It’s not very often these days that a place opens in Manchester with very little fanfare (you’ll usually find a dozen influencers at the opening of a new ATM).
It’s even rarer to find somewhere that has opened very quietly, and ended up properly busy – yep, even on a Monday afternoon.
That such place is North Westward Ho, and it’s a testament to the brewery behind it that it’s already drawing in a crowd with barely a single social media post or press release in sight.
Pomona Island has taken on a chunk of the former Chaophraya restaurant, just tucked away off Market Street and Cross Street, and the grand arch-windowed red-brick building is now a home for all of Pomona Island’s excellent craft beers – from the easy-drinking Factotum, to the excellent Phaedra pale ale.
In the fridges are rows of their familiar cans – a pastel background, a doodle, and a name like ‘KICK OFF YOUR SHOES AND RELAX YOUR SOCKS’, ‘TAKE THIS CHIPS WITH CHEESE’, and ‘CURDLE SCRECH’.
ADVERTISEMENT
At any time there are 18 lines of world-class craft beer, five cask lines and four lines of natural wine and cider.
North Westward Ho’s traditional interior. The foundation stone at North Westward HoInside Pomona Island’s new pub, North Westward Ho
They’ve shunned the usual identikit craft beer bar starter pack too. There’s no plywood, no plants, no wall of merch.
ADVERTISEMENT
Instead, North Westward Ho feels like a proper Manchester pub that has been styled with dark wooden details, ornate tiling, wall sconces, oil paintings.
There’s a curved mahogany bar that wouldn’t look out of place in a five-star London hotel, dark green ceramic brick tiles on the wall, and a foundation stone set into the entryway that makes it feel like this pub has been here for decades (even though the date on the plaque states 2023).
The bobbing nightclub at Pomona Docks lasted several years before closing in the early eighties.
But if its namesake stays on the same trajectory that it’s started with this month, this is a pub that’ll stand the test of time.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Eats
Irish Festival Village returns to Manchester with live music, fry-up pizzas and loads of Guinness
Daisy Jackson
A huge Irish Festival Village has returned to Manchester city centre today to kick off the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Over the coming 10 days, there’ll be live Irish music, street food, retail stalls and – of course – plenty of Guinness flowing.
The main event is now open at St Ann’s Square, where a gigantic marquee festooned in green, white and orange has been installed.
Inside here, the bar is being run by the O’Shea’s team, and the stage will host loads of live music and great craic.
Outside you’ll find Birchwood Pizza, who have got a menu of pizzas inspired by the Emerald Isle.
Pizzas include the What’s the Craic (a fry-up pizza with white pudding and Dubliner sausage) to The Black Stuff (black pudding, rosemary potato and streaky pudding).
The Irish Festival Village has opened as part of the wider Manchester Irish Festival celebrations across Greater Manchester.
The Irish Festival Village is back in ManchesterIrish pizzas at the Festival Village on St Ann’s SquareYou can shop Irish treats outside
There’ll also be a Saint Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday 16 March, which will weave its way from the Irish World Heritage Centre all the way onto Deansgate.
The parade will showcase and champion local groups and organisations such as GAA clubs, Irish dance classes, marching bands, and pipe bands, along with a strong representation of the 32 counties in Ireland.
And it handily winds up around King Street, just beside the Irish Festival Village.
The gathering spot will be open from Friday 7 March all the way through to St Patrick’s Day itself – find out more HERE.
There’s a bakery in Manchester where you can decorate your own adorable tiny bento cake
Daisy Jackson
We’ve found a wholesome activity that’ll suit even the most cack-handed of bakers – a workshop where you can decorate your own miniature bento cake.
This Manchester activity has shot to the top of our list of our favourite things to do locally, perfect for a hen do, a birthday, a mate date or a date date.
Bento cakes, or lunchbox cakes, have all the elaborate decorations of a full celebration cake but made miniature, for a treat that doesn’t have to be shared out to dozens of people.
From swirls of buttercream frosting to pretty piped love hearts to cursive writing atop your cake, there are loads of decorations you can add to your own creation.
At Vanilla Ice Cakes in Chorlton, you’ll sit under the expert eye of owner Fiza, a master baker who’s been in the game for more than a decade.
She’ll guide you (and sometimes step in to help you) as you fumble your way through decorating your own cake.
As you arrive for your workshop you’re presented with two adorable vanilla sponge cakes, a classic base for a proper Victoria sponge or a more elaborate celebration cake.
Other cakes at Vanilla Ice CakesYou can mix up your own buttercream icingMaster baker Fiza at work at the bento cake workshopThe bento cake workshop space in ManchesterOne of our creations at the bento cake workshop in Chorlton, Manchester
Each class includes hot drinks, plus a plate full of Vanilla Ice Cakes’ delicious brownie bites.
From here, you’re taught the basics of piping, building a buttercream ‘dam’ before spooning in a filling of choice – jam, Nutella or Lotus Biscoff.
After applying a crumb coat (Great British Bake Off fans will already be on the right page here), the real fun begins.
Fiza will help you to whip up a smooth buttercream in whichever colour you wish, before letting you run riot with a piping bag.
You’ll practice swirls, rosettes, hearts, and even writing in icing ahead of decorating your actual cake.
You can see how we got on below, then book your own spot HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
20th October 2023 
