A Manchester boozer famed amongst locals for being the smallest pub in the city has rebranded itself as a ‘husband creche’.
The Circus Tavern on Portland Street – for years emblazoned with the tagline ‘Europe’s smallest bar’ – has taken on a new identity of late.
The bar, first established as a boozer in 1840, is still tiny inside with room for just 18 punters at once.
But the chances are, from now on the majority of drinkers in there will be lonely husbands abandoned ‘under supervision’.
New signs erected outside have begun advertising the minuscule pub as a dedicated ‘husband day care centre,’ with a bright red A-board placed on the street asking passers-by: “Need time to yourself?
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“Need time to relax? Need time to go shopping?
“Leave your husband with us! We look after him for you! You only pay for his drinks!”
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The Grade II listed Great British Tetley pub is one of the city’s quirkiest and most famous, thanks to its tiny two-room layout and record as one of Manchester’s oldest pubs.
Its small quadrant bar at the front manages to serve lager, cider, and John Smiths Smooth, along with one handpump serving Tetley’s Cask, whilst the pub itself is something of a time capsule – with its walls covered in memorabilia and local history.
Owners collect historical images to show how the city has evolved around the Circus Tavern over the years, with a collection dating from the 1800s of Picadilly Gardens.
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Further images show Manchester Library in its construction, as well as how Market Street, Manchester Docks, Manchester Canal system, The Apollo, Didsbury Train station, Stockport Bridge, and Portland Street have over the past 200-odd years.
In the back room, meanwhile, the history continues – this time dedicated to football, making it very popular with tourists and bored husbands alike.
Its hallway is decorated with dozens of sporting photos and paraphernalia including photos of famous Manchester United footballers such as George Best, who was a regular at one time.
Popular with football and rugby fans alike, who quickly fill the pub before matches, we think any lonely husband should be well at home here.
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As the owners say, they’ll look after him well for you. All they ask in return is that you ‘pay for his drinks.’
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Eats
Manchester’s viral sandwich shop Ad Maiora is selling HUGE butties for only 9p through Deliveroo
Daisy Jackson
Ad Maiora, the Italian sandwich shop that’s loved by Manchester City stars (and everyone else who’s sunk their teeth into one), is selling butties for only 9p this week.
The local business is famed for its authentic sandwiches filled with quality imported Italian ingredients, and for its super-sized versions of its delicious lunches.
And this week only, you’ll be able to pick up a hefty sandwich, called the Scran-wich, for only 9 English pence.
The limited-edition Schiacciata will have nine different components and weighs in at a whopping 500g (though it’s nothing on their 1kg beast we’ve tried before…)
Owners and couple Enrico and Daniela have spent weeks developing the perfect balance of flavours.
Each ingredient is sourced in Italy but inspired by places and sayings from Manchester.
So you’ll find spicy ‘supersonic’ salami, nowt better N’duja, mozzarella ‘footballs’, sliced Haçienda heritage tomatoes, ‘r kid Italian wild rocket, 0161 olives, lashings of mad fer it mayonnaise, ‘buzzing bee’ basil leaves and ‘let’s ave it’ red onions – all sandwiched between fresh homemade Scran-worthy Schiacciata bread.
The Scran-wich and its 9p sale have been created to celebrate Deliveroo’s ninth birthday, and there’ll be 300 available to order through Deliveroo.
The limited edition 9p ‘Scran-Wich’, available at Ad Maiora in Manchester through Deliveroo. Credit: Deliveroo/Dominic LipinskiAd Maiora is one of Manchester’s best sandwich shops and loved by celebs and locals
Enrico and Daniela, owners of Ad Maiora, said: “We’ve had so much support from the local community since we launched, so we were very excited when Deliveroo asked us to create a special Ad Maiora sandwich dedicated to the city of Manchester in celebration of their 9th birthday.
“We hope our customers love the limited-edition ‘Scran-wich’ – we’ve really enjoyed creating a sandwich that celebrates our city which makes this SUPER limited edition and special!”
Steffi Morel, Deliveroo city manager for Manchester, said: “It has been an absolute honour connecting Manc foodies to the best local restaurants at the click of a button for the last nine years.
“To celebrate, we’ve partnered with one of Manchester’s new local favourites, Ad Maiora, who’ve created the ultimate birthday ‘Scran-wich’, which pays homage to the city with every delicious bite! Deliveroo customers will need to be quick, as there are only 300 available!”
Ad Maiora’s Scran-wich is available for just 9p from Tuesday 30 April until Thursday 2 May through Deliveroo.
Medlock Canteen receives rave Guardian review from Jay Rayner just one month after opening
Daisy Jackson
Medlock Canteen, a new Manchester restaurant, has received a rave review in the Guardian just weeks after it opened.
National critic Jay Rayner has heaped praise upon the restaurant at Deansgate Square, describing it as ‘so special’.
The restaurant only opened its doors at the end of March, taking its inspiration from opposite sides of the pond – the laid-back style of American diners and the hospitality of Parisian bistros.
Rayner said it’s ‘a welcome haven for all’ and applauded its menu packed with ‘appealing, familiar dishes that are the best versions of themselves’.
Medlock Canteen comes from the team behind Madre (the Mexican restaurant at Kampus) and Belzan (one of Liverpool’s top restaurants).
But unlike those two restaurants, things are much simpler at their newest venture – this is a restaurant where you can order a fried egg with any meal, drink bottomless coffee, and even order the day’s ‘staff dinner’ for just a tenner.
Rayner dedicated almost an entire paragraph of his review to Medlock Canteen’s gravy (‘dark and sticky and deeply savoury’), which he said is so good you should just ‘order that and pour it over everything. Pour it over a friend’.
He also waxed lyrical about their rotisserie chicken (there are rows of the things rotating in the city’s first in-restaurant rotisserie chicken oven), of which he said: “It is everything those words promise and don’t always deliver. No special rubs or sauces. Just roast chicken, rested long enough for the meat to start shrugging itself off the bones. The skin is crisp and salty.”
Inside Medlock Canteen in Manchester, which just received a rave review in The Guardian. Credit: The Manc Group
Other dishes that were celebrated in the Guardian’s review of Medlock Canteen included a rhubarb pie, charcoal-grilled fish of the day, duck rillettes and pistachio frangipane tart.
The restaurant itself said there were ‘happy faces’ after the review was published over the weekend.
Medlock Canteen wrote on Instagram: “Manchester may be grey this Sunday, but let us tell you, there are a few happy faces both on and behind the scenes as we enjoy our morning brew, reading through the kind words of @jayrayner1 in the @guardian.
“Thanks go to our team and our guests for all the hard work, dedication, and pure passion that has made Medlock Canteen ‘a welcome haven for one and all.’
“Anyway, enough of that. Just another day. Just another ‘set of appealing, familiar dishes that are the best versions of themselves.’
“Caution: gravy jus may be thrown. Let Sunday service commence.”
Georgina Pellant -
5th July 2023 
