Greater Manchester has every reason to drink and jubilate this Friday and toast the perfect excuse for an early dart as the first fresh pours in a new chapter for Boddingtons beer have been sunk.
And by’eck if ain’t still bloody gorgeous.
That’s right, in case you didn’t hear the latest news about ‘Cream of Manchester’, we can now officially and ever-so gladly confirm that Boddingtons Bitter is properly back on draught in the region.
With the iconic cask ale making a glorious return decades on from its glory days in the 1990s, the new and improved Boddies beer is flowing from the taps – just in time for the weekend, no less.
Yes, with local brewery and pub chain J.W. Lees taking over the manufacturing and distribution, leaving the Budweiser Group to take over the licensing, the updated recipe Boddingtons – which clocks in at a 4.0% ABV – is about to be rolled out across the 10 boroughs.
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Better yet, with five native pubs having already reinstalled honey yellow and black pumps, and with Lees looking to deliver it to the ale-loving masses across the North West, this could be the biggest Manc comeback since, well, those two lads from Burnage…
Speaking of: we were invited along to Founder’s Hall on Albert Square (formerly Duttons and now home to every one of the brand’s beers, not to mention serving as a tribute to John Lees himself), for a special ceremony to celebrate the inaugural public pints of Boddies being poured.
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Let’s just say we were honoured to be part of the grand resurrection.
Obviously, there have been some holdouts hanging onto the classic Mancunian brew, and we certainly had fun trying to track them down over the past couple of years, but we’re just glad we don’t have to do as much work to find one now.
Managing Director of JW Lees, William Lees-Jones, said on the relaunch: “When I joined JW Lees in 1994, Boddingtons was ‘The Cream of Manchester’ and we were in awe of their position in leading the cask beer revolution.
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“We’re proud to bring it back home, starting with Founder’s Hall, and we’re planning to restore Boddington’s as one of the UK’s leading premium cask beers, particularly here in the North West.” Well said, sir.
Available from Founder’s Hall, The Black Friar in Salford, Stables Tavern; Sams Chop House, The Circus Tavern, Oxford Road Tap, Piccadilly Tap and Victoria Tap from today, as well as Corbières and Stockport pubs like The Crown and The White Lion, we can’t wait to see Boddingtons take over the nation.
In the meantime, why not look back at the storied history behind one of our finest exports?
A rosé festival where your ticket includes unlimited wine is returning to Manchester
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A festival dedicated to rosé wine is making a return to Manchester this summer – and your ticket includes unlimited wine.
This year marks the third year of The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival, which has quickly become a staple for all Mancunian wine-lovers.
This outdoor festival will transport you to a French vineyard, with acoustic live music from La Chanteuse, and a setting in amongst the leaft Kampus gardens. Even your four-legged friends are invited to the party.
Head on down to absorb some of that sunshine and get your hands on unlimited glasses of more than 20 different rosés, orange and sparkling wines, sourced from across the world.
Whether you consider yourself a connoisseur or just like the sound of some fizz in the sun, this garden party has plenty of new wines for you to try.
Sit back and relax, chat with suppliers, and if you choose to, you can purchase bottles of some seriously top-notch wines at exclusive reduced rates.
You can expect wines from Raymond Reynolds (Portuguese Wines), Alliance Wines, Hammonds of Knutsford, and Boutinot.
Beeswing in Manchester will host the rosé festival again. Credit: The Manc Group
In the run-up to the festival, The Beeswing are also holding various other opportunities for us to try some delicious wines, including an English Wine Tasting next Sunday.
Wine Tasting with Gusbourne – 28 June – Celebrate English Wine Week at an exclusive tasting experience from 4-6pm, with five Gusbourne wines and some nibbles. Tickets cost £40.
Click HERE to secure your Wine Tasting with Gusbourne tickets.
The Rosé Festival – 4 July – Hosted on the Kampus gardens in Manchester from 12.30pm-3pm. Tickets cost £35 and include unlimited wine and a welcome drink.
Tickets sold out quickly last year and booking in advance is necessary to attend.
Manchester’s tiniest coffee shop has opened in Ancoats serving £2.50 flat whites
Daisy Jackson
A tiny new coffee shop has opened in Ancoats, and it’s already turning heads with a simple mission – making quality coffee affordable again.
7ZZ (pronounced ‘seven zeez’) has quietly launched on Oldham Road in a space no bigger than your arm span.
Owner Joe Stephens is bringing speciality coffee prices back down to earth with flat whites starting from just £2.50 and matcha from only £4.
In a city where a morning coffee can easily set you back more than a fiver, the new independent hopes to bridge the gap between premium coffee shops and budget chains.
The compact café may be easy to miss at first glance, but its menu packs plenty of personality. Alongside classic espresso-based drinks, customers can pick up ceremonial-grade matcha, iced barista-made coffees, and vibrant ube lattes made properly (no purple syrup in sight).
Joe says the idea behind 7ZZ was to create a space where customers don’t have to choose between quality and affordability, with a price list that rivals Greggs.
Adding to the appeal is a selection of pastries from Sticky Fingers, the popular Stockport bakery known for its indulgent sweet treats.
Joe Stephens at 7ZZ in AncoatsIced matcha and ube lattes start at just £47ZZ has Sticky Fingers bakes on the counter
With fresh bakes like croissants and custard buns lining the counter each day, the new opening looks set to become a popular stop for commuters and locals alike.
As Ancoats continues to cement its reputation as one of Manchester’s best neighbourhoods for food and drink, 7ZZ is offering something increasingly rare – speciality coffee that doesn’t come with a speciality price tag.
7ZZ Coffee is now open at 116 Oldham Road, Ancoats, M4 6AG.
Danny Jones -
5th September 2025 
