We’re a long way from Sussex here and the original eccentricities of Bill Collison’s grocery-cum-café. Fast expansion means that Manchester is just one of the distant conurbations now playing host to a battalion of the distinctive green aprons. The all-day, all-week hours suit this city well, especially just off Deansgate where outside space and a big brand can prove powerful lures. The artfully cobbled-together dining room opens on to the street in summer, providing a venue for breakfast (perhaps blueberry and buttermilk pancakes or a variation on the full English) until lunchtime, when sharing boards, burgers and grills rule. At night there’s a candlelit dinner for two featuring fizz, meze and beef fillet with cottage pie or roast Scottish salmon with shellfish stew. Afternoon tea, a children’s menu, set deals and multifarious specials also tick the popular boxes, making Bill’s a comfort zone in which many are happy to nestle.