The White Lion, Stockport’s oldest and one of its most historic pubs has been reborn and is now officially open to the public for the first time in 15 years.
Brought back to life by the team behind Alfredo’s Pizza Social, which opened up just a stone’s throw away on Great Underbank last year, the newly reopened White Lion Coaching House is up there with the borough’s most storied and decadent buildings.
With a fascinating history which harks all the way back as far as the 15th century (when the location was said to have first been given its hostelry license to serve as a pub/inn), the building only became the impressive Edwardian structure we see today back in 1904, but it’s long been sat unutilised.
Now, though, The White Lion has been given a whole new lease of life and is set to serve not only as a bustling town centre boozer but also as a place to grab classic pub grub, book private functions and live sport. Perfect timing for the Euro 2024.
Having operated as a pub and coaching house throughout the Victorian era, The White Lion has served as everything from a post house for horseriders, a labour exchange, an auction house and even a coroner’s court at one point. It was given its distinct mock Tudor facade back in 1823.
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The upper floors of the Grade-II listed building were turned into 11 luxury apartments back in 2020 after being acquired by Stockport Council in partnership with the Trafford Housing Trust (now London & Quadrant) as part of £7m local investment, but now the pub itself has been brought back to life.
In the heart of SK’s historic Underbank district and adjacent to the busy Merseyway Shopping Centre, which is also steadily being redeveloped, the latest iteration of the White Lion has all the character of its rich heritage but with all new fittings and fixtures like plush booth-seating, multiple bars, TVs and more.
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The White Lion is also relaunching with a tried and tasted food menu of British pub classics like fish and chips, burgers; a proper Sunday roast and their soon-to-be signature ‘Lion Wraps’, which elevate the now-beloved Yorkshire puddings street food with pot of gravy for dipping to boot.
The interior has been lovingly refurbished.Tiles and all.
Although the structure itself is made up of four storeys total, the newly opened pub spans across the entire ground floor and the fully converted cellar area, which promises to be perfect for live music, parties, meetings and popular live sporting events.
Being resurrected by industry veterans, Paul Astill and Jon Dootson – who between them have owned and run many Manc institutions including Cord, Centro, Thomas, the old Rampant Lion near Victoria Park and Tib Street Tavern over in the Northern Quarter, there’s plenty of pedigree behind this new opening.
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Commenting on the relaunch, Astill said: “As soon as Jon showed me the building I just fell in love with it and I instantly said I want to be involved. The White Lion has an amazing history and everyone in the community has a story to tell about it.
“It’s taken us over four years to finally open the doors and we’re really proud of the result. It’s a beautiful building but it was an empty shell when we started. We feel like we’ve really achieved something when people comment on us keeping the original features but it’s actually all new with the exception of the entrance.”
The White Lion sits on the corner of the Stockport ‘Old Town’ cultural hub. (Credit: Stockport Council/Supplied)
With the pub already open to the public from 11am-11pm from Sunday to Thursday and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, Stopfordians are buzzing to have this important piece of their local history back open and restored to its former glory.
Paul went on to explain how they’ve “also created the ‘Lion’s Den’ and Boardroom in the cellars, which is a space that has never previously been used.” Lions, dens – get it?…
“It’s kind of a gentleman’s club feel that’s perfect for intimate gigs, parties or private functions”, he continued, adding: “It’ll also host the ‘Lion’s Den Sporting Club’ showing all sports starting with all the Euro games.”
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What about you, Stockport locals – have you popped into the new White Lion yet and, if so, what are your first impressions?
The main pub lounge.The old and the new coming together.The White Lion’s Den Sporting Club and Boardroom.
Featured Images — The White Lion Coaching House (supplied)
Eats
The Manchester restaurant serving up the ‘world’s hottest curry’ for just a few days
Danny Jones
City centre favourite Zouk is serving up ‘the world’s hottest curry’ again to celebrate National Chilli Day next week.
The popular tea bar and grill located on Chester Street just off Oxford Road is slap bang in the middle of student central and has hordes of patrons lining up day in, day out, to taste their incredible Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
Now, to celebrate every spicy-food lover’s favourite day, Zouk is putting on special, limited-time-only menu to cater to all you heat freaks and speaking collectively on The Manc‘s behalf (several of us having tried it), it’s no joke.
The World’s Hottest Curry will be available for five days from Monday 24 to Friday 28 February, with a challenge on Thursday 27 February with prizes to anyone who can finish the fiery karahi.
The dishes
When it came to coming up with the world’s hottest curry, Zouk didn’t have to look far for inspiration, they simply picked the world’s hottest chilli: the Carolina Reaper Chilli.
