After 15 long years of being boarded up, Salford’s historic Black Friar pub will welcome punters back through its doors next month.
The legendary venue has already been a local favourite for well over a century, but now there’s a new interior, a new team, and a new menu to go along with the owners’ ambitions to become a popular destination pub for residents and visitors alike.
Being both a traditional pub and modern restaurant at the same time, customers can enjoy a pint and a quick bite with no pre-booking required, or they can opt for more of a gastronomic experience in the modern glass restaurant surrounded by greenery – which has been created as part of the restoration that features an open kitchen and 70 covers.
The transformation doesn’t stop there though, as on the second floor, there is additional room for a further 40 covers, on the third floor there’ll be a private dining room for special events, celebrations and corporate get-togethers.
And when the Manchester sunshine graces us with its presence, customers can head out to the courtyard area for a drink or a bite to eat.
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Black Friar’s head chef Ben Chaplin – who was previously at 20 Stories – has created two brand-new menus, with the pub and courtyard offering more relaxed and informal small plates to share, as well as classic pub dishes, while the restaurant has a more “elevated” menu, offering a twist on popular British classics and a focus on locally-sourced food.
There is also a breakfast menu too, which will be available at weekends from 9am – 11.30am.
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A couple of the stand-out dishes on the menu include a daily pie, Boddingtons battered fish and chips, and a local cheeseboard – all of which pay homage to the pub’s local roots.
“The Black Friar has a lot of historical significance in Salford [and] everyone who used to frequent it has a story to tell.” said Managing Director, Neil Burke.
“We want it to have that impact again [and] become everyone’s local, but also a real destination where you’re guaranteed really good food, a welcoming atmosphere, and a place where you feel just at home nipping in for a pint as you do sitting down for a fantastic three course dinner.”
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If you’re keen to get in on the action, you’ll want to follow @theblackfriarsalford on social media to find out opening hours, menus and when the pre-booking link goes live.
You can also check out the new Black Friar website here.
Featured Image – Google Maps
Eats
Crown & Kettle team confirm takeover of infamous Mother Mac’s pub
Daisy Jackson
The team behind the Crown & Kettle pub have taken on a new challenge – the legendary Mother Mac’s pub on Back Piccadilly.
The boozer, which has something of a gruesome past, is being almost completely gutted ready for its transformation into a three-storey pub.
Soon to be reborn as The Rat & Pigeon, the independent watering hole will have seven separate areas across its three floors.
Since The Manc first reported the closure of Mother Mac’s, the team behind Crown & Kettle have been busy stripping the city centre pub back to its bones.
They said in a statement online that the historic building has been left ‘rotting behind a veneer of naff refurbishments’ (the pub changed hands a few years ago).
The Rat & Pigeon has been given vital structural support ready for the next stage – ‘breathing life into this historic boozer’.
They said it’s taken 16 skips, a few electric shocks, and ‘an eight week stint at the chiropractors’, but now pictures inside the pub show that it’s coming on nicely.
The floors on the first and second floor have been restored to their former glory and there are even paint samples on the walls now.
The Rat & Pigeon wrote: “They say you shouldn’t pick at a scab. The thing is, over the years this building has been slowly rotting behind a veneer of naff refurbishments plastered one on top of the other. We haven’t just picked the scab, we’ve peeled entire layers and took it right back to the bone… and then found the bones were buggered n’all.
“In for a penny, in for a pound.
“16 skips, multiple electric shocks and a 8 week stint at the chiropractors later we managed to tear out the crap and provide the old lady with the structural support required to see out the next 150 years.
They later added: “Transforming a tired ground floor only pub into 3-floor behemoth isn’t without its challenges.
“Once the building was structurally secure we turned our attention to the 1st and 2nd. With every layer of plaster removed or board lifted we were uncovering new ‘challenges’. It got to a point where we were scared to take a peek. But peek we did.
“Debris carted down two flights of stairs, full fixed wiring and plumbing throughout, new structures built and plaster applied with floor lovingly restored to its former glory – our vision to breathe new life into this historic boozer is starting to become a reality.
“There’s 7 separate areas over three floors, each with its own purpose and appeal – something for everyone. We genuinely cannot wait to welcome you in.”
The official launch date, and the full transformation of Mother Mac’s into The Rat & Pigeon, will be announced soon.
Man replicates Manchester pizza restaurant’s loo in his own home
Daisy Jackson
A man has fallen so in love with the loos at a Manchester pizza restaurant that he’s recreated it in his own home.
Yep, while most of us spend our time trawling Pinterest or Instagram for our interiors inspiration, local Matt Hatt got his inspo on a trip to the toilet in town.
He was so obsessed with Nell’s vibrant orange bathroom interiors that he’s now created his very own cookie cutter version in his own house.
And Nell’s has been so impressed, they’ve even got stuck in to lend a hand with the finishing touches.
We are totally on board with Matt’s appreciation for a good restaurant loo – you can spend all the money in the world fitting out a dining room, but it really can fall apart if you head to a toilet with a wonky seat or a door that doesn’t shut or hideous fluorescent lighting.
Thankfully you don’t find too many of those around town these days.
From the ultra-luxury bogs around Spinningfields to the cheeky nude-covered toilets in the Northern Quarter, Manchester has a load of brilliant restaurant loos to explore.
The loos at Nell’s Pizza in Manchester. Credit: Nell’sMatt Hatt’s recreation of the Nell’s loo in his own home. Credit: Instagram @hattathome
One of the best is Nell’s, the New York-style pizza joint down at Kampus, which is painted a vibrant shade of orange.
Matt has nailed that bright toilet decor in his Victorian home in Manchester, down to the white subway tiles, the rounded wall mirrors, and the globe light fixture.
He even slid into Nell’s DMs to let them know about his project, and they offered to give him a branded pizza box, which Matt framed and hung on the wall.
Sharing his inspiration in a video filmed at Nell’s, Matt said: “If you’ve never been in a men’s toilet before, welcome. This is Nell’s Pizza in Manchester and this is the inspiration for our downstairs loo. Isn’t it fab?