Be it the food and drink, leisure and shopping facilities old and new, bands like Blossom putting the town back on the map, or its growing nightlife scene, the regeneration of Stockport over the last few years has been wonderful to watch — and amongst it all, one place is shining bright: Bask.
Having only just celebrated its first anniversary after opening back in June of 2022, located right outside the train station, Bask is a bar, cafe, music venue and many more things all rolled into one and in the 12 months it’s been open, it’s arguably become the one of it not the best night out in Stockport.
At least for our money, anyway.
So, what makes this spot where people step out of the station to enjoy a coffee, a pint or something to eat so special? Well, it’s partly because of the fact that it never stays simply that place to grab a quick little something for very long — be there long enough and something is always happening.
If you do happen to find yourself stepping out of the station and making the two-yard trip from the doors onto the ever-developing Stockport Exchange, you’ll see Bask’s instantly recognisable orange sign outside a modern glass-panelled unit which used to be a coffee shop with about three people in it.
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Cut to today and you’ll find a large and lovely room lined with bar stool window seats, big speakers, two screens showing sport; plenty of tables as well as comfy booths and wooden benches sturdy enough to support your weight when you clamber on top of them hours later (we’ll get to that).
But before you get to that, you have plenty to choose from when it comes to food and drink in the daytime. Whether it’s a big breakfast to start the day, a steaming hot pie from local favourites Ate Days A Week, fresh butties or a luxurious meat and cheese platter to feel all cultured or just a pint of their house lager, you really spoilt for choice.
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As you peruse the healthy bar selection — stocking lots of booze including their house lager and two custom brands of Stockport Gin — you’ll see a glorious selection of cakes from Manc music legend Clint Boon’s wife, Charlie, who drops off fresh batches of baked goods every week and even hosts regular bottomless brunches and her already legendary
Credit: The Manc Group/BaskThere’s some seriously top scran.
Bask’s live gigs and mega music nights
Speaking of the Boons, the Tea Party isn’t just about scranning cakes and posh coffees: it’s a jumping-off point for what is an absolutely stellar monthly schedule that is regularly packed out with live performances, themed music nights and all-round partying.
From Inspiral Carpets, Reverend & The Makers, The Lottery Winners; The Sherlocks, Ruby J and all manner of massive music names from the North have taken to this stage already over the last year, and it won’t be long before more acts from all over the country cotton on to how mint a venue Bask is to play.
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You’ll also find many members of staff like barman and musician French Coriandah, as well as co-owners Simon Silcock and XS Manchester DJ Gareth Brooks on stage, playing guitar or spinning tracks on the decks — they even had This Is England‘s Thomas Turgoose doing a set the other week, as you do.
They also do their best to promote up-and-coming artists with their weekly Acoustica event every Monday, where aspiring musicians can rock up every week and it’s free entry for the punters. Even when there isn’t live music or, say an 80s-themed night on the cards, they still regularly belt out the best bangers from throughout the ages every weekend and, believe us when we tell you, it’s a vibe in there.
Credit: Bask/Thomas Edwards(via Instagram)We’ve had some absolutely belting nights out in Bask.
Bask Bingo, comedy nights, matchdays and more
And it doesn’t stop there — not even close. From the ‘Baskmaster’ pub quiz to their sellout Bask Bingo and ‘Bask in Laughter’ comedy nights which have seen the likes of Justin Moorhouse, Haley Ellis, Smug Roberts and countless others cracking up locals, they will literally have a stab at anything these lot.
The most impressive part, at least from our experience anyway, is that they always seem to pull it off. This place was originally supposed to open up as just a restaurant but after extraction issues set those plans back, they had to readjust and boy are we lucky they did.
Whether it’s inviting along spoken word artists every month, hosting FIFA tournaments or the Stockport Social Creative Culture and Music Mixer (a bit of a mouthful, we’ll admit), Bask isn’t happy to just be one thing or another and that’s why it’s so good.
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It’s even become a regular haunt for the Stockport County faithful week in and week out (having a few mad Hatters in-house doesn’t hurt), serving pies and pints pre-game, right up until late after it’s finished. While many pubs and bars keep footy fans at a distance, this place welcomes them in with open arms — they were even flying the flag for both teams at Wembley earlier this year.
Credit: BaskThey thrive on two slogans: ‘Stockport isn’t sh*t… it’s forever being beautiful’
It’s been a while since Stopfordians had a place like this. The town centre’s Underbank has gradually been rejuvenating under the Old Town revival and Foodie Friday now seems bigger than ever, but there’s something about having a spot that does all of this right on your doorstep that feels special.
We’re happy to go on record by saying that Bask is not only well worth swinging by at any time during the day but beyond just being the best night out in Stockport, it’s also currently one of the best times you’ll have anywhere in Greater Manchester.
If you’ve never been before, it’s worth heading over and giving it a try — you’ll most likely end up doing what we did the first time around: nipping in for ‘one drink’ and end up staying till 2am. Go on, why not?
Louder for those at the back: ‘Stockport isn’t sh*t’.
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It’s a good little crew this. Pop in and say hello.Credit: Bask/@thomasedwardsphotography (via Instagram)
Featured Image — The Manc Group/Bask (via Instagram)
Feature
Inside One Port Street, the luxury new skyscraper that’s the tallest building in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
Manchester has a new luxury skyscraper, and while we’ve become pretty accustomed to seeing this pop up by now, this one’s a little different – because it’s in the Northern Quarter.
The city’s creative heartland has a new tallest building, a whopping 32-storey giant that’s home to features like a swimming and spa pool, skyline views, a state-of-the-art gym, and plenty more too.
