Eighth Day

For nearly five decades, Eighth Day has been quietly flying the flag for ethical, plant-based living on Oxford Road. What began in the 1970s as a small co-operative craft exchange has grown into one of the North West’s best-known vegetarian and vegan institutions – part shop, part café, part community hub.

At street level, the worker-run shop is entirely vegan, stocked with organic produce, Fairtrade groceries, zero-waste refills and cruelty-free cosmetics. Locals drop in for freshly made sandwiches, pies and pastries from the deli counter – the vegan spanakopita remains a local favourite – plus sweet treats from Manchester’s best independent bakers.

Head downstairs to the café and you’ll find a welcoming, canteen-style space serving wholesome vegetarian and vegan food made from scratch with seasonal ingredients. The menu changes daily but follows a familiar rhythm: hearty stews, tagines, bakes, curries and lentil dhals, with loaded salads and seasonal soups alongside. Everything is homemade, right down to the sauces, and the counter groans with vegan cakes and hot puddings (the sticky toffee pudding is a standout).

Drinks are equally thoughtful – barista-made coffee with oat or soy milk, turmeric and matcha lattes, fruit smoothies and seasonal hot specials. The atmosphere is relaxed, diverse and genuinely co-operative: it’s run collectively by its staff, many of whom have been part of the business for years.

Eighth Day has never stocked meat, and after half a century it still sets the standard for sustainable, community-led food in Manchester – nourishing, principled and quietly indispensable.