Café hire for chefs, brands and film crews
Hire a Working Café in Manchester
BLACK MILK is a popular café on the corner of Oldham Street in the Northern Quarter, and you can hire the whole thing. Not an empty room, a working café: commercial kitchen, coffee bar, till, tables, outside benches and a team who know how to run it.
Bring your own chefs and baristas, or use ours. Take it for a morning, a supper club, a weekend takeover or a week of filming. The café closes to the public and becomes yours.
Supper clubs, menu takeovers and film crews have all run the café as their own. The BBC has filmed here several times, and Blue Turaco Coffee took over the bar for three days.
What you get
- Fully fitted commercial kitchen behind the counter
- Two-group La Marzocco coffee machine with grinder
- BlendTec blenders for smoothies, shakes and sauces
- 40 covers inside, 40 outside, 60 standing
- Three very large windows onto Oldham Street
- Basement for storage, deliveries and a green room
- Trained café staff and an event manager if you want them
- Full on and off licence, 5 star food hygiene rating
- Hire from one hour to a full week, any day of the year
Filmed at BLACK MILK
TV Drama
Feel Good, Channel 4 and Netflix
Tiger Aspect took over the café as a filming location for the Channel 4 and Netflix drama Feel Good.
Watch
TV Drama
Boiling Point, BBC
BLACK MILK was a café location for a scene in the BBC hit Boiling Point featuring Stephen Graham.
TV Documentary
See Hear, BBC
The BBC's See Hear has filmed at the café several times, including a Café Conversations segment with Punk Chef in British Sign Language.
Watch on iPlayer
Commercial
Brother Sewing commercial
McGill Productions used the café as a film set for a Brother sewing machine promotional video aimed at small business owners. We provided the location and extras.
Coffee Bar Takeover
Blue Turaco Coffee Takeover
The UK's only African farmer-owned coffee brand became our house coffee for three days and served 500 coffees over three mornings, with a limited edition plantain latte, Guess the Bean on the bar, retail packs on our shelves and a big blue bird on the windows.
What makes BLACK MILK unique
88 Oldham St, Manchester, M4 1LF
Perfect Location
High footfall location at the heart of Manchester's trendiest area.
Friendly Team
Well-trained staff and an event manager available for your event.
Well Known Destination
Along side our popular cafe, we have hosted some of the worlds biggest brands
Café Hire Details
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Your Team or Ours
Run the café with your own chefs, baristas and front of house, or use ours. Our trained staff know the kitchen, the coffee machine and the till, and an event manager can be on site for the whole hire. See every way to hire the space on our venue hire page.
Ask about pricing -
Kitchen Takeovers
Cook your own menu in a popular café with customers walking past the window. Chefs, bakers and coffee brands have taken over the bar and kitchen for a day, a weekend or longer.
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Supper Clubs
Forty covers inside across booths, large tables and tables of two, all movable. We have hosted supper clubs before and can set the room long table, café style or however your evening works.
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Film and TV
A working café set with daylight from three sides, a basement green room and crew parking beside the building. The BBC has filmed here several times.
Café filming location page -
The Kitchen
A fully fitted commercial kitchen behind the counter with cooking, prep, cold storage and washing up covered. Anything broken during the hire is repaired or replaced at the hirer's cost.
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The Coffee Bar
Two-group La Marzocco Linea Classic with an on-demand grinder, plus BlendTec blenders. Bring your own beans or use ours.
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Till and Deliveries
Take payments on our SumUp till, and we can offer Deliveroo for the hire if you want to sell beyond the room.
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Catering From Us
If you would rather not cook, we can supply desserts, tea and coffee, or you bring your own caterer.
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Capacity
40 seated inside, 40 seated outside, 20 boardroom style, 60 standing. Nothing is fixed, so the layout is yours.
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Outside Space
Licensed pavement area at the front and side of the café for benches and seating, 11am to 11pm daily. Customers must be seated and no glassware outside.