It might sound like a new luxury hotel – but it’s actually a building that’s bringing hundreds of brand-new homes to the northern side of the city centre.
One Port Street is now open, and is the first premium residential community to open in the Northern Quarter.
Select Property’s £195m flagship development has 477 premium open-plan apartments, plus some awe-inspiring amenities for those who like the finer things in life (but don’t want to live in Deansgate Square).
Those features include a 2000 square foot swimming and spa pool that looks like a James Bond lair, with integrated changing rooms, as well as a huge state-of-the-art gym that’s free for residences, which has TWO yoga and barre studios.
You’re greeted at the entrance to the building with a 360-degree fire pit, with cosy co-working spaces and a hidden ‘Hideout’ room, which has its own projector.
The 360-degree firepitThe ‘Hideout’The One Port Street gym
There’s outside space too, including a landscaped garden and 22,000 sq ft of new public realm.
Going up to the seventh floor, you’ll find the Panganini’s resident lounge and roof terrace, named after a historic tavern that once stood nearby, with an exclusive dining room and more space for work from home days.
From open-plan apartment to communal spaces, you’ll spot artwork from independent artists and luxury finishes.
The apartments themselves have open plan layouts and the highest specification fixtures and fitting, all styled by Select Property’s in-house design team.
The huge new landmark is on Port Street, right on the doorstep of the Northern Quarter’s many bars, restaurants, gig venues, and businesses, and a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly.
One Port Street apartmentsOne Port Street apartments
Launching alongside the opening of the building is the One Port St Collective, a residents’ programme with a dedicated resident app, that gets members exclusive access to One Port St partners and curated discounts.
Adam Price, CEO, at Select Property, said: “One Port St is a major landmark for the city of Manchester, representing everything we believe modern residential living should be: design-led, community-minded and deeply connected to its surroundings and local heritage.
“One Port St is about redefining what modern rental living can be. It’s not just about beautiful apartments – it’s about how people live, connect and experience the city around them. Positioned at the gateway to the Northern Quarter, this is a place shaped by its surroundings and designed for modern city life.
“The Northern Quarter has long been the heart of Manchester’s creativity and culture, and One Port St celebrates that identity and brings something totally new to the area. With apartments now open and available to rent, and residents moving in, this is a big milestone for us and a proud moment for our entire team.”
Panganini’s resident lounge and roof terrace
Ian Simpson, Co-founding Partner, SimpsonHaugh added: “One Port St presented an opportunity to elevate residential provision in one of Manchester’s most characterful districts, creating a design that mediates between the Northern Quarter and the wider city.
“Our ambition was to create a building that respects and responds to the Northern Quarter’s rich industrial heritage. The result is an elegant landmark development that combines considered design, outstanding amenities, and enhanced public realm to form a welcoming and connected place to live, visit and enjoy.
“We’re proud to see the building now open and becoming part of the evolving story of this iconic neighbourhood.”
The building is officially open with apartments now available to rent – you can find out more HERE.
The Northern Quarter has never been fancier – One Port Street apartments are ready and waiting for you
The story behind Sâlo: the rising Georgian-born Salford artist set be one of the region’s next stars
Danny Jones
We always love stories of people moving to Manchester to be more creatively engaged, but tales of entire families relocating here for a better life and art being born out of it is something truly special – and besides her obvious talent, that’s what has attracted us and plenty others to Sâlo.
This up-and-coming Salfordian artist may have been born around the border between Eastern Europe and Western Asia during a particular fraught time for her country, but she’s been raised and moulded like so many of us by this city’s rich music culture and wider artistic heritage.
She came to the UK with her family as a baby, with her parents fleeing poverty and lingering friction in Georgia following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 90s, and their journey as asylum seekers eventually brought them here to the North West.
It was clear from a young age that Sâlo (short for Salome) had a gift for the piano, but it was when her family moved to the Greater Manchester area that her own interest in genres and styles began to develop. Here’s a little snippet of her recent performance at the stunning Stoller Hall.
This short video was taken from her feature in a recent episode of Manchester: Unplugged, the web series by StreamGM that launched just last year and spotlights local songwriters.
Honing in on one of her newest releases, ‘Set Me Free’, which taps into that pure love for the keys.
While this clip shows a stripped-back version of the fully-fledged electronic studio version, with production playing a key role in defining her sound, she blends everything from classical music and jazz to neo-soul as well as drum and bass.
You hear the phrase ‘genre-bending’ thrown around a lot these days, but if this mid-20s star in the making isn’t the epitome of that term, then we don’t know who is.
Speaking more about her background in the short documentary film, which aired on YouTube this week, she talks about her first memory of visiting Forsyth Music Shop in Manchester city centre, and the inspiration behind the track in question.
You watch the Sâlo episode of Manchester: Unplugged in full here.
Detailed in the description of the newest edition of the online show, “Classically trained from the age of four, Sâlo’s journey runs through some of Manchester’s most important music spaces”, including time spent at the RNCM and Chetham’s School of Music and more.
As for the tune itself, not only do the lyrics revolve around a difficult patch in a personal relationship – this being one of the first times she felt like she’s fully opened up and not held back on letting people know what she’s speaking about – but it’s also the first track she’s produced and mixed entirely on her own.
Painstakingly mastered from a small studio at home, she almost “fell out of love” with the song altogether, but getting back to that simple joy of playing piano helped revive her passion for it.
With a stunning voice, natural musical talent when it comes to her instrument, and a great blend of different analogue and digital influences, Sâlo is definitely one to watch moving forward.
Danny Jones -
14th July 2023 
