There are a lot of great beer gardens in Manchester. There are also a lot of places that claim to be ‘hidden gems’. But then, everything is a hidden gem if you don’t know where to look.
So allow us to introduce you to arguably the city’s best beer garden (more of a terrace really) with arguably the best view of the lot.
And I suppose it IS a hidden gem, in that it’s tucked way down the stairs below the Bridgewater Hall, not even visible from street level.
This is Society, a food hall and beer bar that crept into the city on the tail of Covid lockdowns.
Its outside space is pretty simple, just a few tables and benches, a handful of thriving planters, a string of fairy lights.
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But its setting is a stunner, right on the water’s edge of the Rochdale Canal, but that bit that calls itself a ‘lake’ and has a huge fountain.
Chaat Cart chicken at Society Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupThe beer garden at Society Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupVocation beers at Society. Credit: The Manc Group
The Society beer garden can officially call itself a sun trap too, thanks to its sunken position that shelters it from the blustery Manchester winds.
The beer is probably what the venue is best known for. It’s all operated by Vocation Brewery, with a whopping 44 lines of beer to work your way through, usually featuring a few rotating specials.
If beer’s not your thing, you’ll find a decent cocktail menu too, including a summer-ready limoncello spritz and a bright blue margarita.
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And then there’s the food. Society has a whole host of briliiant northern operators in residence in its kitchens.
There’s Chaat Caart, serving South Indian street food like masala chicken wings with gunpowder fries, hearty curries, and kebabs served on sourdough flatbreads.
Society is also home to Manzoku, where you’ll find katsu curries, bao, sushi, and wings.
Completing the food line-up are Noi Quattro with Neapolitan-style pizzas, Slap & Pickle with their legendary burgers, and Korean restaurant Yoki.
A rosé festival where your ticket includes unlimited wine is returning to Manchester
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A festival dedicated to rosé wine is making a return to Manchester this summer – and your ticket includes unlimited wine.
This year marks the third year of The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival, which has quickly become a staple for all Mancunian wine-lovers.
This outdoor festival will transport you to a French vineyard, with acoustic live music from La Chanteuse, and a setting in amongst the leaft Kampus gardens. Even your four-legged friends are invited to the party.
Head on down to absorb some of that sunshine and get your hands on unlimited glasses of more than 20 different rosés, orange and sparkling wines, sourced from across the world.
Whether you consider yourself a connoisseur or just like the sound of some fizz in the sun, this garden party has plenty of new wines for you to try.
Sit back and relax, chat with suppliers, and if you choose to, you can purchase bottles of some seriously top-notch wines at exclusive reduced rates.
You can expect wines from Raymond Reynolds (Portuguese Wines), Alliance Wines, Hammonds of Knutsford, and Boutinot.
Beeswing in Manchester will host the rosé festival again. Credit: The Manc Group
In the run-up to the festival, The Beeswing are also holding various other opportunities for us to try some delicious wines, including an English Wine Tasting next Sunday.
Wine Tasting with Gusbourne – 28 June – Celebrate English Wine Week at an exclusive tasting experience from 4-6pm, with five Gusbourne wines and some nibbles. Tickets cost £40.
Click HERE to secure your Wine Tasting with Gusbourne tickets.
The Rosé Festival – 4 July – Hosted on the Kampus gardens in Manchester from 12.30pm-3pm. Tickets cost £35 and include unlimited wine and a welcome drink.
Tickets sold out quickly last year and booking in advance is necessary to attend.
Manchester’s tiniest coffee shop has opened in Ancoats serving £2.50 flat whites
Daisy Jackson
A tiny new coffee shop has opened in Ancoats, and it’s already turning heads with a simple mission – making quality coffee affordable again.
7ZZ (pronounced ‘seven zeez’) has quietly launched on Oldham Road in a space no bigger than your arm span.
Owner Joe Stephens is bringing speciality coffee prices back down to earth with flat whites starting from just £2.50 and matcha from only £4.
In a city where a morning coffee can easily set you back more than a fiver, the new independent hopes to bridge the gap between premium coffee shops and budget chains.
The compact café may be easy to miss at first glance, but its menu packs plenty of personality. Alongside classic espresso-based drinks, customers can pick up ceremonial-grade matcha, iced barista-made coffees, and vibrant ube lattes made properly (no purple syrup in sight).
Joe says the idea behind 7ZZ was to create a space where customers don’t have to choose between quality and affordability, with a price list that rivals Greggs.
Adding to the appeal is a selection of pastries from Sticky Fingers, the popular Stockport bakery known for its indulgent sweet treats.
Joe Stephens at 7ZZ in AncoatsIced matcha and ube lattes start at just £47ZZ has Sticky Fingers bakes on the counter
With fresh bakes like croissants and custard buns lining the counter each day, the new opening looks set to become a popular stop for commuters and locals alike.
As Ancoats continues to cement its reputation as one of Manchester’s best neighbourhoods for food and drink, 7ZZ is offering something increasingly rare – speciality coffee that doesn’t come with a speciality price tag.
7ZZ Coffee is now open at 116 Oldham Road, Ancoats, M4 6AG.
Daisy Jackson -
6th May 2023 
