Inspiring Manchester women are all around us. They are our mothers, our sisters, our friends.
International Women’s Day helps remind us of this, as well as encouraging us to think more broadly about those who’ve made a big impact on our city, our country, and the wider world.
Of course, Manchester is no stranger to inspirational women. Our history is built on them – as is our present.
From famous campaigners like Lydia Becker, Marie Stopes and Emmeline Pankhurst, to writers like Elizabeth Gaskell and Carol Anne Duffy, whether they were born here or drawn here for centuries women have been shaping the course of history for those to come long before we had the vote.
But today, we’ve taken a little time to focus on those making the city what is today – shouting out ten inspiring Manchester women from all walks of life.
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From actors and musicians to athletes, businesswomen, chefs and even local politicians, Manchester women continue to be at the forefront of history in 2022 – and we’re damn proud of them.
Figen Murray
Image: Supplied
2022 started in a big way for Figen. The inspirational campaigner and educator was named on the New Year’s Honours list and appointed OBE, recognised for her services to counter terrorism.
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The mother of Martyn Hett, who was tragically killed in the Manchester Arena at just 29 years old, Figen has chosen to honour his memory by embracing and championing peace.
Since 2017, she had been fighting tirelessly to make venues safer with her Martyn’s Law campaign whilst also completing a Master’s degree in Counter Terrorism from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
Her efforts have since led to the rapid progression of the Protect Duty, a new piece of legislation that would see certain public places required to be prepared for, and protected against, terrorist attacks.
Mancunian-based marathon runner and personal trainer Amy Hughes made history in 2014 as the first woman to run 53 marathons in as many days – beating not just the women’s record, but the men’s record too.
Not content with bursting into the record books just once, the Shropshire-born athlete did it again in 2020 – raising £12,400 for NHS Charities Together by running for 26 hours straight on a treadmill. She has since founded Sculpt In Haus pilates studio, based on Lloyd street.
Karina Jadhav
Image: Karina Jadhav
The North West’s youngest independent female restaurant operator and owner, Karina Jadhav founded her current concept Menagerie in August 2016 after moving away from venues Neighbourhood, Victors Hale and Southern Eleven.
Hugely successful, over the years her venue Menagerie has become a hotspot for the city’s glitterati crowd and is a great place to visit if you’re in the mood for some celeb spotting.
DJ Paulette
Image: DJ Paulette
As the first female resident to take on the decks at The Hacienda, DJ Paulette is an icon of the city’s dance music scene.
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A familiar face around Manchester’s restaurants and bars and a key fixture at cult queer club night Homoelectric, she also has her own radio show and is currently in the process of writing a book about her experience in the music industry – due to be released next year.
A powerhouse of Manchester’s music and events scene, for years now Sophie Bee has been behind the programming at Bavarian party palace Albert’s Schloss – putting together the house band and live entertainment that has made it such a go-to-spot for anyone and everyone on a night out.
A Creative Producer for the multi-concept operator Mission Mars, she also works on events like La Discotheque, Audio Farm and Homoelectric, oversees similar programming at Escape To Freight Island and has organised stages at Glastonbury in the past.
Mary Ellen McTague
Image: Mary-Ellen McTague
As the chef-owner and The Creameries in Chorlton and co-founder of restaurant-backed charity Eat Well Manchester, Mary-Ellen is a hospitality force to be reckoned with.
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From cheffing in Michelin-starred kitchens to writing columns for The Guardian and, most recently, battling food inequality in Greater Manchester, she’s not just a great chef but a community-minded philanthropist too.
Mobilising quickly at the start of the pandemic to use restaurant food headed for the bin, alongside her partners through Eat Well MCR she’s provided over 50,000 meals to people in need since March 2020.
Julie Hesmondhalgh as Hayley Cropper in her famous red anorak, with on-screen husband David Neilson. / Image: ITV
The Corrie queen who gives back in spades, actor Julie Hesmondhalgh is known for her 15 years on-screen as Hayley Cropper – but her off-screen work makes her even more of a notable figure.
