Another year, another stunning victory for pubs around the North West, as our region holds its own yet again on the prestigious Top 50 Gastropubs list.
The Estrella Damm pub guide awards, now in their 12th year, celebrate the best food-driven pubs around the country.
The 50 front-runners were announced last year but the pubs’ rankings were only revealed at a ceremony in London this week.
And for another year, Greater Manchester and the surrounding North West region has nabbed plenty of room on the Top 50 Gastropubs list.
The Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats, which stormed onto the list for the first time last year, has climbed even higher into 16th place.
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The pub’s kitchen is currently closed for a refurb as it readies to welcome a new head chef, following the departure of award-winning Shaun Moffatt last year.
The Edinburgh Castle said of the accolade: “We are all extremely proud of this, and although the kitchen is closed this month for a refurbishment, we have a new kitchen team all raring to go with some fantastic new menus that we can’t wait to share!
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The Edinburgh Castle has been named in the Top 50 Gastropubs again in the North WestFood at the Edinburgh Castle pub in Ancoats
“Thank you to all our wonderful guests, our dedicated team past and present who have helped us get here – and of course Top 50 Gastropubs for including us.
“Congratulations to the other 49 too, we can’t believe what esteemed company we are in and you all completely deserve it. 2025 is going to be a big year!
“Now, who’s popping in for a celebratory pint?”
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Also on the Top 50 Gastropubs list elsewhere in the North West was, once again, the Michelin-recommended The Pack Horse in Hayfield.
Just on the very outskirts of the region where Greater Manchester nudges the Peak District, this beautiful country pub quietly serves a fantastic pre-hike breakfast as well as a seasonal evening menu of modern British food.
The Pack Horse in Hayfield. Credit: The Manc GroupDinner at the Pack Horse in Hayfield. Credit: The Manc Group
Chef and owner Luke Payne said: “Four years in the top 50, three years in the top 20.
“It means so much to us to have the love and respect of our peers, fantastic business operators and beautiful people who continue to puts us among such esteemed company, it is an honour and a privilege, and we love you all.
“This consistency is a testament to our incredibly hard working team who continue to weather the storm of the hospitality industry with vigour and laughter every single day; our tireless, incredible suppliers, and of course our guests, who ultimately give us purpose.
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“It is a personal aim of mine to visit as many of these incredible gastropubs over the coming year, your support means the world.”
The Parkers Arms up in Newton-in-Bowland in Lancashire, previously a pub that took the top spot on the list, made it in again in fourth place.
It’s particularly well-known for its pies but at this lovely countryside spot you really can’t go far wrong.
Also making it into the top 50 in Lancashire were The White Swan at Fence, and the Three Fishes in Whalley.
Now that’s an achievement worth raising a pint to.
Manchester pub brilliantly exposes ‘dumb dumb’ criminal after attempted break-in
Daisy Jackson
A pub in Manchester city centre has shared hilarious footage of a bungled break-in, and made a rather sarcastic swipe at the criminal in question too.
North Westward Ho is the stunning boozer launched back in 2023 by the team behind Pomona Island brewery.
It’s in a prime city centre location, just off Market Street and Cross Street, and has been decorated in the style of a historic boozer, with dark wooden details, ornate tiling, wall sconces, and oil paintings.
But North Westward Ho has recently caught the eye of an unwanted patron, who attempted to break the door down in quite a ridiculous way.
CCTV footage shared by the bar shows a man running full-pelt into the locked, reinforced door, bouncing back some distance into the road.
He tries four times before giving up, hopping back on his bicycle, and disappearing.
The pub said it’s not normally bothered by criminals these days, with no cash on site to make it worth their while, adding that it’s usually only ‘the real dumb dumbs’ who attempt to break in.
Then they dialled the sarcasm up to 100 and laid into the man caught on CCTV.
They wrote: “Once in a lifetime you get this kind of Machiavellian genius, a man so smart that he’s always three steps ahead.
“It doesn’t feel great at first because you know you and your pane of toughened glass are no match for his mental dexterity, but then… You start to respect it. You realise you have to up your game. You have to think like him, live like him, become him.
“If you see me banging my head against a brick wall with no trousers on, dribbling on myself with a glazed expression, I’ve either been on the Factotum or I’m trying to get inside the mind of my Moriarty here.
“Well played sir, you didn’t get in this time and if you had, it really wouldn’t have achieved anything, but you made us all have a good laugh. And maybe that’s the real point.”
Pomona Island then added: “Ram raid on a bicycle.”
Northern Quarter cafe to reopen after TWO mysterious closures
Daisy Jackson
Morning Glory, a Manchester cafe that has mysteriously closed twice since its launch, is set to reopen again this week.
The sunny yellow cafe, which makes a playful nod to the Oasis hit with its name, opened in the Northern Quarter last summer.
It was created and launched by much-loved local influencer Zack Hipps, and was known for its coffees, matchas, and Manchester tarts.
Then in May this year, Morning Glory quietly closed temporarily, with forfeiture notices appearing in its windows while Zack assured fans things would be sorted out soon.
In late July, the cafe teased its grand reopening, with a post captioned: “Did you miss us? Cos we missed you.”
But then just days later, the doors were closed again.
This time, it seems like Morning Glory is back for good – music to our ears – with Zack sharing a statement addressing a ‘harsh reality check and very public lesson to learn’.
Manchester Tarts at Morning GloryInside Morning Glory, which will reopen this week
In his statement, the local business-owner has promised that the cafe will be back ‘stronger than before’, with ‘a lot of cool things planned’.
Morning Glory will also be handing out freebies, including speciality drinks, coffees, and house-made Manchester tarts to the first people to visit on its grand reopening day this weekend.
Zack’s statement reads: “Entering the Manchester coffee scene was incredible, but as a first-time business owner, it was also a massive learning curve.
“I’ll be honest: I got caught up in all the things I wanted Morning Glory to be – great coffee, a great space, art, events and somewhere that felt part of the community. I didn’t spend enough time focusing on the business side of making all of that work, leading to our closure. It was a harsh reality check and a very public lesson to learn.
“But I’ve been putting the work in behind the scenes, and we are moving forward stronger than before.
“If the Gallagher brothers can come back, so can we! We’re excited to share that we are officially reopening on 3rd October from 10am. To say thank you for all your support so far, we’ll be giving out 15 of our NEW special drinks, 85 regular coffees, and 100 house-made Manchester tarts to the first people through the doors. Come say hi!
“We will also be hiding a few of our yellow sloths around Manchester for a free coffee every day for the rest of the year – keep an eye out for clues on the 10th October.
“I want to say a massive thank you to everyone involved in phase one of Morning Glory. From the team behind the bar, to the people who helped make our art, events, and collabs happen, to the suppliers, and to every single one of you who came and tried us out.
“As we enter Season 2, we’ve got a lot of cool things planned. We are building on our favourites, expanding the range, bringing back fun events, and showing you more behind the scenes.
“See you on the 3rd Oct! Zack and team. Morning Glory x”
Daisy Jackson -
31st January 2025 
