ShinDigger: The ‘Best Lockdown Delivery’ service that drops fresh beer to your door in average time of 81 minutes
With Greater Manchester recent shift up to Tier 3 and the subsequent closure of 1,800 local pubs, people are turning back to beer delivery services - and Shindigger have three new brews ready just in time.
Seven months ago, breweries in Britain were left staring down the barrel.
Every single pub had locked their doors and pulled down the shutters, leaving hundreds of litres’ worth of beer just stewing in warehouses all across the country.
The whole world was taking shelter – and there was no telling when it would be safe to come back out.
Local brewers, ShinDigger, suddenly had a tough decision to make.
Their main market had been temporarily wiped off the face of the planet, and whilst the obvious decision was to mothball, a number-crunching exercise revealed that going into hibernation would more likely harm than help their chances of survival.
Whilst the pandemic dictated that pubs didn’t need beer any more, residents definitely did.
ADVERTISEMENT
This prompted ShinDigger’s founders George Grant and Paul Delamere to flip their business model upside-down overnight.
They swapped kegs for cans and pubs for homes; taking their recipes out on the road in smaller containers as part of a brand new service they’ve called ShinDigger Live.
It’s been a revelation – and the bigwigs have recognised it as such.
ADVERTISEMENT
At the Manchester Food & Drink Awards 2020 – ShinDigger scooped the prize ‘Best Lockdown Delivery Service’ – and after temporary foray back into local bars, the brand is preparing to return the emphasis back to tins – with home delivery demand rising again after Manchester’s move to Tier 3.
ShinDigger have enough drivers on the road and crates at the ready to guarantee delivery to any address inside the M60 within just three hours – but the most recent data shows customers are waiting an average time of just 81 minutes for cans to be dropped on their doorsteps.
The demand for ShinDigger has even stretched beyond Greater Manchester – with drivers now whisking beer to thirsty customers all over the UK.
The region’s move to ‘very high’ risk has brought about the closure of around 1,800 local pubs, meaning more residents are turning back to beer delivery services instead.
ShinDigger have released three new brews just in time, including:
ADVERTISEMENT
Pio – a fruited sour with 100kg of each passion fruit and pineapple puree added to the fermentation tank, with founders comparing the tropical zing to a Haribo Tangfastic.
Different Gravy – Juicy hazy IPA that functions as an ‘homage to the greatest condiment the world has ever seen’
La Vida Coco – rich desert stout with 120kg coconut and 20kg cocoa nibs, plus milk sugar.
Co-founder George said that the team has been working hard behind the scenes to develop the service ahead of winter, with ShinDigger constantly collaborating with other brands to come up with new recipes – investing in the latest tech to keep delivery times truncated.
“The product range has been extended with the addition of guest breweries and premium canned cocktails from Vacay,” George explains.
“We’ve integrated a customer service AI chatbot on Facebook messenger and customers get alerted when their order is top of the queue and can GPS track their driver.”
The brewery has recruited dozens of drivers (and is advertising for more right now) – creating vital income for many freelancers / artists who previous work has been left high and dry by the pandemic.
ADVERTISEMENT
They’ve even sent out free crates to students forced to isolate in halls following coronavirus outbreaks.
To view the ShinDigger menu, try the new cans, and book a delivery slot – head on over to their website ShinDigger Live.
It’s going to be a tricky old winter, this. A good stock of beer is absolutely essential.
Eats
Local BID board launch new ‘Visit Alty’ app ahead of Taste of Altrincham 2026
Danny Jones
One of Trafford’s resident BID (Business Improvement District) board have officially launched their brand-new ‘Visit Alty’ app for the market town ahead of this year’s A Taste of Altrincham festival.
Set to be a dedicated one-stop where residents can find out what’s going on in and around the area, the platform is already available on the likes of the Apple App Store and Google Play for Android phones.
As A Taste of Alty returns for 2026, this is just the second instalment in the total 10-day food and drink party – with a big opening weekend celebration starting this Friday, 27 February – the latest innovation by Altrincham BID is hoping to keep residents more up to date on their village than ever.
