The Didsbury Dozen has lost one of its strongest stops as the much-loved Dockyard sadly closed for good this past weekend.
A favourite among those taking on the popular Greater Manchester pub crawl and a busy bar in its own right along the main Didsbury Village strip, The Dockyard has been a staple of South Manchester boozing for some time.
However, it’s time as part of the Dozen and in the heart of the community has come to an end, with the staff having completed their final service on Sunday, 19 January.
Sharing a short but heartfelt goodbye on social media, they welcomed customers to join them one last time “to raise a glass and say cheers!”.
An unreal beer garden too. (Credit: The Manc Group)
The post begins: “Right Didsbury… Thank you so much for your welcome and custom when we arrived here in the village, but the time has now come to say goodbye. We have had a blast over the last four years and we hope you have too!”
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Although many relatively new to the area or at least its drinking scene will only know it as The Dockyard, the venue has actually been under a lot of names over the years.
Originally known as Times Square, it was then refurbished into a branch of O’Neills in 1996 before going on to re-open as The Stokers Arms in 2014.
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Nevertheless, it maintained a regular and loyal following as The Dockyard and many will be “sorry to see it go”; one person commented: “Oh no! We had a fab time in here over Christmas and [were] hoping to return soon. Sorry to see you go and I will be visiting your other sites.
Thankfully, they did go on to confirm that the remaining pubs in Salford Quays and Northwich will remain open – as is the Left Bank location in Spinningfields overlooking the River Irwell. Better still, the building itself will still remain a pub and we already know what’s taking its place:
Although there is still no news on when we can expect to see The Salmon’s second venture launch, if it’s anything like the success the Northern Quarter one has seen then we’re in for a treat.
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So don’t worry, The Didsbury Dozen may have taken a hit but it’s still intact and there are plenty of other pubs you can work into the crawl in the meantime.
For now, though, all we can say is rest in peace to The Dockyard Didsbury, you were a real one – we’ll always have the memories.
If there is one thing us Brits have got down to a tee, it is how to spend a Sunday properly.
Go on, try and name a better way to spend the end of your weekend than heading out for some seriously hearty food and a pint with loved ones – I’ll wait.
There truly is nothing more comforting than a proper roast, especially as we head into the depths of winter and one thing is for certain – the UK is absolutely spoilt for choice on where to get a fix of this absolutely timeless meal. The question is where is serving the best?
While everyone argues over whose local is better, global travel site Big 7 Travel, decided to put it to the test.
Every year, they thoroughly investigate this pressing issue for us and release their list of The 25 Best Sunday Roasts in the UK, judging everything from quaint countryside pubs to inventive city-centre restaurants.
Their strict marking criteria covers everything from how the meat and trimmings are cooked, to how much care goes into sourcing ingredients.
They’ll also take into account what other diners say about the Sunday lunch, the atmosphere, and value for money.
This year our beloved Elnecot, nestled in the heart of Ancoats, did us proud being named the sixth best Sunday roast in the UK.
Elnecot in Ancoats is a neighbourhood favouriteThe Sunday roast at Elnecot has been named one of the best in the UK
It is clear to see why – with their killer Sunday roast serving a delicious selection of starters, followed by a choice of dry aged native topside; slow-roasted shoulder of Yorkshire lamb; lemon, thyme and butter roasted confit chicken leg; crispy, slow-roasted Yorkshire pork belly; or a nut and squash roast.
All accompanied by the crispiest roast potatoes, giant Yorkshire puddings, pork/vegan stuffing, roasted carrots, parsnips, sautéed greens, broccoli cheese and gravy.
Not to mention their mouth-watering extras such as truffle broccoli cheese, buttered greens in confit garlic or a beef shin stuffed Yorkshire pudding.
Oh – and only the best desserts selection you can imagine to follow, consisting of a burnt Basque cheesecake with mixed berries, sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, butterscotch tiramisu, an affogato or even an ice cream sundae – by this point we we’re drooling too don’t worry.
This year, the top 10 included some pretty big names making this even more of an achievement for Elnecot:
The Hawthorn – Haworth
Kyloe – Edinburgh
The Camberwell Arms – Southwark, London
Coorie Inn – Crieff
Impossible Restaurant & Wonderbar – York
Elnecot – Manchester
The Horse & Groom – Bourton-on-the-Hill
Blacklock – Soho, London
The Abbey Inn – Byland
Skein – Nottingham
Now all that’s left to do is go and try them all out for ourselves – what a shame.
The best food and drink to enjoy at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2026
Daisy Jackson
The Manchester Christmas Markets has developed a more diverse food and drink offering every single year since its inception.
Long gone are the days where all there was to eat was a bratwurst served off a swing grill, or a mound of garlic potatoes (though those do still exist, and still serve their purpose).
Now, the Manchester Christmas Markets are packed to the rafters with local traders and brilliant independent businesses serving food from all the way across the globe.
This year, there are more than 200 stalls spread across 10 locations, so we’ve whizzed round them all to find where the very best food and drink traders are lurking.
From viral hits like fried chicken waffle sandwiches and croissant pots, to new taste sensations like a cheese fondue served in an edible bowl, there’s plenty to fill you up.
Pie and mash from Great North Pie Co – King Street
The 14 hour braised beef and ale pieA Lancashire cheese and onion pie, with extra gravy
Back for a second go at the Manchester Christmas Markets is Great North Pie Co., serving the absolute perfect winter warmer food on King Street.