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Licensed and Insured
Full on and off licence 9am to 12:30am, seven days a week. 5 star food hygiene rating. Full public liability insurance. We can apply for a Temporary Event Notice if your event needs something different.
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Hours and Access
Events run 9am to 12:30am. Access for set-up, deliveries and strike is 24 hours. Hire from one hour to a full week, available all year round, and we can turn around last minute bookings fast.
Ask about pricing -
Basement
Secure ambient storage downstairs. We take deliveries on your behalf before the event and hold stock for a short time after. It also works as a green room.
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Load In and Parking
Park beside the café on Houldsworth Street to unload. Free on-street parking 8pm to 8am. Nearest car park: Northern Quarter Car Park, Tib Street, M4 1LX.
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Branding
Windows, signs and walls can all be dressed for the hire as long as nothing is permanent and the café goes back to how you found it.
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Empty Room Instead?
If you want the space stripped back with no café in it, that is dry hire. For brand builds and staffed activations, go back to the venue hire page.
Dry hire page -
Getting Here
88 Oldham Street, Northern Quarter, M4 1LF. Market Street and Piccadilly Gardens tram stops five minutes away, Piccadilly and Victoria stations ten minutes on foot.
Google Maps
Venue Hire
Talk to us about your event
Tell us what you have in mind and we will get back to you with availability and a price.
Send an enquiry
Café hire FAQs
What is café hire at BLACK MILK?
You hire the whole café as a working café: kitchen, coffee bar, till, seating and outside benches. The café closes to the public for the hire and you run it as your own, with your team or ours.
Can I bring my own chefs and baristas?
Yes. Bring your own kitchen and front of house team, or use our trained staff. An event manager can be on site for the whole hire.
What is in the kitchen?
A fully fitted commercial kitchen with cooking, prep, cold storage and washing up covered, plus a two-group La Marzocco Linea Classic coffee machine with grinder and BlendTec blenders on the bar.
Can we host a supper club?
Yes. The café seats 40 inside across booths, large tables and tables of two, all movable, so the room can be set long table, café style or however your evening works. We have hosted supper clubs before.
Can we do a kitchen or menu takeover?
Yes. Cook and serve your own menu to the public from a popular café on one of Manchester's busiest streets, for a day, a weekend or longer.
Can we film in the café?
Yes. The BBC has filmed here several times. There is daylight from three sides, a basement green room and crew parking beside the building. See the café filming location page for more.
Can we take payments?
Yes, on our SumUp till. Deliveroo can also be offered for the hire if you want to sell beyond the room.
Can we serve alcohol?
Yes. We hold a full on and off licence from 9am to 12:30am, seven days a week, and can apply for a Temporary Event Notice if your event needs something different.
Can we use the outside seating?
Yes. Our pavement licence covers the front and side of the café from 11am to 11pm daily. Customers must be seated and glassware is not allowed outside.
What is the capacity?
40 seated inside, 40 seated outside, 20 boardroom style, 60 standing.
What hours can we run?
Events run 9am to 12:30am. Access for set-up, deliveries and strike is 24 hours.
How long can we hire for?
From one hour to a full week, any day of the year. Last minute bookings can be turned around fast.
Can you receive deliveries before the event?
Yes. We take deliveries on your behalf in the run-up and store them securely in the basement, and hold stock for a short time after.
Where do we unload and park?
Beside the café on Houldsworth Street. Free on-street parking there from 8pm to 8am. The nearest car park is Northern Quarter Car Park on Tib Street, M4 1LX.
Can we brand the café?
Yes. Windows, signs and walls can be dressed for the hire as long as nothing is permanent and the café is returned to how you found it.
What if something gets broken?
Anything broken during the hire is repaired or replaced at the hirer's cost.
Is the hire exclusive?
Yes. The café closes to the public for the whole hire.
How much does café hire cost?
Every hire is different, so we quote per booking. Tell us the dates, what you are planning and whether you want our staff, and we will come back with availability and a price.