Chef Mary-Ellen McTague, one of Manchester's most lauded and sought-after culinary figures, has thrown her weight behind a new community food initiative in Harpurhey. The cafe, located inside the No. 93 Wellbeing Centre on Church Lane, reopened at the end of 2025 following a community campaign backed by local councillors and the help of Eat Well MCR, a charity she co-founded.
A chef's journey to community food
Born in Bury, McTague has over 25 years of experience in Michelin-starred kitchens, acclaimed restaurants, and her own award-winning eateries. She trained under Heston Blumenthal at the three-Michelin-starred Fat Duck, opened the much-praised Aumbry and The Creameries, and served as Executive Chef at both Manchester Art Gallery and the Real Junk Food Project. Last year, she launched Pip, the flagship restaurant at Treehouse Hotel, which landed in the Michelin Guide within months.
Eat Well MCR, which she co-founded, has delivered more than 130,000 meals to people experiencing hardship across Greater Manchester. The new venture builds on that mission, making good food accessible to those who need it most.
Cafe 93's affordable menu
Open Monday to Friday, 10am until 3pm, Cafe 93 serves hearty, chef-made breakfasts and lunches at low prices. Free hot drinks are available between 9:30am and 3:30pm. Breakfast options include a bacon, egg, sausage, or veg bap for £2, omelettes and beans on toast at £1.50, toast and butter for 50p, and a full English for £3. Between 12pm and 3pm, visitors can get soup and bread for £1.50, or a toastie for £1 more. The daily special, priced at £3, is a popular choice, with a veggie option always available.
All meals are made using fresh, high-quality ingredients, with many local suppliers supporting Eat Well MCR through discounts or donations. Partners include Organic North, Caterite, Dunster's Farm, and Littlewoods. A coffee machine and freshly ground beans were donated by Lost Barn Coffee, while Hip Pop provided free drinks.
A 'natural progression' after Eat Well
McTague described getting involved in reviving the cafe as a "natural progression" after her work with Eat Well. She recalled: "Gemma who I do EatWell with has a contact at Department of Public Health and she approached and said we have this cafe that is empty and we would really like to get someone in and run it."
She added: "The council has tried to run it for a short while, but we came down and we knew it was a yes. We had been talking for ages about the realm of public diners, which used to be Government subsidised initiative."
Community response and broader vision
The cafe has been readily welcomed, with McTague noting: "The community and the volunteers and the people who work here were devastated when the cafe closed down in its previous incarnation. You can see how busy it is, and it’s like that every day."
The centre also hosts regular free sessions including art groups, exercise classes, gardening in their own garden and allotment space, and specialised support groups. There's also an out-of-hours safe space providing mental health support and advice during late evenings and weekends. McTague emphasised: "What the whole centre represents is mental health services done well. Yes you need psychiatrists, psychologists and medicine done well, and mental health support, but you need the human stuff like access to green spaces, the art therapy, and you need food and drink and community."