As well as making history with her groundbreaking role as the first transgender character on a British soap, she is the patron of a number of UK charities including Trans Media Watch, which is dedicated to improving media coverage of trans and intersex issues.
As the first new Manchester Council leader in for 25 years, and the first openly-gay woman to hold the position ever, Bev Craig is definitely an inspiration to many.
And whilst she hopes, in time, that these two facts will become the “the least interesting thing” about her, we still think it’s a feat that deserves celebrating.
This year, she will be launching a commission around tackling misogyny and violence against women and girls in Manchester – asking people to input their views and their feelings on the matter in light of an increase in incidents since the start of the pandemic.
An actress and narrator, today Maxine Peake is at the forefront of British acting – putting Manchester on the map with appearances in a host of mainstream TV shows and films such as The Real Anne Williams, Black Mirror, Dinner Ladies and Peterloo.
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After living in London for years, she moved up to Salford in 2009 to give herself freedom to choose more risky roles and take lower-paying jobs in theatre.
In recent years, she’s also become somewhat of an activist – using her fame to speak out at the Peterloo Memorial Peterloo Memorial march and the anti-Tory protest and calling for a coup in the Guardian.
Angela Rayner
Image: Commons Wikimedia
Stockport -born politician Angela Rayner is the current MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylsden and Failsworth and deputy leader of the Labour party. A former care worker, throughout the pandemic she was outspoken when it cam to championing the efforts of key workers.
As a key player in the Shadow Cabinet, she recently said on the record that she is “doing the groundwork now: to make sure that the party’s next leader is a woman.
She recently told Times Radio: “I think the Labour party is ready and I’m doing the groundwork now to make sure it’s ready by supporting other women and saying you can achieve whatever you want to achieve.
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Yara, the family-run Syrian and Lebanese restaurant serving Manchester for fifteen years
Georgina Pellant
Take a trip down to the Stockport village of Cheadle and you’ll find a surprising glut of great Middle Eastern eateries nestled on the Cheshire border.
Amongst them sits Yara, a family-run Syrian and Lebanese restaurant that’s been serving Manchester for fifteen years.
First opened in Altrincham in 2008, today it has five sites across Greater Manchester – all serving up traditional Middle Eastern favourites like succulent kebabs, crispy donut-shaped falafels, and fluffy pittas with flavourful homemade dips.
A table full of gorgeous Lebanese and Syrian food at Yara. / Image: The Manc Eats
Mixed kebab on the grill at Yara. / Image: The Manc Eats
With further restaurants in Whitefield, Chorlton, Cheadle and Alderley Edge, it’s clear that people just can’t get enough – so we made the trip down to see what all the fuss is about.
Suffice it to say, after tasting their sharp and citrussy babaganoush, stuffed vine leaves, and tabbouleh – a super fresh herb and bulgur salad dominated by parsley – we fell head over heels just like the rest.
Yara is a haven for those on the hunt for some finger-licking Middle Eastern goodness, with vegetarian starters like charcoal-grilled halloumi and creamy pots of homemade hummus pooled with rich olive oil sitting alongside crunchy pastry treats.
These include chicken or cheese and spinach bourak (often referred to as Assyrian or Middle Eastern egg rolls), lahembajeen – filo pastry topped with minced lamb, pomegranate sauce, pine kernels and onions – and mossahab, a chicken-stuffed puff pastry with added onion and herbs.
Potato kibbeh at Yara. / Image: The Manc Eats
Crispy donut falafel rings at Yara. / Image: The Manc Eats
As for the main attraction: the meaty charcoal grill. This, more than anything else, is what we really came down for. At Yara, tender cuts of lamb and chicken come rich with Mediterranean spices and herbs, whilst lamb kebabs come in the shish, shawarma and kafta varieties.
