Idle Hands, Manchester

The people behind this pop up coffee shop near Piccadilly station are keeping their appendages rather busy brewing up great coffee

Review by Jamie Faulkner | 05 Jun 2015

When someone first mentioned a place called Idle Hands to The Skinny, all we could think of was that awful stoner horror movie from the ‘90s. And Jessica Alba in an inexplicable state of undress, bound to a car and destined to be squished on a garage roof.  

But let’s put aside the phrase’s connotations with poor filmmaking for a moment, and talk about Idle Hands, a pop up coffee shop that recently began a planned six-month residency on Piccadilly’s station approach.

Countering the theory that a city always presents its worst aspects near its train stations, Idle Hands is one of several places – including the Piccadilly Tap, and Hunt & Darton’s recent, ephemeral art/food installation – showcasing something a little bit different on a promenade that's home either to big chains or tenacious but little-known stalwarts. Significantly, the stretch also provides a steady flow of people who might well be happy to have an alternative to Greggs and Caffè Nero. So it's promising not only for the people behind it, but also the punters. 

Not long after opening, it had already attracted a big name, straight off the train. Walking in and standing in the queue for the first time, we overhear an unmistakeable voice. None other than Tim Westwood is in da queue. Flashbacks to teenage years listening to his Radio 1 Rap Show and doing Dre impressions ensue. Westwood likes his coffee, apparently; there's even a video of him critiquing his own cappuccinos on YouTube. 

On shift that day is Dave Wolinski, a familiar face for anyone who has frequented North Tea Power. Wolinski, Lucy Phillips, and Tom Cowcher (formerly of NTP and Liverpool's Bold Street Coffee) are the team running the show. We share a little “yeah, that was Westwood, baby!“ moment before getting down to the business of the coffee.

Before anything is said about the hot beverages: an admission. It's hard to review a coffee shop, as a non-connoisseur. We may think we know a bad coffee from a good one; when milk is scorched and an espresso over-extracted and bitter. We've tried pour-over, AeroPress, and cold brew. But experts? No. Even so, a flat white and a long black are enough to tell us that Idle Hands is firmly in the good camp. The attention to detail is palpable, too, from the equipment to the sourcing of beans from some of the finest roasters in the UK, like Workshop and Square Mile. Reading their Twitter feed shows just how into coffee these guys are.

We asked about the croissants on display, our man says they bake them there. We express our amazement that they can manage what is a lengthy and complicated process in such a modest setup, at which point he clarifies that someone else makes and delivers them but they're finished off in house. Nice try. Still, they look fantastic, flanked by slices of salted caramel chocolate tart. The Tunnock's teacakes and caramel wafers – yet another tinge of nostalgia – are a nice touch that diffuses any air of pretension. 

The food offerings go beyond pastry and northern biscuits (or are they cakes?). Levenshulme's Trove provide the bread for a selection of daily sandwiches and staple menu items. A bacon and avocado sarnie on their sourdough will set you back a not unreasonable £4.50, but there's also toasted crumpets and granola for those who need a cheap bite as they head to work in the morning.

Manchester city centre, despite its wealth of indie coffee shops, is not yet spoilt for choice. Even less so when you get near any commuter rail station. So it's safe to predict Idle Hands will do very well.


If you like Idle Hands, try:


Bold St Coffee, Liverpool 
North Tea Power, Manchester
Coffee Fix, Gatley, Cheadle


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@idlehandscoffee

IDLE HANDS
8A GATEWAY HOUSE
STATION APPROACH
PICCADILLY
MANCHESTER
M1 2GH