Joe and Daniel Schofield will open the ‘European drinkery’ Atomeca tomorrow (Friday 21 May), just two days after the indoor opening of Schofield’s Bar.
The brothers have teamed up with wine professional James Brandwood (ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill in Australia) to open the all-day wine and cocktail bar, which is set on the ground floor of the new Deansgate Square development in Manchester.
A European theme runs across the seasonal menu of small plates, the wine list – which leans towards small independent producers - cocktails and aperitifs.
Among the continental mixed drinks, the Schofields have devised twists on the Kir family of cocktails, Negroni Sbagliato and Picon Bière.
Though the bar itself has only 40 covers, its capacity is supplemented by its ground-floor surrounds and an outdoor terrace, combining to cater for 120 guests when restrictions are lifted.
The brothers intend to be involved in day-time operations at Atomeca before heading to Schofield’s Bar for evening service. Co-owner Brandwood will be Atomeca’s GM.
The Deansgate Square development by architects Simpson Haugh houses more than 1,500 apartments across its 67 storeys and is set within a landscaped public space next to Manchester's River Medlock on Owen Street, a few minutes’ walk from Schofield’s Bar.
The opportunity to take on the ten-year lease at Deansgate Square came about when the brothers were searching for a site for Schofield’s, almost a year ago.
Joe Schofield told Class that while the site didn’t fit with the concept of Schofield’s, there was a great opportunity to launch a different bar at the site. “It’s an apartment development but in its approach to hospitality and design [by Lister + Lister] it’s more aligned to a five-star hotel,” he said.
The Atomeca brand could also be rolled out to further sites “if all goes well”. “It’s a brand we’re going to be putting a lot of momentum into – we see nothing but opportunity,” Joe Schofield told Class.
The name Atomeca links to the split ownership of the bar and to the history of Manchester. “It plays on the scientific historical reference to the discovery of the splitting of the atom in our home city of Manchester by Ernest Rutherford,” Daniel Schofield told Class.
“All three of us were born on the outskirts of Manchester so it made sense for us to have a name that linked us all, while having relevance to the concept, which is quite small, compact and dynamic.”