You’ve often be able to pick up their award-winning pies here, but usually to take home and heat up yourself.
Now, they’re available piping hot, on a bed of mash with lashings of gravy. The Lancashire cheese and onion is world-class, and if you ask nicely they might have a suet pudding for you too.
Prices – £9 for pie, £4 for mash, £2 for gravy
Fondue in a bread bowl – Cathedral Gardens
Fondue at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc Group
What could be better than a bowl of melted cheese? A bowl of melted cheese where the bowl is made of sourdough bread, obviously…
Fondue is a newcomer to the Manchester Christmas Markets, serving up the Alpine food classic with a festive twist.
Your cheese fondue is served with dipping croutons and pickles, then topped with things like hot honey chicken, or pulled duck and cranberry sauce.
Prices – between £12.50 and £14.50 for a fondue bowl; £4.50 for a side of potatoes
Crème brûlée French toast from HK Toast – King Street
We love a Christmas Markets snack with a side of fire, and HK Toast is back doing exactly that.
They’re taking classic deep-fried Hong Kong-style French toast, then topping it with a load of different flavours like Cantonese egg tart, crunchy pistachio, and peaches and cream – plus their new theatrical torched crème brûlée offering.
These guys were one of our favourite traders from last year and things are only getting hotter.
Prices – £9.50
Yorkshire pudding wraps from Porky Pig – Exchange Square
Yorkshire pudding wrap and a loaded bowl from Porky PigDeep fried pigs in blankets with melted camembert
These guys have been part of the Manchester Christmas Markets for donkeys years now, and are still always going to pull in a queue.
Porky Pig serve up all your classic roast dinner bits – carvery meat, veggies, stuffing and gravy – inside a gigantic Yorkshire pudding wrap.
But they don’t stop there – you’ll also find carvery boxes, battered pigs in blankets, meat barms, and all sorts of other bits.
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Prices – from £10.50 for a Yorkshire pudding wrap
Cheese skirt dumplings from Hot Dumplings – St Ann’s Square
Hot Dumplings at the Manchester Christmas Markets
The latest concept from our favourites at Oi Dumplings is Hot Dumplings, where you can get piping hot trays of gyoza and dumplings to go.
A real highlight is the chilli cheese skirt chicken gyoza, which are all stuck together with a crispy, cheesy bottom, and the warming chicken soup dumplings.
Don’t forget to add lashings of crispy chilli oil and dumpling vinegar for one of the best bites of food at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Prices – £9, including three sauces and toppings
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Deep fried mince pies from Yard & Coop – St Ann’s Square
Deep-fried mince pies from Yard & Coop. Credit: The Manc Group
Yard & Coop just love a deep-fried bit of nonsense, and this year, that’s a deep-fried mince pie.
Alongside their usual chicken and fries trays, the Northern Quarter fried chicken icons are now serving up a battered festive dessert, too.
Warning – the inside will be hotter than the surface of the sun, which is actually just what you want after freezing your butt off at the Christmas Markets.
Prices – £4
Tiramisu from Misu – Market Street
Misu Tiramisu at the Manchester Christmas Markets
These were one of the really big food hitters from the Manchester Christmas Markets last year, so you’ll be pleased to see Misu have made a return.
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This time, they’ll be selling their tiny tiramisu drawers from Market Street, with loads of different flavours to choose from.
Whether you’re a classic coffee gal or are fancying a seasonal special like gingerbread, salted caramel pretzel, or orange chocolate, there’ll be something to tickle your fancy here.
Prices – between £8 and £9
Croissants from Flat Baker – Albert Square
Flat Baker’s new Albert Square bakery stall. Credit: The Manc Group
Flat Baker opens at the Manchester Christmas Markets and the people flock to it like a moth to a flame – and this year looks set to be no different.
Debs and the team have got a prime spot on Albert Square, and for the first time in history, they’ve built a mini bakery inside their market stall.
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That means you can watch them rolling and folding their phenomenal festive treats, from their viral croissant pots to bakes like a gingerbread cinnamon roll, pecan danish, a smores croissant pudding slice, a chocolate orange Danish, and loads more.
Prices – Between £3 and £6.95
Fried chicken waffles from Waffle Kart – King Street
Waffle Kart are back at the Manchester Christmas Markets 2026. Credit: The Manc Group
These guys surely need no introduction – Waffle Kart is one of those stalls that will send a queue halfway down King Street every single year.
Look out for the screaming rubber chicken stuck to the outside of their wooden shed, and you’ll find their incredible pickle-brined fried chicken dishes.
Expect chilli crisp sandwiches with waffles for bread, Szechaun chicken, and loaded waffles too.
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Prices – between £11.95 and £14.95 for mains
Birria tacos from Fuego – Lincoln Square and Exchange Square
Fuego at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Credit: The Manc Group
A favourite at the now-lost Piccadilly Street Food Market, Fuego are here for the coming weeks with two locations at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Expect phenomenal birria tacos stuffed with slow-cooked meat, as well as their ultimate winter warmer, a pot of birria ramen.
They’re part of the new food-focused area on Lincoln Square as well as sandwiched in right next to the ever-busy Porky Pig.
Danny Jones -
21st January 2025 
