In recent years, dry January could be a bit of a slog, with the only alternatives for delicious cocktails and tasty pints drinks like cups of tea and fizzy drinks.
Similarly, those who choose not to drink alcohol year-round were left with a substandard (and often overly sugary) offering in pubs and bars.
But one local brand is changing all that, and doing it from an actual brewery.
Hip Pop brews and cans its range of delicious kombucha drinks – which are wildly popular in the US but only just hitting their stride here in the UK – from a site on a farm in Cheshire, manned by professional brewers.
Inside Hip Pop’s brewery in Cheshire. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Hip Pop’s brewery in Cheshire. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Hip Pop’s brewery in Cheshire. Credit: The Manc Group
The drinks are made with 100% natural ingredients – they’re vegan, gluten free, dairy free, lower in sugar, and naturally full of antioxidants, enzymes and acids.
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Hip Pop also makes living sodas, made with apple cider vinegar, which are only 30 calories a can and come in three flavours (tropical peach, pink grapefruit and ginger turmeric).
The whole family-run operation, overseen by the Hip Pop dog Bo, is run by a small team who can create honest drinks with nutritious ingredients.
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Hip Pop’s resident dog Bo. Credit: The Manc GroupHip Pop’s range of kombucha Credit: The Manc Group
There’s no pressure to add cost-saving artificial and processed ingredients like sweeteners or preservatives.
Since launching in 2019 (back then known as Booch and Brew) you might have noticed their colourful cans infiltrating shelves across the country. As they should.
The four flavours of Hip Pop’s kombucha are all genuinely delicious as well as good for your gut – in fact, their very slogan is ‘tastes good and does good’.
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They even have the seal of approval from the BBC’s Kate Goodman, who founded Reserve Wines back in 2003.
The local business sells taster packs if you want to try all the flavours at once, with flavour blends of strawberry and pineapple; blueberry and ginger; ginger and yuzu; and apple and elderflower.
Those kombucha six-pack taster packs, a great introductory offer to the Hip Pop brand, are currently discounted too. You can take 20% off here (the discount will automatically apply at the checkout).
You can also take 15% off your first order using the code TRYHIPPOP15.
View the whole Hip Pop range and place your order at drinkhippop.com.
Featured image: The Manc Group
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Spooktacular Halloween trail to return to National Trust site Quarry Bank
Daisy Jackson
A Halloween trail is set to return to Quarry Bank Mill this autumn for one of the region’s most hauntingly beautiful seasonal events.
The National Trust site is a former working mill and one of the country’s finest industrial buildings – but as night falls and the shadows lengthen, a haunting will begin…
This year’s Halloween at Quarry Bank will again feature spooky light installations, a mesmerising laser garden, and a thrilling fire show, as well as live performances and seasonal food and drink.
Returning for a second year, Halloween at Quarry Bank will be an unforgettable experience for all ages.
Fog will swirl through the paths around the grounds, as glowing demon eyes watch over passers-by and giant skeletons loom over twisted trees.
If you’re brave enough, the trail then heads inside the mill itself, where creaking and clanking sounds of its industrial past hint at something a little more haunted.
Credit: Andrew Ogilvy PhotographyCredit: SuppliedCredit: Supplied
As you wander the trail, you’ll pass installations like glowing fire spheres and catacombs echoing with whispers from the past, plus plenty more surprises waiting in the shadows.
Then you can refuel with ‘bewitched burgers and freaky fries’, plus hot toddys and decadent hot chocolates.
You can even toast a marshmallow over an open fire.
Halloween at Quarry Bank is designed for families, couples, and groups of friends alike, and attracts visitors from all over Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire.
Entry to the trail is on a timed slot system – tickets are on sale now HERE.
Inside the brand-new rental houses at Bolton’s landmark £35m development, Deansgate Gardens
Daisy Jackson
The first residents are in, and the launch of Deansgate Gardens – a landmark £35m development in Bolton town centre – is live.
This impressive new development has brought 167 high-quality rental homes to Bolton, creating a residential neighbourhood that features rooftop terraces, gardens, and stunning communal spaces.
The homes on Deansgate, Bolton have been built specifically for renters, with spacious layouts in an ideal location just a two-minute walk from Bolton Town Hall and a short commute to Manchester.
And, unusually for new rental developments, it’s not all about apartments here (though there are beautiful one- and two-bedroom apartments with rooftop gardens available).
It’s also somewhere you can rent two-bedroom townhouses, and have your very own yard.
Every home is built with energy efficiency in mind, with heat pumps and enhanced insulation, plus rooftop solar panels on selected homes, keeping those pesky bills down.
This pet-friendly development comes from developer Placefirst, and is a key moment in the wider £1bn regeneration masterplan for Bolton.
Inside Deansgate Gardens in BoltonInside Deansgate Gardens in BoltonA spacious bedroomThe rooftop terraceView from the rooftop terrace
Deansgate Gardens is located just opposite the former Beales department store, connected by the train station, bus interchange, and town centre within walking distance.
These stylish new homes are built around a central square and communal courtyards. The result? Somewhere residents can relax, socialise, and connect.
There’s even a dedicated Resident Service Manager and 24/7 maintenance support for peace of mind.
And just a short walk away you’ll find parks like Queen’s Park, plus beautiful routes along the River Croal.
Ready to make these houses your home? Book in for a tour around Deansgate Gardens today HERE.