In one of the coolest new openings coming to Manchester this month, a bar where you can pull your own pints opens in the city centre on Monday, 7 July.
Oh, and wine – you can pour your own wine too, because we all know how best to measure.
The self-service concept is one that immediately caught our attention, especially as we’ve always fancied our chances of pouring a perfect beer despite having never taken a single step behind a bar in our lives, and it is simply called The Tap House.
Set to span two floors with tons of outside space and a long line of taps for you to choose from, The Tap House will be specialising in local breweries and hard-to-source brews, spotlighting the best of the best from around the region.
With a total of 24 beers, along with 16 wines from their sister site, Another? over in Nottingham, this ‘two bars become one’ concept is a real first for Manchester and will pioneer the self-service scene in the city.
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Better yet, they’ve secured a pretty exciting name to help line customers’ stomachs whilst they’re pulling their own pints and sipping on their wine of choice, as Fat Frank’s will also be serving up pizza by the slice as the perfect accompaniment.
In a move to rival the almighty Nell’s, you can also order full-sized 22″ pizzas as well if you’re sharing or, you know, just a greedy little menace like the rest of us.
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They’ve also hit a good price point it seems as well, pints ranging from £5.50 upwards, wine starting from £5.80 and a slice of Fat Frank’s Pizza from £4.50.
The Tap Hosue is set to open to the public on Monday, 8 July and is just the latest in a recent trend of new openings on Circle Square, with North Bar, Federal and viral pasta spot Onda.
Co-owner Tom Benjamin described things perfectly ahead of launch day: “Perfect pints you can pour yourself. Delicious pizza by the slice. Wine you’ll love and adore”, adding, “We’re excited to finally open the doors and see The Tap House concept come to life here at Circle Square.”
You’ll definitely find us down there trying to pull the perfect pint for ourselves and if you’re a wine-lover, it’s worth noting that these guys aren’t the only ones offering self-service in Manchester. Great minds think alike.
Inside Manchester’s new padel club with a Pot Kettle Black cafe and courtside cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and it’s really picking up speed in Manchester now too with another city centre club opening this month.
The Pollen Club is a little different to the others, in that it’s fully undercover and protected from Manchester’s less-than-favourable weather.
And another thing that makes it a must-visit is the cafe attached to it – a third site for the beloved Pot Kettle Black.
The Pollen Club and Pot Kettle Black have both taken over a prominent city centre spot just off Deansgate, at the foot of the recently-opened Treehouse Hotel.
There are two state-of-the-art padel courts inside, with a mezzanine terrace for enjoy Pot Kettle Black’s offerings.
In summer, there are plans to launch a bar downstairs too, where you can sip spritzes courtside from loungers and swing seats.
The exciting new Manchester padel club will host pop up events, DJ takeovers and an extended evening food offering.
Pot Kettle Black are part of the new padel clubInside Manchester’s new padel club, The Pollen ClubPot Kettle Black are part of the new padel club
And even if you’re not heading inside The Pollen Club, Pot Kettle Black has a grab-and-go hatch facing onto Blackfriars Street, making their delicious coffees, sandwiches and pastries (from their own bakery Half Dozen Other) even more accessible.
Commenting on the opening of the new site, Pot Kettle Black co-owner, Mark Flanagan said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have opened our third Pot Kettle Black site at The Padel Club. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.
“After ten years in the city we’ve been enjoying seeing some familiar faces stopping by for a coffee and we can’t wait to get started on our programme of summer events!”
Insomnia Cookies is giving away FREE cookies to anyone with these two names
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s late-night sweet treat spot Insomnia Cookies is dishing out freebies this week… but there’s a catch.
You have to be called one of two specific names to get one.
With the long bank holiday weekend upon us, those in-the-know will also have noticed that this Sunday isn’t just Easter Sunday, it also happens to be 4/20… and that means Insomnia Cookies is back with its ‘blazing’ £4.20 deal, giving you the chance to bag a box of four warm cookies while saving nearly £7 at the same time.
But even better still, if you happen to have either the first or middle name ‘Mary’ or ‘Jane’, then you can also get yourself a warm tasty cookie for free.
To mark both 4/20, and celebrate the launch of its newest strain of mouthwatering cookie, the Mary Jane, anyone called Mary or Jane can pop into either of Insomnia Cookies’ two Manchester city centre sites – Cross Street and University Green – show their valid ID with their name on, and walk alway with a cookie free of charge.
If you want to try the new Mary Jane cookie, then this limited-edition special is made up of a cookies n cream dough base, packed with rainbow sprinkles.
The freebie deal has been running all week, and you have up until 3am on Monday 21 April to take advantage of it.
Customers will be limited to one free cookie per day.
Insomnia Cookies is giving away free cookies to anyone with these two names / Credit: Insomnia Cookies UK
If you aren’t lucky enough to be called one of those two names though, then thankfully you can still make some great savings on a classic four-pack of cookies over the spring bank holiday weekend, and for every four-pack sold, £1 will be donated to Groundwork – a charity helping make Manchester greener for nature and for local people.
“We’re calling for Marys and Janes to join us to live the high life with free cookies all week,” commented Millie Ralston, Head of Marketing at Insomnia Cookies.
Danny Jones -
7th July 2024 