Sponsored by native law firm Myerson Solicitors and supported by various local businesses, the sophomore edition of the now annual festivities serves as the ideal staging event for the fledgling Visit Altrincham app.
Running until Sunday, 8 March, A Taste of Altrincham is even bigger this time around. (Credit: Press shot)
With a full programme events kicking off this weekend, the app itself is ideal for keeping track of everything going.
In addition to workshops, live demos by regional chefs, supper clubs, wine tastings, the latest ‘Ultimate Pudding Competition’ and lots of other special events, it can be hard to keep track of everything.
That why, like any good festival, the app has a full map and guide featuring all the key info.
Beyond just the event itself, the app itself is aimed at supporting local independents and more by helping to increase their exposure, sign-post daytrippers to the old Cheshire holdout’s best bits, and push more and more people to one of the borough’s blossoming suburb in general.
Teaming up with a number of popular locations in and around the town centre, it’s a real come one, come all affair – just as things should be.
Residents and visitors alike can also found physical printed copies of the full Taste of Alty ’26 programme nearby at the likes of Altrincham Library, the Bee Network Interchange, as well as OYEZ Arts at the Town Hall.
Created with digital town hub partners, Loqiva, co-founder Marcus Chidgey said in a statement: “We’re pleased to be partnering with Altrincham BID to support Altrincham’s continued growth.
“With a strong independent business scene, an award-winning Market and excellent transport connections to Manchester, the Visit Altrincham app offers a new way for people to discover and explore the town.”
As for the local BID department, Alty’s director Mandy White added: “If you haven’t downloaded the Visit Altrincham app yet, now is the perfect time. It’s a simple way to find out what’s on, discover local businesses and unlock exclusive offers, especially during A Taste of Altrincham.
“The app helps people get more from their visit while supporting our independent businesses and high street brands.”
The Visit Altrincham app is FREE to download right now – you can find it HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Altrincham BID)
Eats
Six by Nico to close popular Manchester location as it ‘evolves’ into something new
Emily Sergeant
Unique restaurant concept Six by Nico has announced that it’ll be closing one of its most popular locations in Manchester.
Six by Nico is famed for its six-course tasting menu inspired by a different theme, destination, or concept that changes every six weeks – with the brand now having around 15 restaurants based in across 12 cities in the UK.
Launching in Manchester in Spring Gardens back in 2019, Six by Nico has gone from strength to strength ever since, opening a second site off Deansgate in 2023.
But despite this success, both nationwide and in Manchester, Six by Nico has sadly announced this week that its popular Spring Gardens site would be closing down as it is and ‘evolving into something entirely new for the city’.
Owner Nico Simeone took to Instagram last night to share the news of Spring Gardens’ impending closure, and explained what the future holds for the site.
“As Six by Nico approaches its tenth year, I look to reimagine one of our most successful restaurant locations, Six by Nico Springs Gardens, into something entirely new for the city,” Nico said in his Instagram statement.
“This hasn’t been a small decision. Spring Gardens has been one of our strongest and most loved restaurants. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built there, the team behind it and the loyalty Manchester has shown us over the years.
“Six by Nico will always stand for immersive storytelling, six-course journeys and transporting guests somewhere new. That continues, and we’re investing further into Manchester through our Deansgate location and beyond.”
Six by Nico is closing its popular Manchester location as it ‘evolves’ into something new / Credit: The Manc Group
The founder also then went on to say that he’s realised there’s another side of his cooking that he hasn’t shared, and it’s one that he feels is ‘more stripped back’ and ‘personal’.
“That’s where Lennox begins,” Nico continued.
Giving an insight into what the future holds for the Spring Gardens restaurant, the statement adds: “Spring Gardens won’t disappear. It will evolve. A new restaurant brand is being built in that space from the ground up. A different energy. A different style. A different way of cooking.”
The announcement that Six by Nico would be closing its concept at the Spring Gardens site has amassed dozens of comments on social media.
Anyone ‘curious’ to to know ‘what Lennox really is and what it will become’ is encouraged to sign up online at www.lennoxrestaurant.co.uk, and follow the journey on Instagram at @lennoxrestaurant.
The Manc -
24th October 2020 
