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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Katie Fitzpatrick

Coronation Street reveals new-look bistro with Manchester bee symbol

Corrie fans have been treated to a look inside the soap's new-look bistro.

The newly refurbished Viaduct Bistro on Coronation Street has had a stylish makeover and it comes complete with plush new seating and a Manchester map on the wall with a worker bee symbol.

The worker bee, one of the best-known symbols of Manchester, was adopted as a motif for the city during the Industrial Revolution and symbolises the city being a hive of activity in the 19th century.

And following the May 2017 Manchester Arena attack the bee emblem has become a public symbol of unity.

Swanky new look for the bistro (ITV/Coronation Street)

"Take a closer look at the newly refurbished Viaduct Bistro!" invited the ITV soap as it shared behind-the-scenes photos on Instagram.

At the end of last year the bistro was taken over by Ray Crosby after he tricked Michelle Connor, played by Kym Marsh, into selling it to him.

It's being run by manager Don who has been confronted over being racist towards builder Ed Bailey in dramatic scenes.

"Shame we won’t be able to eat in it," commented Corrie star Daniel Brocklebank, who plays Billy Mayhew, about the issue of social distancing.

"Swanky!" commented children's TV star Hacker the Dog.

And the refurb appeared to go down well with viewers.

"The last one looked like somebody's old shed," said one fan.

Gail and Audrey Roberts in the old bistro (ITV)

"Same here, it looked more like a neighbourhood café than an upmarket dining room," said another.

"Lovely to see a Bumblebee on the wall," commented another soap watcher.

"LOVE the Manchester Bee," enthused another.

And another fan said: "I love the fact that there has been a bee put on the wallwork to remember them by.. Great idea guys."

The bistro is situated under the arch of the viaduct on on Viaduct Street.

It was previously The Joinery bar which which exploded and destroyed the overhead viaduct in the 50th anniversary episode in 2010.

It was then reopened as Nick's Bistro by Nick Tilsley, then Just Nick's before reverting back to Nick's Bistro.

It became the Viaduct Bistro in 2018 run by head chef Robert Preston and his partner Michelle.

Filming stopped on Corrie in March because of the coronavirus pandemic and cameras are set to start rolling again on the famous cobbles of Weatherfield in June.

ITV has confirmed it will be adhering to new production guidelines that have been issued.

The measures detailed by ITV include social distancing, filming units staying together to work in designated studios with crew using their own sanitised equipment and office staff continuing to work from home to ensure fewer people on the ground.

Location filming will be scrapped, scripts will feature a smaller number of actors and there will be fewer scenes to avoid camera moves on the set at Trafford Wharf.

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