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.
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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.
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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 GroupGary 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…”
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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 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.”
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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
Popular American fast food franchise Shake Shack is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester is getting another big global franchise as Shake Shack is finally set to make its Northern debut.
With so many good burger joints and a million and one great places to grab a good portion of chips in town alone, they’ll have to hit the ground running to fight off the competition.
The well-known transatlantic multinational is nothing short of massive in the States, vying with the likes of In-N-Out Burger, Five Guys, Carl’s Jr. – also eyeing up multiple UK sites over the next few years – Whataburger and Wendy’s, just to name a rather large handful. Oh yeah, and Maccies, of course.
Yanks will debate until the cows come home (pardon the pun) about which is best, and many believe Shake Shack is right up there, so Manchester foodies have every right to be excited. Consider this a belated Thanksgiving contribution.
The New York-founded company already has multiple locations on this side of the pond, such as several in London, which is where we first sampled it for ourselves.
Other venues include Birmingham, Cambridge, Oxford and Cardiff, as well as one inside Gatwick Airport; as for the brand’s first Manchester branch, Shake Shack UK no. 18 will be coming to the borough of Trafford and one of the biggest shopping destinations in the region.
But what sets this burger and milkshake-driven brand apart from the others?
Well, for starters, you could argue they’re not even most famous for their patties, buns or shakes; the first time we ever heard about Shake Shack was regarding their fries – specifically, the crinkle-cut shape and that very American-style cheese sauce.
They have long proved divisive among the masses, but those who love them go NUTS for the stuff, and you’ll find all manner of fakeaway recipes online of people trying to make their best imitation of the side and sauce, specifically.
Put it this way, Colonel’s gravy on KFC chicken is what cheese sauce is on Shake Shack fries. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but fans will stan this scran to no end.
Case and point:
My first time at Shake Shack 👌🏼💚 The cheese fries might be my new hyper fixation 🍟 pic.twitter.com/3HVwAgxRtD
Honestly, you’ll find countless examples of this kind of post on social media…
Richard Franks, Business Director at Shake Shack UK, said: “Manchester’s a city that does things proper; it’s full of heart, graft and great taste. We’re so pumped to be growing Shake Shack across the UK, and to be opening our first Northern Shack at Trafford Centre. We can’t wait to be a part of this city.”
The major mall and North West tourist attraction’s Centre Director, Simon Layton, added: “We’re really excited to welcome Shake Shack’s first Northern restaurant to the Trafford Centre.
“We know our visitors are going to love getting their hands on those iconic ShackBurgers and crinkle-cut fries. It’s a huge moment for the North – and we can’t wait for everyone to experience it with us in 2026.”
Opening in place of the Costa in the Great Hall, the opening of Shake Shack Manchester at the Trafford Centre is scheduled for next March. Exciting times.
Featured Images — bryansjs (via Flickr)/LN9267 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Eats
A new champagne bar, and the UK’s first ‘champagne boutique’, is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new ‘champagne boutique’ is opening in Manchester next week, boasting more than 250 different champagnes to our city.
Portfolio will be a new bar and ‘immersive wine experience’, which will have one of the largest and most diverse champagne collections in the UK.
Mancs will be able to order champagne by the glass from just £12.50, along with plenty of accessible bottles.
To kick things off, Portfolio will open with a bar food offering that includes Welsh charcuterie, British cheeses and accoutrements, created by co-founder Julian Pizer, formerly of Another Hand and the Edinburgh Castle.
But later down the line, there’ll be a run, relaxed tasting menu, ranging from a few bites to a full dining experience, obviously paired with the best champagne list in the country.
Inside Portfolio, you’ll be greeted by a striking champagne wall of 100 different bottles, plus a wall of photos from the team’s trips to Champagne in France.
Every drink will be served in exclusive Lehmann glassware imported from Reims, with more than 10 different glass styles and a strict no flutes policy.
There’ll be an open chef’s pass and sommelier station with bar seating, plus a working champagne cellar that will function as a private dining room and event space.
Julian Pizer has created Portfolio with Cameron Foster, founder of Duex Six which specialises in providing exclusive grower champagnes to the UK.
They’ll be joined by Wayne Baxendale as food and beverage director, who has more than 30 years of global wine experience including from Michelin starred restaurants, and Nikolai Kuklenko as general manager, who previously held a role as Head Sommelier at Mana.
Portfolio will be a wine boutique packed with rare grower bottles and vintage prestige cuvées and hopes to ‘strip away the snobbery and make champagne accessible’.
As well as well known names, guests will be able to enjoy rare and highly sought-after cuvées, including Jacques Selosse, Ulysse Collin, Jérôme Prévost, Cédric Bouchard, Larmandier Bernier and Egly Ouriet.
There will also be vintage prestige cuvées from Cristal, Philipponnat, Pommery, Jacquesson, Pierre Peters and Bollinger, some dating back to the 1990s.
As Cameron Foster explains: “We want to strip back the snobbery of Champagne and make it a wine for everyone, whether that’s a quick glass after work, a special celebration, or discovering grower champagne for the first time.”
Portfolio will open on 9 December at 67 Bridge Street, Manchester, with the full restaurant experience launching in February 2026.
Daisy Jackson -
23rd January 2024 
