Wolfpack Lager has launched a limited edition rugby-inspired beer that’s raising money for motor neurone disease
It's been found that MND is 15 times more likely to occur in rugby players, so it's a fitting time of year to be raising awareness and funds for crucial research.
London-based brewer Wolfpack Lager has created a special new rugby-inspired beer that is helping raise money for motor neurone disease and you can find it at a select few pubs in and around Greater Manchester.
Wolfpack Brewing Co. has teamed up with Stonegate Group, who operate around 4,800 pubs throughout the UK, to launch the aptly named ‘Second Row IPA’ in support of players like former professional rugby union star Ed Slater.
So, in an effort to help raise some money for the MNDA (Motor Neurone Disease Association) and awareness during this year’s Rugby World Cup, which kicked off last week, the pair have now released their brand new charitable beer across 400 different pubs — including several around our way.
With the crisp, floral ale with vibrant citrus notes being served right throughout the tournament and 20p of every pint sold going directly to the MNDA, Hargreaves, Wyles and all the Wolfpack team are hoping to raise lots of money for a crucial cause.
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As Oldham’s very own Kevin Sinfield has often echoed, “MND isn’t incurable, it’s underfunded”, so opportunities like the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which can help bring the issue to the forefront as Sinfield, Burrows, Weir and so many others have done in recent years, are so important.
Co-founder and former rugby union star Hargreaves said in a statement: “We are incredibly proud to be launching Second Row IPA in partnership with Stonegate Pub Group. We’ve set ourselves an ambitious target of raising £10,000 through sales of the beer to support the MNDA – a cause very close to our hearts as ex-rugby players.
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“Equally as importantly, we also want to raise awareness of the disease via this campaign and would encourage people to visit the MNDA website to learn more about why the fundraising is so vital.”
As for the Stonegate pub chain, Chief Commercial Officer, Melissa Wisdom, added: “We are proud to partner with Wolfpack and stand with the rugby and MND community to launch Second Row IPA to raise both awareness and important funds in the fight against MND.
“We hope our guests really enjoy this beer and join us in supporting such an important cause.”
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The Rugby World Cup ends on 28 October and you can try the brand-new Second Row Session IPA from any one these fine pubs between now and then, all of which are within or less than an hour from Greater Manchester:
Barley Mow – Warrington
Cross Keys Hotel – Knutsford
Kings Tap – Cheadle Hulme
Lord Eldon – Knutsford
Old Roebuck – Altrincham
Pride of the Peaks – New Mills
Red Bull – Eccles
White Lion – Disley
Willow Tavern – Failsworth
Although not currently available to order on the website, hopefully you’ll be able to purchase some Second Row and keep helping the charity whilst enjoying a beer soon.
A new ’boutique’ chicken spot has opened in Manchester’s Northern Quarter
Danny Jones
A brand-new chicken spot called ‘Le Coq Boutique’ has just opened in Manchester city centre, serving out of a popular Northern Quarter bar.
Is this the best name we’ve ever heard in our time writing about food and drink? It just might be…
Opening from inside The Social NQ on Thomas Street (formerly known as Smithfield Social), their new resident and poultry-centric kitchen is a bit of a pun on the classic French sportswear label, but having now been versed in the word about the bird for ourselves, we can confirm it’s much more than that.
For starters, the only thing more decadent than the roasted meats are the sides and cocktail menu, which features everything from chunky hash browns and some of the richest sauces you could ask for.
As you can see, the most chicken is well and truly the star of the show here, but what they have done is find unique ways of innovating and experimenting with it.
For instance, if you’ve never had a cocktail with chicken fat in it, here’s a place you can try one.
Honestly, this isn’t our first rodeo with this very particular kind of drink – but for those of you that haven’t, we promise, it really is quite good.
Aside from surprisingly saline kicks beside the salty marg rims we’ve become more accustomed to over the years, there are some very nice drinks on the menu.
But we’ll be honest, if you’re a sucker for the famous ‘chicken wine’ – a.k.a. La Vieille Ferme, if you want to be all formal – we imagine you’ll be sticking to plenty of this.
Having already spent many a weekend, be that afternoon or night, at the old Smithfield over the years, now that it has this fine new in-house food offering tacked on, we suspect we’ll be going back a lot more.
Whether you want lots of crispy chicken skin or prefer it smothered in gravy and various other kinds of savoury jus, if you’re an unadulterated mothercluckin’ chicken lover, then you’ll have a great time here.
As the team has joked in the comments under their first few social media posts, while it isn’t technically mandatory to wear the vintage 80s brand upon visiting, it is “expected”, with “bonus marks and shots” and promised for your efforts.
It’s also worth noting that they have an exclusive launch offer for those who sort a booking early, so we wouldn’t wait around if we were you.
Let us know what you think if you visit anytime soon.
Bunny Jackson’s offer Foo Fighters and Mancs incredible deal if they play their stage after Ritz gig
Danny Jones
Beloved dive bar Bunny Jackson’s has offered the Foo Fighters and Mancunians alike an incredible deal, provided the legendary band if they play on their stage after their gig at the O2 Ritz.
As well as Manchester ramping up the 2026 BRITs Week buzz ahead of the awards at Co-op Live this weekend, a little-known American rock group called the Foo Fighters decided to announce a surprise gig here in town.
But the bigger story now, we’d argue, is that the city centre boozer – which serves as a regular go-to both before and after gigs – is offering free drinks if Dave Grohl and co. pop up to perform on their usual bandaoke platform. As in for EVERYONE.
As explained by the Bunny’s boss, if the Foos make what is quite literally a minute trip down the road to OG Jackson’s wing joint and late-night watering hole after their Ritz gig is over, they’re promising to hand out free booze to all inside the venue.
Joking that they can quite literally “do anything” and may not even fit on their even smaller stage – with this being one of the tiniest of Manchester’s small-cap venues – it’s worth reminding that they wouldn’t be the first big name to surprise punters.
It was only a couple of years ago that both The 1975 and Olivia Rodrigo showed their faces, with the former getting behind the bar and pouring drinks themselves, and the latter even hopping on the mic herself – yes, really.
Just last March, members of Bilmuri also hopped behind the decks for a DJ set, and saxophone player Gabi Rose couldn’t resist hitting some horns live for the crowd, too.
You might want to be at Bunny’s even if you’re not going to the gig anyway. (Credit: Bunny Jackson’s)
So what we’re telling you is that this isn’t entirely beyond the realms of possibility. Keep absolutely everything crossed.
BJ’s was already hosting a pre- and post-curfew party for the big Manchester gig, as they often do, but just think how incredible it would be if the rock icons actually turned up in person. You can find out what else they’ve got planned on the night HERE.
Not only would it mean free-flowing beer for everyone in the gaff, but this would go down as one of the greatest stories in Greater Manchester music history.
If you want to up the chances of this happening, make sure you share it far and wide, getting @ing and pestering them, and hopefully we’ll see you at Bunny Jackson’s with the boys from Foo Fighters!
Oh, and lads, if you’re wondering why we all love it here, look no further:
Danny Jones -
11th September 2023 
