Levenshulme’s popular natural wine bar Isca is popping up at KAMPUS for a two-week residency, bringing some of their tastiest low-intervention bottles into the city centre.
It marks the first of a summer series of food and drink pop-ups at KAMPUS, designed to champion independents of Manchester whilst heralding the new opening of the waterside gardens.
The brainchild of sommelier Caroline Dubois and Chef Isobel Jenkins, who met while working at Michelin-recognised Stockport restaurant Where The Light Gets In, Isca is one of the city’s most respected homes of natural wine.
The pair have pioneered natural wines and ethically-sourced produce in Manchester, and now they’ll be showcasing the best of their selection down at Manchester’s garden neighbourhood over the course of a fortnight.
Isca’s founders have put together a wine list featuring a carefully curated mix of ‘old world’ natural wines from small producers in Europe for guests to enjoy, with glasses starting from £5.
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These will sit alongside a selection of beers from independent breweries, house homemade soft drinks and organic small plates including British and Irish farmhouse cheeses.
“People don’t realise that most supermarket wine has never been touched by a human hand and we want to tell the story of some amazing natural wines from the handpicked grapes to the incredible taste,” said co-founder Caroline.
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“We’ve always had lots of demand in the city centre and Kampus is the perfect location for us to bring the natural wine experience.
“We’re working with some niche winemakers and local producers so the independent vibe Kampus is creating really appealed to us.”
Visitors can sit out in the sun or enjoy a tipple from Isca in the Kampus Bungalow, a security cabin on stilts overlooking the canal that has since been transformed into a sort of ‘village hall’ for pop-ups and community events.
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There’ll also be a bottle shop on hand so you can take any favourites home with you.
Isca will serve on Friday and Saturday for two weekends at KAMPUS from June 11, opening at the Manchester garden neighbourhood from 5pm until late.
And it’s walk-ins only, so no need to book.
Isca KAMPUS opening hours:
Friday 11 June 5-11pm Saturday 12 June 2-11pm Friday 18 June 4-11pm Saturday 19 June 2-11pm
Eats
A tiny new train station pub is set to open at Manchester Oxford Road
Daisy Jackson
A tiny craft beer pub is set to open at Manchester Oxford Road, making all those inevitable train cancellations a little sweeter.
The new boozer will come from the same team behind some of the UK’s best train station pubs, who already have bars at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Victoria.
A licensing application has now been submitted by Bloomsbury Leisure Holdings Limited to take over the former cycle hub at Manchester Oxford Road.
The small building is directly opposite the entrance to the busy train station on the southern side of the city centre.
If approved, it will be the third site for the pub group in Manchester.
They already operate the Piccadilly Tap, that two-storey beer bar on Piccadilly Approach with a heated rooftop space and outdoor patio.
The team are also responsible for the more recently-opened Victoria Tap, which took over the former bin store at Manchester Victoria.
That particular pub has a heated beer garden constructed just inches away from where the trams tootle past and has a departures board where time is measured by pints (got 10 mins til your train leaves? That’s one pint, sir!)
As for the Oxford Road Tap, a new account on X appeared a few weeks ago that appears to confirm the imminent arrival of a new pub.
The Oxford Road Tap have applied to have opening hours through to half-past-midnight Sunday to Thursday, and until 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays.
They teased a mocked-up photo of posters outside the station with the new pub logo, plus a slogan of ‘Great beer is just a few steps away…’
They later shared ‘Triple threat incoming’ with all three pub brands lined up as a deck of cards.
Northern Quarter favourite Pie and Ale has sadly closed down
Danny Jones
Beloved Northern Quarter eatery and pub Pie and Ale has sadly and quietly closed its doors this week in yet another gutting bit of news for the Manc hospitality sector.
Known for its legendary homemade pies, great selections of ales, craft beers and lagers, not to mention a great little pub when it comes to watching live sport, it’s long been considered an NQ institution.
Unfortunately, however, as confirmed by a sign posted in the window, Pie and Ale has now closed for business after more than a decade.
Safe to say, we’re absolutely gutted, as we’re sure everyone else is.
Credit: The Manc Eats
While no official announcement has been made on their social media as yet, which will no doubt receive love and sadness from its loyal following, the sign in the window simply reads: “Pie and Ale has unfortunately ceased trading. Apologies for any inconvenience.”
The local favourite which was always hailed for being great value for money – celebrated especially for its popular pie and a pint for under a tenner deal – also served up great nibbles and light bites as well as dessert specials.
Although the Lever Street spot previously shut down for a short spell back in 2018 due to what they labelled as “unforeseen circumstances” before reopening just two months later, this latest update looks pretty definitive.
Sister-site Bakerie also ceased trading back in April 2019, with husband and wife founders, Alyson Doocey and David Cook, admitting that all independents had been “feeling the squeeze”.
While we have few other details at this stage, it does look like Pie and Ale has indeed closed down for the foreseeable future.
A mainstay on our list of the best pies in Manchester since day dot and just the latest in the list of losses in 2024 so far, they will be sorely missed.
We sincerely hope this is like last time and will keep our fingers crossed that we see the pie pros and expert pourers back in business at some point.
Georgina Pellant -
8th June 2021 