Oh, and to save on your next Deliveroo order from Yara make sure to use our code 5OFFATYARA when you check out.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
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Where to find a great pint of Guinness in Manchester city centre
Georgina Pellant
When it comes to finding good pints of Guinness, it’s fair to say that not all Manchester boozers are created equal.
Some pints are thin and watery, some have a very bitter taste, and some are missing that all-important signature creamy head. All things you want to avoid. In fact, if you go into a pub and see any of this our advice is to run.
Any bartender worth their salt will tell you that there’s a certifiable art to pouring out a proper pint of the black stuff, starting with a two-part pour – a practice considered sacrosanct for literally hundreds of years.
Your pint should be properly poured with 3/4 of it filled with old stout, rested, then topped up with new, and when the glass is emptied a white, creamy residue should remain.
These, as we know them, are the basics but serious Guinness drinkers can likely reel off a whole list of other criteria that we haven’t even touched on. For now, though, that’ll do.
Keep reading to find the best places to drink Guinness in Manchester.
Mulligans of Deansgate
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Widely renowned for having the best pint of Guinness in Manchester hands down, if it’s authenticity you’re looking for then Mulligan’s is a must.
An authentic Irish bar with live music and plenty of cosy snugs to tuck yourself away in, it’s typically packed to the rafters and bartenders pride themselves on never, ever leaving a bubble in your pint.
The Bay Horse Tavern
Image: The Bay Horse Tavern
Image: The Bay Horse Tavern
This Northern Quarter boozer on Thomas Street is another favourite for those looking for a great pint of Guinness.
This St Patrick’s Day, lovers of the black stuff can get a pint for just £4 between 4-7pm. as well as £5 double Jameson and gnger and £2.50 Jameson all day long.
The Peveril of the Peak
Image: Adam Pester Photography
Image: Adam Pester Photography
A historic city centre boozer, The Peveril of the Peak is not just one of Manchester’s most beautiful but also one of its most unique public houses.
Run by one of Britain’s oldest and longest-serving landlords, come for its bold green tile-clad exterior and stained glass windows and stay for a creamy pint of Guinness.
Another great Northern Quarter boozer, this time on Oldham Street, The Castle Hotel is another spot you can completely rely on for quality Guinness. Its pours have even been accredited.
The real ale pub boasts several cosy snugs, a small beer garden out back and a gig room where you can watch local bands whilst sipping on proper pints.
The Crown & Kettle
Image: The Crown & Kettle
Image: The Crown & Kettle
This gorgeous Grade II-listed freehouse sits the border of Ancoats and Northern Quarter and dates all the way back to 1774.
Reopened in 2005 in cooperation with English Heritage, it has an incredibly fine and unusual ceiling and one of the best pints of Guinness in the neighbourhood.
Edinburgh Castle
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Whilst we’re talking about Ancoats, Edinburgh Castle also deserves an honourable mention for its Guinness pour.
This lovingly refurbished Victorian boozer not only boasts Manchester’s most elite chip butty and a stunning upstairs restaurant, but is also widely considered one of the best places for a pint of Guinness in town.
O’Shea’s Irish Bar
Image: O’Shea’s Irish Bar
Image: O’Shea’s Irish Bar
Obviously, we have to talk about O’Shea’s. This Irish bar is widely considered a go-to fo a good pint of Guinness, with some even reporting they prefer their pints to Mulligans.
During Covid, the bar made a splash in Manchester by opening a giant outdoor Guinness garden. This year on St Patrick’s Day, it is opening from 10am for breakfast pints.
The Deansgate
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Another historic boozer reborn after two years of sitting boarded up on the busy Manchester stretch from which it takes its name.
The Deansgate is now under the ownership of Greene King and serves a cracking pint of Guinness from its ground-floor and first-floor bars alongside a menu of hearty pub grub.
The Manc -
8th March 2022 
