Manchester Airport has launched two retail brands, The Sculpts and Pasta Evangelists.
The Sculpts, a design business started by a Mancunian couple during the pandemic, opened a dedicated store in Manchester Airport’s Terminal 1. Pasta Evangelists will open its first airport branch in Terminal 2 in the autumn of 2024. The Manchester branch will be its third in the UK and the first outside London.
Richard Jackson, retail director at Manchester Airport, said, “The Sculpts is a remarkable success story and we’re really pleased that they’ve chosen Manchester Airport as the site for what will be just their second dedicated store. They already count a number of the city’s biggest institutions as stockists, and now visitors to the city will have the chance to grab a unique handmade souvenir here at Manchester Airport.
“We’re also incredibly excited to be bringing Pasta Evangelists to the airport. I’ve been following their work on social media for a few years so to see them opening here is great. There’s no place better to reach a global audience than here at the UK’s global gateway in the North and we’re proud to support all kinds of businesses here, particularly local traders and up-and-coming names so that they can benefit from our reach.”
The Sculpts
The owners of The Sculpts have pledged to give visitors to Manchester the chance to ‘take a piece of the city home with them’, with a wide range of handmade homeware and souvenirs in stock, inspired by Manchester’s cultural scene and made in the city.
Products include greeting cards, prints, textiles, mugs and the business’ signature ‘alphabet tiles’ – with each letter accompanied by a hand-drawn illustration of a part of Manchester’s heritage, from the Worker Bee to Stephenson’s Rocket and Factory Records.
The Sculpts started trading as an online retailer in 2020 and opened its first bricks-and-mortar store in Sale in 2023 but will now have the opportunity to reach millions of potential customers from across the planet as it opens its doors in Manchester Airport’s Terminal 1.
Having branched out from an online business to outdoor markets, The Sculpts opened a pop-up stand in John Lewis over Christmas in 2021 and 2022 and took up permanent residence at Altrincham Market. Some of Manchester’s cultural institutions now stock the company’s products in their gift shops, including Manchester City Art Gallery, John Rylands Library, the National Football Museum and Whitworth Gallery.
The Sculpts have been collaborating with MTV throughout 2024 to create an exclusive design for more than 100 world-famous music artists performing at the Europe Music Awards, being held in Manchester in November.
Despite the company’s growth, it is sticking firmly to its roots – it designs its own original Manchester-inspired artwork, all its products are handmade in the city, rather than being outsourced to a mass producer, and all its small team of employees call the city home.
Jade King, managing director of The Sculpts, commented, “We’re so excited to be able to offer travelers through Manchester the chance to take home a beautiful reminder of our great city. We’ve captured the history and heritage of Manchester on exclusive artwork, homeware and luxury gifts that celebrate the spirit of the city: a melting pot of music, history and style. We send lots of our work abroad, whether to Mancunians living in other countries, or tourists who’ve visited the city, so opening at Manchester Airport is a natural progression for us and a great opportunity to showcase our city to the world.”
Pasta Evangelists
Pasta Evangelists was founded by Genoa-born Alessandro Savelli in 2016 who was on a mission to bring his family’s cooking to a UK audience. The brand grew through its pasta-making classes and home delivery range and Pasta Evangelists has since opened two branches – one in London department store Harrods and the other in the upmarket West London suburb Richmond.
Its third restaurant will open in Manchester Airport in the autumn and will, for the first time, introduce customers to the Pasta Evangelists’ Italian breakfast offering, which is set to be rolled out to other locations in the future.
Among the selection of dishes will be ‘the Italian breakfast bowl,’ including grilled pancetta, Sicilian sausages, frittata, baked borlotti beans and mushrooms, with a vegetarian option also on offer.
Setting travelers off on their global journeys, the restaurant will also serve Pasta Evangelists’ pasta sauces with each dish complemented by a fresh pasta shape, such as its ‘carbonara of dreams’ with spaghetti; beef ragù with mafaldine; wild mushroom rigatoni; and pistachio, lemon and chilli pesto with lumace. Italian drinks including Prosecco, Aperol Spritz and Birra Moretti lager will be on offer, as well as Italian coffees, tea and San Pellegrino soft drinks.
Savelli commented, “We are thrilled to launch our first airport outlet at Manchester Airport. It is a very exciting time to see the rapid growth of the Pasta Evangelists brand as it continues to reach new consumers. This past year has been a huge step forward for us: the launch of the Pasta Factory, our Richmond franchise store and a wealth of regional openings for our takeaway kitchens. We are constantly seeking new ways to innovate and the Italian-inspired breakfast menu at Manchester Airport is just another example of our passion and willingness to expand into new areas.”
In related news, retail activation company Kounter recently partnered with travel retail company Graeme Stewart in a joint venture to unveil the UK’s first-ever airport gaming concession in Manchester Airport Terminal 1. Click here to read the full story.