Food & Drink

Bask is BACK – bosses confirm return to ‘golden era’ of popular Stockport spot

Can they recapture that original phenomenon?

Danny Jones - 24th April 2026

In brilliant news for Stopfordians, Bask is officially coming back, as current boss Jon Fitzpatrick is bringing back one of the key core members of the OG owners and staff, co-founder Benji Taylor.

Very exciting times for the town centre.

While local DJ, musician and entrepreneur, Jon, is the man behind the Irish-American bar and grill reboot under his surname that began in June of 2025, the business has gone on to become more of a morning and afternoon venue in the time since then.

However, with the help of Benji returning after a bit of well-deserved time off and having spent a period working on other ventures, they’re looking to dip back into the evenings as well and make this more of an all-day spot.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bask ⚫️🟠 (@thisisbask)

Writing a statement in the caption of the post, the duo said, “We couldn’t be more proud to announce that Bask is back, and we are pleased to reveal one of the original crew returns to help our team return it to the golden era.

“Live music, great bands, entertainment all week, and non-stop fun. We’re not a late-night venue like it was recently; we want to keep it mature and [aim] to enhance the experience for our customers.

“Our daytime, sport and relaxed atmosphere won’t change, and our kitchen will actually be open later than it is now! We have many goals, but our main aim is to put credible, exciting live music back on the Stockport map. With Benji and Jon’s experience, it’s gonna be a magical time for Stopfordians.”

We met face-to-face with the prolific pair last week, and they made it clear that their shared vision is simple: marry Fitzpatrick’s steady daytime trade with the initial magic of that very first iteration of Bask.

Get it right, and they could very well create a new all-seasons superpower on the Stockport bar scene, as the brand certainly had a taste of that when they first captured attention with inside that packed-out unit just outside the train station.

Speaking to The Manc, the Bask boys admitted it was a “real shame” how things transpired towards the end of the previous setup, acknowledging that trouble with some problematic punters (especially in the early hours of the morning) effectively “spoiled” what became a weekly pilgrimage for many others.

Bask is not so quietly becoming the best night out in Stockport

That’s why, although they’re opening well into the evening and nighttime – with a full schedule of regular events such as live music, stand-up, karaoke, quizzes, darts nights and more already lined-up – they haven’t gone for a late license this time around, as they want to preserve what made it special.

Set to fully re-launch on 1 May from 5pm onwards, we’re expecting them to be off to the races the second the word about the comeback spreads.

Ben and Jon also still believe that in the era post-Bamboo in Hazel Grove closing, Stockport hasn’t really had a well-known and reliable night out, comparable to that kind of experience. Other than here.

Now, Bask isn’t a club, nor was it ever supposed to be; it was a bar that, on its day, was one of the biggest parties in all of Greater Manchester, and although it won’t be ’till two’ this time around, we can’t wait to see the gang get back to their best.

Locals will also be glad to hear that borough favourite Stock Party will also be returning this summer, and you can bet on seeing some familiar native faces taking part.