It would be quite easy to miss Oppidan Social on Edge Street. Nestled between 63 Degrees and Yard & Coop in the Northern Quarter, you wouldn’t believe the large, modern space hosts workers from across the city.
While home working is nothing new, it has become more prominent since the Coronavirus pandemic. If you’re a student, freelancer, or, like me, have a hybrid working schedule where your time is split between an office and home - you’ll know what it’s like to work from your room for extended periods of time.
Co-working spaces can be a great change of scenery, which I find helps to keep you focussed when you’ve spent too long cooped up inside. And, as temperatures drop, people are finding new ways to keep warm without cranking up the heating for too long at home.
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I decided to check out three co-working spaces in the city centre to see how they varied - and if they were any better than working from home, or even the office! I drank a heck of a lot of tea and even sampled a 4-star quality lunch as I tried working from a pub, a hotel and 'home from home' this winter.
Oppidan Social
On my way to Oppidan Social, I got caught in the Manchester rain without an umbrella - but my coat was dry by the time it was time to leave. In fact, all three work spaces I tried were comfortably warm - a change from waking up and immediately sticking the heating on for a while, wrapping up while trying to stay cosy at home.
Oppidan Social describes itself as a 'home-from-home' - a shared space where 'you are free to work, study, relax, hold a meeting or workshop, read a book, play piano and get acquainted with good people.'
Intrigued, I buzzed my way through the door, went up the stairs and was greeted by a member of staff at the desk. He explained that at Oppidan, you pay for each minute you spend there but their facilities - including the well-stocked kitchen - are free.
I clocked in and explored the colourful room, which looked like somewhere I’d love to hang out, as well as work from. Different sets of chairs and tables were dotted around the room, with board games stacked on shelves by a set of orange rocking chairs.
Once I set myself up at one of the tables, I checked out the communal kitchen. There was an abundance of snacks to choose from, including cakes, biscuits, savoury crackers and fruit.
You could help yourself to bottomless teas, coffees, hot chocolates or even strawberry Nesquik milkshakes if you fancied it. The kitchen also has the facilities to make your own toasties, with bread in the cupboard and cheese and ham in the fridge.
Hygiene was of utmost importance, with plenty of signage around reminding people to wash their hands before touching anything, and tongs in place to serve yourself food. As it had gone lunchtime, I decided to try a toastie.
I accidentally used vegan cheese from the fridge instead of normal - my own fault for not paying attention to the labelling on the packet. And I did slightly overcook my toastie - but that is a consequence of my own cooking skills rather than the toastie machine itself.
The toastie was as good as anything I’d make at home, which is what you’d expect when making your own food. But the range of drinks, sweet treats and the friendly atmosphere is what made this place stand out to me.
There were a handful of people working and I found I was able to concentrate on my own work easily, while appreciating the background noise of people on conference calls and typing away. I clocked out after around four hours and the staff member told me that people are capped at four hours. So, you could spend nine hours a day there - from 8am until 6pm - and pay £19.20. It works out at £2.13 an hour.
The Alan Hotel
The next co-working space I tried was the lobby of a four-star hotel. The Alan, on Princess Street, offers a prestigious feel as you enter its marble-tiled reception.
It’s a huge space and it makes sense that the hotel makes the most of it - which they certainly are, as it was pretty busy when I arrived at around 10am. Once I confirmed my booking with reception, I chose a round, marble table by a large window to sit at and I set up my laptop.
I was immediately offered a warm drink - I chose tea - and given a menu to prepare for lunch. The drink was served up in a modern glass tea press, tea cup and saucer with milk in its own ceramic container.
There were plenty of options for lunch. For the £16.50 you pay to book your spot, you get a ‘light bite’ - which includes flatbread, truffled mac and cheese or prosciutto ham - and a ‘small plate’ - including oysters, potato and ox cheek or lamb fat cabbage, to name just a few.
The lobby got busy quite quickly and I felt super professional as I got on with my work amid the chatter and funky hotel music. The staff were extremely attentive, regularly offering to top up my tea.
When it came to ordering lunch, I opted for the lamb shoulder with cabbage and flatbread, and was surprised how fast my order arrived - it couldn’t have been any more than five minutes.
The dish was flavoursome with a rich cream sauce. It might have been a four-star meal, but the dishes weren’t a la carte - especially the flatbread, which there was absolutely loads of.
I wouldn’t choose such a fancy lunch everyday, but it was nice to opt for something different - and who doesn’t love to indulge in a bit of luxury when they can? I felt supercharged after my day working from the hotel - probably from the copious amounts of caffeine I’d had, but mostly down to the great service and food.
For around six hours at The Alan (the co-working hours are from 10am until 4pm), it cost £16.50, which included all the tea I could drink and the two dishes for lunch. That comes in at £2.75 an hour - not bad at all.
The Crafty Pig Pub
My final stop was The Crafty Pig pub on Oldham Street, right in the city centre. A pub? That’s right - I was surprised when I first saw The Crafty Pig was offering a ‘work from pub’ package, but also thought it was a rather clever idea.
Bookings can be made for two and a half hours and include unlimited tea or coffee, a soft drink and a choice of lunches - a range of chicken or vegetarian sub sandwiches or quesadillas, for £12.50. This works out at £5 an hour - the most expensive hourly rate of all the places I visited, but that’s because of its limited time slot.
It was pretty quiet when I went in as the pub opened at 11am. I told the bar staff of my booking and chose a cosy booth.
I was offered a cup of tea - they were unlimited, which is a running theme at these co-working spaces - and set up my laptop. When lunchtime rolled around, I ordered the Korean chicken sub with chunky chips and a glass of Coke.
It was a hefty portion, which I thought was great value for money. It was great quality too; the bread was crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. The chicken pieces were succulent, drizzled in a tangy BBQ sauce and topped with spring onions and rocket.
It was a different vibe working from the pub - fun, but it also felt like a bit of a novelty. And I did feel slightly jealous of the people coming in with a pint to watch the football!
The verdict
All three spaces are great options for a change of scenery and to help get the creative juices flowing. If you’re looking for a touch of luxury, then The Alan Hotel is the way to go.
But, if you don’t mind sorting yourself out, the best value for money is Oppidan Social. Will you be catching me back in the office anytime soon? We’ll have to see about that...
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