Luxury hot chocolate cafe set to open in Manchester

A luxury hot chocolate cafe is set to open in the city centre later this year, and will be the first of its kind in the North of England.

Knoops will sell 20 different flavours of the hot drink along with a variety of sweet treats and is expected to open its doors on Cross Street later this year — so you know where to go to get your sugar fix!

The expertly crafted hot chocolatier has chosen Manchester as its tenth site for its hot chocolate concept store, already having sites in Covent Garden, Chelsea, Brighton, and more. With its locations mainly concentrated in the South, Manchester’s Knoops will be the first Northern branch for the brand.

Situated on the corner of Cross Street and South King Street this fancy choccy heaven will be the perfect stop off for you to indulge while visiting the city centre. As well as a Manchester site, Knoops will be opening stores in Knightsbridge and Bath, as part of its strategy to ‘do for chocolate drinks what Starbucks did for coffee’.

The bouji brand was founded by German-born Jens Knoop in Rye, East Sussex, in 2013 — and growing increasingly popular, it has since expanded with plans to open 100 new UK stores in the next five years.

A spokesperson for Knoops told Big Hospitality: “Seeing a new face light up as they discover our brand will never get old, and opening up in new locations across the UK is helping us to spread the message of Knoopology at a phenomenal rate.

“We’re creating a lasting impression in our current locations and already have many Mancunian fans of the brand from visits to other stores. Likewise, our products are already stocked in Harrods, so it’s fantastic to enhance our presence in Knightsbridge too.”

Menus at Knoops list the percentages of the chocolate, from 28% white to 44% milk all the way up to 70% dark and 100% extra dark — so plenty for all taste pallets!

All of the varieties are available as hot chocolates, and six of which are also available as milkshakes. Visitors to Knoops can also enjoy iced chocolate — topped with either dairy or plant-based milks — and can customise their drinks with a plethora of toppings and dried spices such as nutmeg, turmeric, cinnamon and Maldon sea salt. 

Hot chocolate lovers will also be delighted to hear that handmade marshmallows and whipped cream are also on offer. As well as coffees, mochas and teas, the Knoops’ stores also stock baked goods including brownies, croissants, cake slices, cannoli, cupcakes and doughnuts, plus much more.

Knoops Manchester is set to open in April.