Meet the Manchester Record Shop Owner Who Went Deaf and Opened a Cafe

Eastern Bloc Records' transition from one of Manchester's longest standing record shops to a popular cafe began back in 2007, when owner John Berry went deaf. Once the shop's techno expert and a DJ, on losing his hearing, Berry was at risk of losing his shop too. Throw in spiralling rental costs and a drop in vinyl sales, and Berry was forced to spend a year not working at all.

But then he decided to give Eastern Bloc another go in a new location.

This is where the second part of the record shop's unusual history begins to take shape. In 2011, Berry moved the store from Afflecks Palace, the indoor market at the centre of the city's Northern Quarter where he and Martin Price first opened in 1985, to the more accessible Stevenson Square around the corner. From its new home, Eastern Bloc would still offer rare Detroit techno records and tickets to jungle nights, but also hand-roasted coffee, homemade cakes, and sandwiches.

For Berry, the biggest shock of was being able to find a passion for something other than music—cooking.

"I'm not a trained chef, baker, or barista," he says humbly. "When you bake, you get back what you put in. If you're in a bad mood, it'll show in what you produce. It's a bit of a meditation."

Berry must have been in a good mood this morning, as when I arrive at the Eastern Bloc cafe at 4 PM, nearly every one of their baked goods are gone, though I do manage to nab a vegan pecan, carrot, and apple seeded muffin. It's soft, moist, and fucking delicious.

"That happens a lot," Berry tells me of the short-lived cake selection.

Eastern Bloc recently underwent kitchen refurbishments and chef Matthew Earnshaw is at the helm of the new space, also responsible for updating the menu. He and Berry wanted to cover breakfast staples like Welsh rarebit and the full English, as well as trendy brunch dishes like vegan sausages and brie croissants.

It's an ideal job for Earnshaw, who has been DJing for over a decade and cooking for five years.

"I fell into cheffing accidentally," he says, "but realised I actually really like and have a strong passion for attention to detail in it."

This is evident in Earnshaw's breakfasts, which are so popular during weekends that tables are always full, with customers sitting on the pavement outside or in the shop surrounded by stacks of vinyl.

"We can't wash the plates fast enough," says Berry.

The new menu's success may be down to the fact that Earnshaw makes everything from scratch, from the Hollandaise sauce to vegan sausages.

He's not the only DJ in the kitchen, either. The culinary team at Eastern Bloc includes techno aficionado Kerrie Anderson and one of the founders of NTS Manchester, Benjamin Hughes. He also works alongside Mark Hartwell a.k.a. Akaram, who has been at Eastern Bloc for four months following a short break selling skiing holidays.

"I'm working close to techno all day. Plus all the staff are mint," says Earnshaw. "Did I mention techno already?"

While Berry admits that he didn't think selling food at Eastern Bloc would be a success, he tells me that the cafe now supports the vinyl side of the business.

"We still need to work out the balance," he says, adding that there are no current plans to roll out an evening menu, since nights here are already taken up with events from independent music promoters. Earnshaw is equally coy when I ask what's next for Eastern Bloc.

"We some special surprises up our sleeves," he says.

Given the shop's long and diverse history, I'm sure it'll be worth the wait.

All photos by Akash Khadka.