Smoak

Smoak occupies a converted shopfront on Manchester Road in Chorlton, run by owner Jon after original plans for a Stockport cafe were derailed during lockdown. Nine unsuccessful offers on other sites later, he found this space and rebuilt it with help from family and friends. The name reflects a fixation with smoking and curing meat that started as a pandemic hobby: brisket is brined and cured in-house for up to thirty days before becoming the salt beef that fills the shop's signature bagel. Coffee sits alongside the food menu, with beans chosen after visits to roasteries around the country. Recipes are refined week to week for taste, moisture and freshness. It opened in 2022 and has built a following among bagel enthusiasts across south Manchester.