Eats

These north west gastropubs have just been named as some of the top 50 in the UK

Pubs worth travelling for...

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 23rd January 2024

The UK’s Top 50 Gastropubs have been named, and there’s a great showing for the north west – including a reborn boozer right in the heart of Ancoats.

The Edinburgh Castle shot into the prestigious list for the first time, landing at an impressive 24th place.

The city centre pub wasn’t the only one on our doorstep to make the Estrella Damm UK Top 50 Gastropubs list either – The Pack Horse, just outside Greater Manchester in Hayfield, also snuck into the top 20 this year.

Last year’s top-placed pub, The Parkers Arms in Newton-in-Bowland, managed to stay in the top 10 gastropubs in the UK, ranking seventh.

The Parkers Arms is famed for its pies and its idyllic setting, and was the host venue for last night’s awards.

ADVERTISEMENT

Also representing the north west was Freemasons at Wiswell, and The White Swan at Fence.

Over in Yorkshire, The Star Inn in Harome, previously shuttered by a devastating fire but reopened for about a year now, was awarded the eighth spot in the list.

ADVERTISEMENT

And despite being open for less than a year, Gary Usher’s Cheshire pub The White Horse made it into the top 100 list.

Gary Usher's The White Horse made the Top 100 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group
Gary Usher’s The White Horse made the Top 100 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group
Gary Usher's The White Horse made the Top 100 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group
Gary Usher’s The White Horse made the Top 100 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group

Upon receiving the award news, The Edinburgh Castle wrote: “Not only were we delighted to be included in the @top50gastropubs but to have come away as number 24 in the UK is a huge accomplishment.

“Thank you to all our wonderful guests, our dedicated team and of course @top50gastropubs for including us. We can’t wait for the year ahead! Now, we celebrate…”

ADVERTISEMENT

The Pack Horse Hayfield shared: “Well, there it is! Our 3rd year in the @top50gastropubs, our 2nd year in a row in the top 20!

“What an honour and a privilege it is to be among our peers, voted for by the industry, it will always be humbling and surreal.

“Massive thanks to the brilliant @theparkersarms for hosting against all the challenges they faced today, and a huge congratulations to @unrulypig on returning to the top. It is so deserved.”

The Edinburgh Castle has ranked highlight in the Top 50 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group
The Edinburgh Castle has ranked highlight in the Top 50 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group

The Parkers Arms said: “Delighted to place no 7 in the UK which places us number 1 in Lancashire on the @top50gastropubs list. Thank you to all that voted for us.”

And The White Horse, who placed 68th, said: “What an honour this is! So so proud and to be up there with some amazing other pubs! What a fantastic start to 2024.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Ed Bedington, editor of the Morning Advertiser, the pub industry’s main publication and the founders of the awards, said: “Pubs are a beloved institution and part of the UK’s culture, and this list of the most astounding and impressive food pubs in the country is wonderful to see.

“Pubs serve so many roles to so many people, and for operators like the Unruly Pig and all of our list, to be able to offer amazing food and wonderful experiences, up there with some of the best in fine dining, is brilliant to see.”

The full list of the Estrella Damm UK Top 50 Gastropubs 2024

  1. The Unruly Pig, Woodbridge
  2. The Cornish Arms, Tavistock
  3. The Mariners, Rock
  4. The Fordwich Arms, Canterbury
  5. The Sportsman, Seasalter
  6. The Red Lion & Sun, Highgate, London
  7. Parkers Arms, Newton-in-Bowland
  8. The Star Inn, Harome
  9. Freemasons at Wiswell, Wiswell
  10. The Hand & Flowers, Marlow
  11. Heft, High Newton
  12. The Harwood Arms, Fulham, London
  13. The Angel at Hetton, Hetton
  14. The Rat Inn, Hexham
  15. The Bridge Arms, Canterbury
  16. The Dog at Wingham, Wingham
  17. The Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax
  18. The Gunton Arms, Thorpe Market
  19. The Pack Horse, Hayfield
  20. Pyne Arms, Barnstaple
  21. The Coach, Marlow
  22. The Beehive, White Waltham
  23. The Broad Chare, Newcastle
  24. The Edinburgh Castle, Manchester
  25. The Three Horseshoes, Batcombe
  26. The Baring, Islington, London
  27. The Kentish Hare, Tunbridge Wells
  28. The Pipe & Glass Inn, Beverley
  29. The White Swan at Fence, Fence
  30. The Longs Arms, Bath
  31. The Bull & Last, Islington, London
  32. The Black Bear, Usk
  33. The Dog & Gun Inn, Skelton
  34. The Woolpack, Stroud
  35. The Barrington Boar, Barrington
  36. The Parakeet, Kentish Town, London
  37. The Masons Arms, Knowstone
  38. The Abbey Inn, Byland
  39. The Black Bull, Sedbergh
  40. The Cadogan Arms, Chelsea, London
  41. The Bulls Head, Craswall
  42. The Loch and The Tyne, Windsor
  43. The Guinea Grill, Mayfair, London
  44. The Dew Drop Inn, Hurley
  45. The Killingworth Castle, Wootton
  46. The Canton Arms, Stockwell, London
  47. The Double Red Duke, Clanfield
  48. The Duncombe Arms, Ashbourne
  49. The Scran & Scallie, Edinburgh
  50. The Bull, Charlbury

Read more

Featured image: The Manc GroupTi

Eats

Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?

It’s funny how we all turn a blind eye to the temperature outside when it comes to the Christmas Markets.

