Grade II-listed boozer the Black Friar spent nearly two decades as a burnt-out, blank-eyed shell before finally making its comeback last summer.
A fixture since 1886, the pub’s long history of serving its local community was cut short in 2006 after a fire ravaged its interiors and left it thoroughly blackened, inside and out.
After nearly two decades spent sitting empty, last year, after a significant £1.5 million restoration by developers Salboy, the original red brick and red sandstone was finally given a new lease of life as it reopened its doors and welcomed chef Ben Chaplin (formerly of 20 Stories) to the helm.
Image: The Black Friar, Salford
Now, one year on, the team behind its resurrection is celebrating a year back in business by offering guests a selection of drinks and dishes for £1 throughout August.
From glasses of prosecco and pints of lager and cider to side dishes and bar snacks, there will be a host of opportunities to grab a bargain at the pub this month.
ADVERTISEMENT
From 2 to 5 August it will kick the celebrations off with £1 glasses of prosecco, followed by £1 bread and olives from 9 to 12 August.
From 16 to 19 August, drinks can enjoy £1 pints of Black Friar lager and Orchard Pig cider, then from 23 to 26 August, all A La Carte side dishes – including truffle fries, miso and sesame courgettes and a heritage tomato salad – for £1.*
ADVERTISEMENT
Neil Burke, managing director of the historic venue said: “We’re so excited to be celebrating our first birthday and want all of our friends, neighbours and loyal guests to come and celebrate with us.
“At the Black Friar, our main focus (other than top quality drinks and grub) is to give back to our local community. We hope that by offering some of our most popular menu items for just £1 that our guests will feel the love.”
Image: The Black Friar, Salford
The pub has a fascinating history and is said to have once been a favourite haunt of the notorious Kray twins, who reportedly used to hold meetings in its bar.
ADVERTISEMENT
For over 100 years it was a well-known watering hole and, as you’d expect, there are plenty of stories of fights and scandals unfolding within its wallls.
Prior to that, it had originally been called the School Inn but, after that burnt to the ground, it was renamed as the Blackfriar in 1886 and traded as a pub until 2001 when it was sadly gutted by another blaze.
Since reopening, the pub has been hailed as a triumph by local and national critics alike. The Guardian’s food writer Jay Rayner wrote after a visit that he would “be rather chuffed” if the Black Friar was his local.
To see the full menu and book, visit the Black Friar’s website here.
ADVERTISEMENT
Offer T&CS: Available Tues-Fri, 2-26 August. Valid when you order at least 2 courses from the á la carte menu. Available any time in all areas – Pub, Restaurant + Garden. Have as many as you like of each, all £1 per glass/portion, for the duration of your booking.
Feature image – The Black Friar
News
First look at Albert Square as Manchester Christmas Markets return to their spiritual home
Thomas Melia
Manchester Christmas Markets are back and all our Christmas wishes have come true, as its spiritual home Albert Square joins in on the festivities for the first time in six years.
Grab a mulled wine, toast yourself a marshmallow and take a seat, because we’re going to take you on a quick tour of this brand-new offering.
You’ll be able to tick off your Christmas Markets wish list in one place, as Manchester has got all your usual favourites and so much more taking place right here outside of its iconic Town Hall.
As soon as you walk in you’re greeted by a huge sign spelling out the city’s iconic abbreviation ‘MCR’, just in case you forgot where you were, that also doubles as a nice photo opportunity.
Albert Square in Manchester city centre is getting into the Christmas spirit for the first time in six years / Credit: The Manc Group
As you walk into Albert Square there’s a mix of nostalgic wooden huts and brightly coloured modern street food vendor stations waiting to tempt you with all their tasty treats.
There’s no messing around at this Christmas hotspot because not even 10 feet after you enter, you can warm up with a glühwein and bratwurst, yes please.
Think you’re done sampling some festive feasts? Think again as there’s a marshmallow toasting station, a roasted chestnut cart and lots of huts are offering their own hot chocolate creations.
Local street food vendor Rita’s Reign has made her mark in Albert Square too, serving up her foodie feasts with a seasonal spin such as the ‘Festive Feast’ and ‘Christmas Crunch’ combo boxes.
Rita’s Reign is just one of many food vendors at Manchester Christmas Markets / Credit: The Manc Group
As you keep making your way round there’s some lovely gifts and trinkets to browse including tree decorations, ornaments and some vibrant pieces of art.
There’s plenty of ways to keep the kids (and big kids) entertained with some carnival-themed games and stalls as well as a vintage carousel, if that doesn’t get you in the Christmas spirit what else will?
Of course, there’s even more food to mention like mini dutch pancakes, toasted sandwiches, French toast, the list is endless (Much like many of our Christmas lists).
And we couldn’t finish our visit without acknowledging the elephant in the room, also known as The Manchester Big Wheel, which is the perfect people-watching spot, but maybe hop on this ride before you try all the tasty treats mentioned above.
Drivers warned of ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter
Emily Sergeant
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ on the roads that could seem them hit with hefty fines as winter rolls around.
Once the temperatures drop, and the days get shorter and darker, fog tends to become a more common weather occurrence around this time of year – but an eye-opening new survey has found that most drivers don’t really how to use their fog lights correctly.
According to guidance from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), fog lights should only be used on British roads when visibility drops below 100 metres, yet the new research by eBay has found that 60% of drivers use their fog lights at the wrong times, and what’s more is that one in 10 say they switch on their fog lights when visibility is less than 300 metres.
48% of drivers who took part in the research admitted that they activate full-beam headlights when it’s dark, regardless of oncoming traffic and other road users.
Drivers are being warned of a ‘bad habit’ that could land them with £1,000 fines this winter / Credit: Nabeel Syed (via Unsplash)
The RAC says these stats reveal a ‘worrying trend’ among motorists, and have warned that these habits could actually means drivers are risking fines of up to £1,000 and three penalty points on their licence.
If the incorrect usage of fog lights wasn’t bad enough as it is, the new research also found that many Brits say they do not stay on-top of regular car maintenance when it comes to car fog lights, either – with just 15% saying they check them every month, and shockingly, 24% stating they’ve never checked them before.
Due to the ongoing issue of headlight glare, in whatever form that may be, The RAC has found that as many as one in four drivers (25%) who find headlights ‘too bright’ are actually driving less as a result.
“Unfortunately for a lot of drivers, the annual onset of darker evenings coincides with another unwelcome arrival – that of overly-bright headlights that they believe make driving more difficult due to dazzle and discomfort,” explained Rod Dennis, who is the Senior Policy Officer at the RAC.
“While most of us have no choice other than to adapt to driving at night more often as the clocks go back, the fact headlight glare is the leading cause of nervousness underlines it’s a problem that needs tackling.
“At the same time, it’s important to remember that brighter headlights can give drivers a better view of the road ahead, so there’s a balance to be struck.”
Georgina Pellant -
2nd August 2022 
