One of the best things about pubs is that they come in all different shapes and sizes – there are fancy gastropubs, sit and drink in silence pubs, historic pubs with fireplaces, modern pubs with plywood and craft beer, and then those pubs that just take you back to your younger years.
One such delightfully traditional pub is The Baum, where cosy nooks meet nostalgic dinners and great beers.
Rochdale town centre gets a bit of a bad rap (the high street is a repeating pattern of charity shop, betting shop, vape/phone repair shop) but it feels like a new dawn could be on the horizon.
Firstly, Rochdale Town Hall’s transformation is almost complete, with the magnificent Grade I-listed building set to reopen to the public in a few short weeks.
There are some brilliant restaurants opening up here too that are worth travelling to the very edges of the tram network for, like Bombay Brew (Indian street food and craft beers) and Vinesteins (melted cheese heaven).
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And then there’s all Rochdale’s history that’s being carefully preserved, like the Toad Lane conservation area in which The Baum pub is located.
Up on this cobbled street, with its green tiled front, its stained glass windows and its old-fashioned ironwork, it looks straight out of a museum.
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Outside The Baum pub in RochdaleInside The Baum pub in RochdaleHow The Baum used to look
Inside, too, it feels unchanged, down to its vintage artwork and its wooden central bar.
On the menu you’ll find plenty of proudly northern nostalgia, like rag puddings, bangers and mash, and pot pies, but a little taste of the 21st century with an occasional katsu curry and a bit of hummus thrown in.
The Baum has also, like basically every food and drink establishment in the entire world, been infiltrated by small plates. There is no escaping small plates.
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The Baum’s house-fried chickenHummus with flatbreadSmall plates at The Baum in Rochdale
Theirs are three for £19 and include garlic and herb mushrooms with such a powerful hit of garlic you can feel it in your lungs, creamy hummus with flatbread, and really quite exceptional house-fried chicken on a generous smear of lemon and thyme aioli.
When the weather is being the most Manchester weather imaginable (sideways rain and a sky the colour of pewter), there’s no better fix than a cheese and onion pie.
The Baum’s comes in a neat cube that collapses into a gooey mess, with thick-cut school dinner chips on the side and, of course, baked beans.
Fish finger sandwichClassic cheese and onion pie
And carrying on with our kid-friendly adult dinner, the humble fish finger sandwich has been kicked into a new gear with flaky battered fish balancing inside a warm ciabatta roll.
We’ve overdosed on carbs too much to even humour a pudding, but if you’ve left room you’ll find sticky toffee puddings, various tarts, and cheesecake.
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With its cosy, old-fashioned interior and its well-executed menu, The Baum is sure to stand the test of time.
Drinks prices revealed as Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub opens inside T2
Emily Sergeant
It’s official… Manchester Airport’s first-ever JD Wetherspoon pub has officially opened its doors inside Terminal 2.
The 300-seater pub – which welcomed its first customers earlier this week – is named The Belle Vue after Manchester’s historic showground.
Throughout the pub, you’ll spot design features that nod to the city’s sporting heritage – including vintage event posters and memorabilia, a ‘locker wall’ hosting trophies and other sporting exhibits, and a cricket-themed design in the carpets and bar panels.
Creating around 150 jobs in the process, The Belle Vue is the final planned new eatery to open in the airport’s redeveloped Terminal 2, marking one of the final steps in the super-terminal’s decade-long, £1.5bn transformation.
Manchester Airport’s first-ever Wetherspoons pub has opened inside Terminal 2 / Credit: Supplied
According to the MEN, pints are priced from £6.20 for Carling and Coors lager, £6.45 for Budweiser, £6.60 for Guinness, and £6.70 for Poretti and 1664 Biere.
Prosecco is £9.20 for 175ml glass and £37.10 for the full bottle, while spirts and mixers are £6.80 for singles and £10.20 for doubles.
There’s also the classic Wetherspoons tea and coffee machines, where you can refill as many times as you like for just £3.60.
“It’s a proud moment to see the final new retail unit opening in our new-look Terminal 2,” commented Richard Jackson, who is the Retail Director at Manchester Airport.
“To be rounding off this 10-year programme by adding such an iconic name as Wetherspoon to the terminal is particularly special and we know that it will prove extremely popular with passengers. We think they’ll love the nods to Manchester’s heritage in the décor and design – and of course the name.”
The Belle Vue will be open from the first flight to the final flight each day, and food will be served from opening until 10pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
Eats
The Manchester restaurant serving bottomless curry for just £20 during National Curry Week
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s leading curry houses is bringing back its bottomless curry offering very soon.
For just £20, diners can tuck into unlimited curry, rice and naan at Zouk Tea Bar & Grill, stuffing yourself silly on authentic dishes from from all over the Indian subcontinent.
There’s nothing quite like getting the gang together for a proper curry, and Zouk is making it even easier to do exactly that this October.
They’ll be bringing back the £20 Bottomless Curry deal for National Curry Week 2026, running for five nights only, from Monday 5 October to Friday 9 October, with tables available between 5pm and 10pm each evening.
Guests can choose one curry from a daily selection of four, with meat, vegetarian and vegan options available throughout the week.
Once you’ve picked your curry, you can then order as many portions as you fancy during your 90-minute booking.
Rice and naan are unlimited too, so there’s no shortage of carbs to mop up the curry with.
The dishes on the menu include some of Zouk’s favourites, such as Chicken Karahi, Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka Masala, Dall Makhani, Chicken Handi and Gobi Manchurian.
The exact four-dish selection varies by day, giving curry fans a reason to head back more than once during the five-day promotion.
And yes, you can go back for another helping.
Zouk owner Tayub Amjad said: “National Curry Week is always a great excuse to celebrate the food we love.
“Bottomless Curry has become a real favourite with our customers, so we’re excited to bring it back for five nights. It’s relaxed, great value and perfect for getting friends together for a proper curry night.”
Advance booking is recommended – you can book your table for the Zouk Bottomless Curry nights HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
27th January 2024 
