Federal opened in Manchester’s Northern Quarter in December 2014 as “a little neighbourhood cafe with big dreams”, with three team members. Its founder, Claudio, set it up as a café inspired by the coffee culture of Australia after a trip there. Federal is known for “that sunny Antipodean welcome”, and brunch matters as much as the coffee.

The ingredients come from sustainable, ethical and, wherever possible, independent farms, roasteries and suppliers, and the kitchen makes everything it can on the premises. The breakfast menu includes porridge with caramelised banana, an açaí bowl and eggs on sourdough toast. The all-day brunch runs from Emily’s banana bread and smashed avocado with poached eggs to eggs Benedict, halloumi with garlic and thyme mushrooms, Turkish eggs, steak and eggs, and French toast with macerated berries and salted caramel. The menu also has cheddar corn fritters with bacon or smoked salmon and ciabatta sandwiches such as chorizo with manchego.

The Northern Quarter café is small and busy, so it is walk-in only, with no bookings. Federal now has three cafés in Manchester city centre: the original in the Northern Quarter, a second opened in 2019 and a third at Circle Square. It also runs a coffee cart at Altrincham Market and a café in Leeds, and a York café is coming soon.

In January 2024 Federal was named the UK’s most popular independent coffee shop, and fourth worldwide, in a study by Betway based on social media and search data, and Federal was “chuffed”. The retail house blend, Federal Coffee Beans, was made with Ozone Coffee Roasters: a medium-dark blend of Brazil, Nicaragua and Ethiopia with notes of milk chocolate, brown sugar and red fruit.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Federal Cafe & Bar