A brand-new ‘high-tech’ activity bar dedicated to shuffleboard is coming to Manchester and it sounds electric – pun very much intended.
Electric Shuffle, the glamorous sister site to nightlife favourite Flight Club, is coming to the city centre later this year and it’s set to be just the second to open outside of London.
After opening their third location in Leeds back in 2022, the team behind two of the best activity and games bars in the UK are bringing their shuffleboard expertise to Manchester in time for the summer.
Promising addictive and high-energy games, semi-private shuffleboard areas dotted around a stylish art-deco-inspired central bar, an impressive cocktail list and a mouth-watering menu, the aim is to make sure you don’t need to spend the night anywhere else, with a resident DJ on-hand all night too.
You can find bars with shuffleboards all over town these days, but what sets this one apart? Well, they market their offerings as ‘supercharged shuffleboard’ that uses state-of-the-art camera vision technology to track and score every puck, much like the sensors used on Flight Club darts boards.
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Again, like their big brother, the games also capture guests’ best moments with live shareable replays, and can seamlessly integrate up to 32 players – or up to 150 players at once for corporate events. Now that sounds like the kind of chaos we’d love to see.
There are four immersive and fast-paced games to choose from, each designed for team-play while still giving individuals their glory. Games include Eclipse, which sees players aiming to slide and land their puck on (or as close as possible) the target between the middle two zones of the board.
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Then there’s Equaliser, which challenges players to land their puck in the zones at the far end of the table to get the highest score. As for the bar side of things, they’ve got that all worked out too.
Credit: Supplied
Food and drink for all times of day
If anyone’s been guilty of screaming down the roof of one of these activity bars before, you’ll know that like most shuffleboard is best played as a team sport and that group mentality transfers over to the food and drink selection too.
We’re talking small plates, big sharing pizzas, as well as an epic and extensive cocktails menu – all of which will be coming to Electric Shuffle Manchester.
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From staple dishes already proved popular at their Leeds venue such as buttermilk chicken bites with ranch and BBQ dips, spiced cauliflower wings with red pepper tapenade and jalapeño green salsa, big sourdough pizza paddles, loaded fries and more, think big picky tea only levelled up.
As for the booze (it is a bar after all), they’re known for signature cocktails with a twist, like ‘Salted Caramel Euphoria’ – a take on the espresso martini – frozen options for those balmy summer nights and big sharing ones served in a trophy cup. And don’t worry, they’re not only for the winners.
Oh yeah, and they’re also bringing their brunch deal to our shores. Available on Saturdays and Sundays for two hours, guests can enjoy a bottle of Prosecco each and unlimited pizza from start to finish. Costing £35 for 60 minutes of shuffleboard and another hour around the table, it’ll be one of the best value bottomless brunch deals in Manchester.
You’ll have all this and more to get stuck into when Electric Shuffle lands on Deansgate in a couple of month’s time.
While we’re not giving you an exact address just yet, we can confirm that Manchester’s newest shuffleboard bar is set to open on 21 June and will take up an 11,400 sq/ft space to become their biggest site in the county, capable of hosting up to 450 people. Now that’s how you make an entrance.
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CEO, Steve Moore, who co-founded Electric Shuffle and Flight Club alongside Paul Barham, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to bring Electric Shuffle to Manchester. We have loved our time in Manchester so far and the welcome that Flight Club has received over the past five years has been incredible…
“From couples’ date nights to corporate events and everything in between, Electric Shuffle is a place that is built for friends by friends, and we can’t wait to show everyone in Manchester what we’ve been working on”.
The legendary Hulme community pub The Old Abbey Taphouse has been reborn
Daisy Jackson
The closure of The Old Abbey Taphouse was a real blow for Hulme and the surrounding university district area; the community pub was a bit of a local institution thanks to its grassroots music and inclusive atmosphere.
But now it appears that the spirit of the venue lives on, under the new name of The Abbey.
Some of the city’s most experienced independent operators – who have been behind venues like YES and The Deaf Institute, and music promoters Now Wave – will be the new custodians of this beloved local landmark.
The pub, which closed early last year, has now been carefully and lovingly restored ahead of its big relaunch, which will start in true Manc vision with an exclusive opening night gig.
The Abbey is reborn. (Credit: The Manc Group)
The vision for its new chapter will be ‘Old Pub, New Music’, creating a new home for grassroots live music and emerging artists.
There’s also affordable, hearty pub grub, including Pieminister pies, and a huge range of beers from local breweries and beyond.
Bringing The Abbey back to life are a core team of four: Ruth Hemmingfield, Wesley Jones, Jonathan Wickstead and Gareth Butterworth.