Combining the 1,569,000 Scoville scorcher of a chilli with their much-loved and already spicy chicken karahi and vegetable karahi recipes, they knew they were on a winner. You might have to sign a waiver to eat it but that’s all part of the fun, right?
Typically prepared in a wok and cooked over hot flames with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and cumin to create the sauce base, the karahi originates from the Northwest region of Pakistan and has a great flavour. Depending on how brave you’re feeling, you can have it as a kebab or a full curry.
Credit: Supplied
That being said, this version does contain dried Carolina Reapers so you might not taste much beyond the heat of the sun after a few seconds. While the chilli is deemed suitable for human consumption, even Zouk’s chefs have admitted to struggling with the dish. Gulp. So, what can you win?
The challenge and prizes
Us Brits love a good curry and we already know that plenty of you won’t be able to resist the urge to take on the Reaper Challenge simply out of pride, so we might as well just tell you what you’ll have to eat in order to win the prizes.
Here’s what’s up for grabs:
Finish the full Carolina Reaper Curry (either chicken or veg) in one sitting (max eating time 30 minutes and no helping from companions), Zouk will give you the meal for free.
PLUS, a £50 Zouk Gift Card so you can come back at a later date to try their full menu (including some less omg-spicy options).
You’ll also get a Zouk Ice Cream Sunday to help cool off afterwards. Trust us, you’ll need it.
Issuing a statement for National Chilli Day and the Reaper Challenge, owner Tayub Amjad said: “Our food is usually more about flavour than heat but it’s National Chilli Day, and we know our customers love this challenge.
“For those who complete the challenge, you still have chance to come back and dine on us at a future date, so you will still get to experience the real Zouk too.”
What you thinking, Manchester? Are you up for taking on the world’s hottest curry?
Prestwich pizzeria Dokes announces closure as neighbourhood goes through big changes
Daisy Jackson
One of Prestwich’s best-loved independent restaurants has announced the end of its current chapter, saying that it’s become too difficult to operate with tighter and tighter margins.
Dokes, a pizzeria that also served arguably the town’s best roast dinner, has said that it’s going to ‘have to call it a day’ after three years in the proudly independent neighbourhood.
The news comes just months after Rudy’s opened its first Prestwich restaurant just across the road from Dokes, though that of course may just be a coincidence…
The restaurant comes from the same team behind Elnecot in Ancoats, and opened in 2022, promising delicious pizzas made with (wherever possible) British ingredients.
In a statement issued today, chef and owner Michael Clay said that ‘it’s just not been possible for us to make the money required for the size of team needed to run as a pizza restaurant’.
He wrote: “We are a small restaurant and the margins that were there pre-Covid are not achievable anymore at this scale and only getting tighter month on month.”
He then teased that they would be keeping the Bury New Road site on, with plans to reopen as a new concept.
Prestwich has been growing in popularity in recent years, with a blossoming food and drink scene and healthily increasing house prices.
It’s on the precipice of a £100m overhaul too, which will see the Longfield Centre transformed and new facilities built near the tram stop, including a community hub, a new village square, a market hall, flexible retail and leisure spaces, landscaped outdoor and green spaces, a new travel hub off Fairfax Road and around 200 homes.
It’s always been a village packed with local small businesses until this year, when both Rudy’s and Gail’s opened up – prompting this heartfelt statement from another local indie.
Dokes’ full statement reads: “After nearly 3 years of trying our hardest, unfortunately we’re going to have to call it a day.
“Having originally taken on the premises in between the two lockdowns (remember them?!), we’ve been extremely proud of what we have achieved under sometimes unbelievably difficult circumstances. Our staff have been the cornerstone of this and we would like to thank them for all of their hard work. The feedback we have received over the past couple of years on their food, service and hospitality has been absolutely incredible and we are extremely grateful for the hard work they have put in and the commitment they have shown.
“We feel like we have created a product that you have absolutely loved and a space that you have enjoyed coming to and we now really feel like a part of the Prestwich community – and for that we can’t thank you enough! You came for the pizzas and stayed for the roasts and it’s been a lot of fun.
“Try as we might though, it’s just not been possible for us to make the money required for the size of team needed to run as a pizza restaurant. We are a small restaurant and the margins that were there pre-Covid are not achievable anymore at this scale and only getting tighter month on month.
“So it is with a heavy heart that we are closing the door on this chapter BUT…we aren’t going to be leaving you completely…
“We have plans for the place which we will be updating you about very soon so please watch this space for more details. We hope you’re going to love it.
“As Dokes, Sunday 9th March will be our final service so please come down over the next couple of weeks, grab a pizza or a roast and say hello. It would be lovely to see you all. Bookings are open and the cellar is stocked so lets fill the little place up and go out with a bang!
Danny Jones -
19th June 2024 