At a time of year where should probably all be hibernating inside, droves of us instead head out to brave the elements all in the name of the festivities.

Of course, the Manchester Christmas Markets sell all sorts of wares to take the edge off, and we’re not just talking about the stalls selling woollen mittens everywhere.

Our favourite winter warmers tend to take the form of a tray of piping hot garlic potatoes, or a mug of hot chocolate, or another boozy beverage that’s massively underrated.

The drink in question is a Hot Blob, which is listed on the menu at the Piccadilly Gardens markets as ‘legendary’.

A bold claim, but a lot of long-time Manc residents will understand why.

The Hot Blob is a jaw-clenchingly sweet concoction served piping hot at the Manchester Christmas Market, similar to a hot toddy.

It’s made with Australian fortified white wine, lemon, sugar, and boiling water.

Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Hot Blobs - Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it?
Hot Blobs – Retro drink makes return to Manchester Christmas Markets, but what is it? Credit: The Manc Group

The drink was first invented by Yates, that well-known pub chain, which started life as Yates’s Wine Lodge up the road in Oldham.

According to Pubs of Manchester, the Hot Blob has a tendency to ‘speed up drunkenness to a young drinker’.

These days, it’s pretty rare to come across one on a menu, but back in 1990s it was a staple in a few pubs around town.

There even used to be a ‘Blob Shop’ on High Street, run by local legend Ged Ford (now in charge of the equally legendary Millstone pub), which found itself in a state of utter carnage when the IRA bomb went off.

The long-lost institution specialised in ‘cheap wine, cheap beer, and plenty of blobs’.

The old Yates Blob Shop on High Street, Manchester. Credit: deltrems@flickr

Ged sold 6,000 a week.

And while the drink may have fallen out of favour since then, there are still healthy numbers being sold at this time of year, even if they are a damn sight more expensive than they were in the 1990s (£6 a pop, plus a glass deposit).

Anyway. If you’re sick to the back teeth of the endless gluhwein being peddled across the markets, make a beeline for Manchester Winter Ale House at Piccadilly Gardens, where you can find Hot Blobs as well as boozy Vimto and cask ales.

The Manchester Christmas Markets officially end on 22 December.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine

The main gripe people seem to have with the Manchester Christmas Markets is the prices of food and drinks, blasting them every year like a broken record as being ‘overpriced’.

So we’ve done the hard slog for you, running all around the city centre to suss out exactly how much everything is costing in 2024.

From Piccadilly Gardens (rebranded as The Winter Gardens for the season) to King Street, there are wooden sheds and festive cheer absolutely everywhere.

There’s some brilliant food and drink to discover – you can see our top picks HERE – but as this is a huge visitor attraction, that can come at a price.

Once you factor in the deposit for a Manchester Christmas Markets mug, you can easily spend £12 just to get a mulled wine (though you will get £3.50 of that back when you return your mug).

There are also deposit charges on glassware – £2 for a pint glass, £3.50 for cocktail glasses and £7 for a stein.

You can see the full list of prices for food and drinks right across the Manchester Christmas Markets HERE, but below are where you can find the cheapest spots at the festive event.

Mulled wine

Mulled wines are priced at £5.50 almost everywhere across the Manchester Christmas Markets, though some stalls are offering bigger serves of this popular festive drink for a small price hike.

Then people are charging another £3 to add a shot of brandy, rum or amaretto, making an £8.50 total.

But the cheapest we’ve found is just £7 for mulled wine with a shot of booze, and that’s at Mamma Mia, an Italian stall on New Cathedral Street, right near St Ann’s Square.

Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine
Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine
Where to find the cheapest drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, from beer to mulled wine. Credit: The Manc Group

Beer

Again, prices for beers at the Manchester Christmas Markets are pretty consistent and average £6 a pint.

But you can get cheaper – at The Last Outpost, a Western-themed bar at Exchange Square, beers start from £5.50.

And at The Hip Hop Chip Shop at Piccadilly Gardens, they’re selling local craft beers, like Shindigger, Pomona Island, Manchester Union) for just £5.50. And you get bonus good vibes for supporting local breweries.

Wine

We’ve found a couple of glasses of wine for just £5 around the Markets this year, which is cheaper than most bars in town really.

The King Street Craft Bar, which has the bonus of having seating, has house wines from a fiver.

Christmas Alley at Piccadilly Gardens will also give you a wine for £5.

Prosecco

Prosecco works in every season and if this is your go-to of all the drinks at the Manchester Christmas Markets, we’ve found where you can save a few pennies.

Most places are charging between £6.50 and £7 per glass, but at El Gato Negro on King Street (yep, the same stall operated by the Michelin-recommended restaurant) are charging just £5 – that’s a whole £1.50 cheaper than most other stalls.

Hot chocolate

Basic hot chocolates are generally £3.50 everywhere, with a few very luxury upgrades (like a £7.90 creation from The Flat Baker that’s served in an edible cookie cup).

Once you add in a shot of alcohol, the cheapest as at the Apres Ski Bar at Piccadilly Gardens, which charges £2.50 for a spirit.

ADVERTISEMENT

That makes £6 for a boozy hot chocolate.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

More Eats

itsu half price offer Manchester

Eats

People are finally discovering this super easy money-saving food hack

Art & Culture

Forget pub crawls – you can now go on a guided cheese crawl around Manchester

Eats

Ornella’s – The tiny Denton restaurant vying to be named one of the best in Greater Manchester

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches