A cocktail experience inspired by the fantastical world of Alice in Wonderland is heading to Greater Manchester this summer.
The Alice Cocktail Experience will invite people into a colourful, spellbinding tea party setting, complete with The Mad Hatter orchestrating the whole thing.
Guests will create their own cocktails which will get ‘curiouser and curiouser’, the organisers say, while enjoying a 90 minute live show.
Themed cakes and a venue decorated with bright flowers, teapots and neon signs will add to the illusion that you’ve taken a trip to Wonderland.
The Alice Cocktail Experiences comes from Once Upon A Bar, who have run similar events at venues across the globe already.
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And for their trip to Manchester, they’ll be creating a fully themed bar at Broadway, the diner where staff serenade you with musical hits.
You’ll dive down the rabbit hole (… The Trafford Centre) to experience the magic of Wonderland, with the experience including themed activities like painting and eating ‘Eat Me’ sweet treats.
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An Alice in Wonderland-inspired cocktail tea party is coming to the Trafford Centre. Credit: Publicity picture
There’ll be a carefully created menu of cocktails and mocktails, with an element of magic to all of them.
Each ticket includes one free drink, with plenty more to choose from throughout the 90 minutes.
Organisers say: “Indulge in an interactive tea party like no other, designed for those who possess an insatiable thirst for wonder.
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“The Alice Cocktail Experience guarantees to be the ultimate tea party, leaving you mesmerised and spellbound. This experience has been a global hit and each city’s venue is uniquely decorated.
“Create your own liquid concoctions under the watchful eye of The Mad Hatter and expect things to get curiouser and curiouser. Dive down the rabbit hole into a fantasy world where you will experience firsthand the magic of Wonderland, paint the roses red and devour an ‘Eat Me’ sweet treat!
“Come and explore the magic in the heart of Manchester and join the tea party to end all tea parties.”
The Alice Cocktail Experience will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays between 20 May and 20 August at Broadway at the Trafford Centre.
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.
Daisy Jackson -
7th April 2024 
