Mayfield, a corner of the city transformed in recent years, marks another new opening this weekend. The area lay derelict for more than 50 years before a major regeneration project breathed new life into it. In 2022, Mayfield Park opened to the public as the city’s newest park in 100 years, creating 6.5 acres of green space from abandoned land. It now features water and wetlands, 140 trees, tens of thousands of bulbs, plants, wildflowers and shrubs, play areas and gardens.
Intelligent garden opens on former traffic island
This week, Mayfield marked the start of another chapter with the opening of the Avanade Intelligent Garden on Fairfield Street, on a former traffic island. Serving as a green gateway to Mayfield Park, it is the latest investment by the Mayfield Partnership in its regeneration of the district. The garden features pioneering AI technology that gathers data on how trees are coping with current conditions, identifying signs of stress, drought or disease.
The garden was originally created for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025 by designer Tom Massey and Studio Weave, where it won a gold medal. Studio Egret West, the landscape architects behind Mayfield Park, have reimagined it for its Mayfield home in collaboration with Tom Massey and Studio Weave. All the garden’s trees are fitted with monitors that constantly produce data, which AI technology uses to create responses to visitors’ questions via a website.
White Label café celebrates vinyl culture
Alongside the garden, another addition to Mayfield is White Label, an all-day café celebrating vinyl culture. It is named after the plain vinyl pressings traditionally circulated among DJs, record shops and promoters ahead of a track’s official release. Given the area is home to Depot Mayfield, which hosts The Warehouse Project, the name fits. Manchester DJ Stu Richards will curate the soundtrack, playing records through a modernised Vintage HiFi system using speakers from Vestlyd. As the day progresses, White Label becomes more social, with vinyl listening sessions, guest selectors and occasional creative talks.
The café sources products from local producers, with coffee supplied by Manchester-based roaster Heart & Graft. Breakfast includes sourdough and pastries from Half Dozen Other, house made granola, overnight oats, and breakfast brioche rolls. An all-day hot sandwich menu is built around White Label’s signature toasted brioche, with dishes including house Stracotto beef, bacon, egg and cheese; spicy mapo sweet potato and tofu; and Italian sausage, greens and chilli with candied walnut.
Located right by the park, it is ideal for a pitstop after an autumn walk or picking up a drink to take away. It is fully licensed, with a selection of wines, a short mixed drink list, and two draft lines from local brewery Cloudwater, making it suitable for after-work drinks.
The café officially opens on Saturday September 26, open from 8am to 8pm daily, at 11 Baring Street, Manchester, M11 2PY.
