the personality and the attitude it delightfully has.
"Those people, and the people for whom The Picturedrome is an essential part of their life are the people that we owe a great gratitude to."
You can follow The Picturedrome, Macclesfield, on Facebook.
Market Operations also run a pub in Cheshire, alongside The Picturedrome, Mackie Mayor and Altrincham Market.
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