To celebrate International Tequila Day in July, a whopping £30,000-worth of cocktails will be given away across the UK.
More than 3,000 cocktails will be handed out, through an online giveaway and in Boom Battle Bar venues.
The unbelievable giveaway is thanks to mixers company Franklin & Sons, who want to celebrate and showcase Mexico’s national cocktail – the Paloma.
The refreshing, sweet and citrusy tequila-based cocktail is made with Pink Grapefruit Soda, which is part of Franklin & Son’s impressive product range developed since 1886.
Palomas are now so popular that they’ve outstripped the iconic Margarita as Mexico’s most popular drink, and is rising in popularity in the UK too (a 47% increase in the past year).
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Franklin & Sons will be giving away 700 cocktail kits that contain all the ingredients you need to make your own Paloma at home.
Frankin & Sons are giving away £30,000-worth of cocktails. Credit: Supplied
And then they’re partnering with Boom Battle Bar – a competitive play gaming bar with a site at the Great Northern in Manchester – to hand out even more free cocktails.
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To try it for free, you can register on the Franklin and Sons website here from 23 June until 14 July, with 700 winners chosen at random.
On Thursday 27 and Friday 28 July, you can head to Boom Battle Bars across the country (excluding Edinburgh) to get one of 2,600 Palomas, given away on a first-come first-served basis.
Participants also have the chance to win £150 of Boom Battle Bar games along with a free round of Palomas for their group – upload a picture of your Paloma creation to Instagram, tag @franklinandsons and use the hashtag #remarkabledrinkswithoutcompromise to enter.
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The competition is for over 18s only, with full terms and conditions at www.franklinandsons.co.uk
Tom Singleton, business director at Franklin & Sons: “With tequila and the Paloma cocktail trending across the UK, we’re looking forward to celebrating the biggest International Tequila Day so far.
“The Paloma is often viewed as the most popular cocktail in Mexico, and is now a hugely popular UK summer serve, owing to its refreshing balance of sweetness and citrus.
“The Paloma is also easy to make at home using just four ingredients – the ideal go-to for a relaxed, hot summer’s day.”
The perfect Franklin & Sons Paloma recipe
INGREDIENTS:
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50ml Blanco Tequila 10ml Lime Juice 10ml Agave Syrup Topped with Franklin & Sons Pink Grapefruit Soda
Garnish with pink grapefruit wedge
METHOD:
Find a good blanco (white) tequila, and add 50ml of tequila, 10ml lime juice, and 10ml of agave syrup into an ice-filled glass, and stir. Top with Franklin & Sons Pink Grapefruit Soda and garnish with a wedge of grapefruit. As an optional extra you could first rim the glass with salt.
Featured image: Supplied
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Sustainable clothing brand Lucy & Yak to host first-ever PreLoved Weekender in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Popular sustainable brand Lucy & Yak is set to host its first ever pre-loved clothing event this bank holiday weekend.
Lucy & Yak is turning its stores into dedicated PreLoved hubs for an entire weekend – celebrating second-hand shopping with communities across the UK.
Since 2023, Lucy & Yak – which is an independent, people-focused brand with all items made using organic, natural, recycled, or deadstock fabrics – has kept more than 42,000 items, also known affectionately as ‘Yaks’, in circulation through its PreLoved scheme, where customers bring in and return their old pieces, and once processed, will then receive a money-off voucher to put towards their next purchase.
Damaged pieces are repaired or upcycled by the Re:Yak Studio team in Yorkshire, before being sold on in-store to find their new homes.
While Lucy & Yak stores carry a dedicated PreLoved rail year-round, this late May bank holiday weekend from Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, the whole Manchester store experience will be transformed – with a much larger, expanded PreLoved section.
There’ll be everything from old gems to one-off pieces available to get your hands on – all still wearable, all still loveable.
As well as here in Manchester city centre, the PreLoved Weekender will also be taking place at Lucy & Yak stores in Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chester, Edinburgh, Exeter, London, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Portsmouth, so no matter where you are in the country this bank holiday, you don’t have to miss out.
What’s more is that fashion lovers in Manchester will also get to take part in a series of upcycling workshops in store on Bank Holiday Monday, with more events planned in the coming weeks.
The brand says its stores are ‘more than just shops’ – they’re spaces for the community to connect, and where Lucy & Yak’s values come to life in person.
Lucy & Yak’s first-ever PreLoved Weekender is coming to Manchester this bank holiday / Credit: Supplied
“We’re so excited to bring the PreLoved Weekender to our stores this May,” commented Lydia Coley, who is the Managing Director at Lucy & Yak.
“Lucy & Yak has always been built around community, creativity, and doing things a little differently, and PreLoved brings all of that together. We’re incredibly proud of keeping over 42,000 Yaks in circulation. Every second-hand Yak has a story, and this weekend is about helping those pieces find their next home in a fun way.”
The PreLoved Weekender will be taking place at Lucy & Yak’s Manchester store in the Northern Quarter this Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, and you can find out more here.
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Salford Pride’s popular Pink Picnic returns this summer with ‘iconic’ headliners
Emily Sergeant
Boney M, The Cheeky Girls, and Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK stars are all on the lineup at Salford Pride’s popular Pink Picnic this summer.
As this summer marks 15 years of Pride in Salford, Salford Pride has announced a whole host of exciting events to celebrate – including the return of The Pink Picnic, its biggest family-friendly celebration yet, with headliners like 90s and 00s music icons, community talent, and even a ‘bigger and bolder’ Youth Zone for 2026.
Returning to Peel Park once again, The Pink Picnic brings together LGBTQ+ community, allies, families and friends for a day built around community, joy, and belonging.
For 2026, Salford Pride is expanding the experience further with even more to do across the park than ever before.
The Pink Picnic has been part of Salford’s Pride story since 2011, but this year’s 15th anniversary addition is set to be one for the history books, as alongside a headline lineup featuring Boney M, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK’s Kyran Thrax and Paige Three, The Cheeky Girls, Big Brovaz, Booty Luv, and Baby D, a strong programme of community acts will also be spotlighted.
Some of the exceptional community acts already named on the lineup so far include Tallulah Guard, Fear of Marko, and John Tucker.
Across the day, visitors can also shop from dozens of community stalls and market traders, take part in or watch the much-loved annual dog show, and visit the ‘bigger and bolder’ Youth Zone that’s designed to help young people feel seen and celebrated.
“Celebrating 15 years of Pride in Salford feels really special, and we wanted 2026 to feel like a proper thank you to the community that’s built this with us” said Scott Turzański, who is the Head of Marketing and Brand at Salford Pride.
Daisy Jackson -
23rd June 2023 