Ruth, Jon and Wesley are co-owners of YES; Ruth previously launched and programmed landmark Manc venues including The Deaf Institute, Gorilla and Albert Hall; while Wesley and Jonathan, through Now Wave, promote hundreds of independent gigs and live events each year.
As for Gareth, he’s the founder of the multi-venue festival Manchester Psych Fest, meaning that all of them have plenty of hospitality, late-night, live music and events experience between them.
The team behind The Abbey pub. Credit: Piran Aston
The rear of the site of The Old Abbey Taphouse will be extended to create a new dedicated live music and events venue, while the cherished beer garden is given a facelift with new decking and its own bar.
The Abbey has stood in Hulme since the 1890s, playing an important role in the area’s heritage – this is where activist Len Johnson managed to overturn the shameful ‘colour bar’ policies of the 1940s.
Its restoration and relaunch are part of the flourishing Manchester Science Park development.
Matthew Pazos, Senior Retail Commercial Manager at Bruntwood SciTech, said: “Ruth, Wesley and Jonathan are the perfect custodians to breathe new life into The Abbey.
“Their reputation for running independent spaces in Manchester, alongside their live music expertise, will ensure this much-valued pub once again becomes a beating heart for Hulme and the wider neighbourhood.
“The reopening of The Abbey will create an inclusive new hub that welcomes everyone – from the Hulme locals who have looked after the pub over the years, to the Manchester Science Park community, university students, and the many residents and workers across the Oxford Road Corridor.
“We are delighted that such a culturally significant and important pub is set to open its doors once again.”
Ruth from the new Abbey team commented: “We love a good pub. With The Abbey, we’re excited about bringing a brilliant old pub back to life, protecting what people loved about it, and creating something special: a great local, alongside a vital grassroots music venue for the area.
“We’re honouring the pub’s history while building its future.”
Michelin Guide neighbourhood restaurant WON’T be closing after all
Daisy Jackson
Some unusual and good news from the restaurant world this week – beloved neighbourhood restaurant Örme won’t be closing after all.
The Michelin Guide restaurant over in Urmston announced earlier this year that the business was going up for sale and would be closing imminently.
The award-winning business’s founders had said at the time that it was becoming ‘unfeasible’ to sustainably run a restaurant in the current climate facing the hospitality industry, adding that a break in the lease had given them the opportunity to step back and reassess.
It’s not often we get to take back a closure announcement – but thankfully, this is one of those times.
Restaurant Örme has now confirmed it won’t be closing after all, and will instead be pivoting in a brand-new direction with a social dining concept.
That means a move away from its tasting menu format in favour of a more relaxed sharing concept, that will still focus on seasonality and modern British cooking.
Two of the original trio of founders – Jack Field and Rachel Roberts – will take over the running of Restaurant Örme, while Tom Wilson steps away at the end of the month.
The plan is to bring guests together over ‘seasonal small plates intended for sharing’, for a more casual experience.
Jack Field and Rachel Roberts will run the new-look OrmeInside Orme in UrmstonCredit: Supplied
There’ll be snacks like salt’n’vinegar scampi with curry mayo, and smoked Lancashire cheese custard on fried bread with red onion jam.
Then for main plates, diners can expect the likes of cured Cornish mackerel, roasted onion dressing and english peas; and spring lamb, served with sweet and sour mint and BBQ cavolo nero.
Desserts include upside-down treacle tart, served with raspberries, lemon thyme and ginger; and a strawberry, balsamic and lime sundae.
There will also be a feasting menu comprised of a chef’s selection of seasonal dishes.
Rachel Roberts, Operations and Wine Director, from Örme, said: “We are excited to be taking Örme in a new direction, deepening our roots in the local community.
A glimpse of Orme’s new menu. Credit: Supplied
“We’ve always seen this as an extension of our home, and we want guests to feel like they are invited in for tea. With our extended opening hours, we will be welcoming walk-ins and drinkers.”
Jack Fields, Chef Director from Örme, said: “Our new menu allows us to collaborate closely with our suppliers and access highly seasonal produce with the freedom to change the dishes on a more frequent basis.”
“It’s a more paired back and comforting approach, but still highlights British ingredients using the classic techniques that Örme is built on. The relaunch will also introduce refreshed interiors, a renewed drinks offering and a continued emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients.”
Looking ahead, Örme will continue under the ownership and direction of Jack and Rachel, who remain fully committed to the restaurant’s future and are excited to build on the strong foundations that have been created over the past three years.
Restaurant Örme will relaunch on Wednesday 1 July 2026, with a full menu being announced in the coming weeks via social media channels and the restaurant’s website.
Danny Jones -
22nd April 2024 
