Greene King is about to stage their biggest giveaway yet across the next week, with the pub group and brewery set to hand out 100,000 free pints across the nation, but only on one condition involving Manchester and the weather.
We know how that sentence doesn’t usually fill people with confidence but, honestly, we’ve never felt more confident in our lives.
The weather might be looking up now spring has sprung but it’s still Manchester we’re talking about and we could help Brits get their hands on a total of 100k free pints if it rains in the city centre next Monday, 25 March and they’ll be having Peter Crouch and giant pint glass along to help adjudicate.
Rain and Manchester go hand in hand — the pints are on us, don’t you worry.
Keep an eye on the skies from Monday and once the first drop of rain hits our rain drop detector in Manchester we’ll be giving away 100,000 free pints #ItRainsWePour ☔️🍻 https://t.co/ws7FG2rBUm
Yes, in their latest marketing stunt, Greene King will be placing a massive glass in the city centre and if, by some stroke of other-worldly misfortune, no rain is left in it by the end of the day then people all over the country can enjoy a complimentary bev from one of their 2,700 locations across the UK.
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If this is this ends up being the one day we don’t get rain after being bullied by it most of the year, we’re going to be absolutely fuming.
Setting the big pint pot up in Great Northern Warehouse on the corner of Deansgate and Peter Street (picture as big as Crouchy himself), the chain of boozers are sticking to one rule: ‘When it rains, we pour’.
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The glass itself will serve as the official ‘Rain Drop Detector’ and since March 2023 was the rainiest in 40 years, as well as Manchester being considered Britain’s wettest city according to a survey of the general public — with one in five understandably dubbing us ‘Rainchester’ — this should be a walk in the park.
You can see the full terms and conditions of the giveaway HERE but the rules are pretty simple: once the trigger point on Rain Drop Detector lights up and a sufficient amount of rainfall is deemed to have landed on Manchester, Greene King will give away free pints for the following 24 hours.
These pints can obviously only be claimed within the pubs’ usual trading times and customers must say the magic phrase, ‘It rains, we pour’, to get their hands on one, but other than that it’s pretty simple. There’s even going to be a livestream and regular updates on socials for everyone to tune into.
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Once the drinking window is open, it isn’t just in Manchester that the river of free drinks will flow: people all over the nation will be able to walk into a GK pub and enjoy any one of the following pints at no charge — or a soft drink alternative, of course:
Hazy Day Hazy IPA
Level Head Session IPA
Flint Eye Hopped Lager
Icebreaker Pale Ale
Abbot Ale
Greene King IPA
Ruddles Best
Old Speckled Hen & Old Golden Hen
Don’t worry, Brits — rain is just what we do. We won’t let you down (crosses everything).
Featured Images — Greene King/Great Northern/The Manc Eats
Food & Drink
This new app tells you the best sunny pub spots in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A brand new app has launched, which tracks the sun and tells you where the best sunny pub spots in Manchester are throughout the day.
No, you’re not dreaming: this is what heaven feels like. This all-new app, initially trialled in London and now covering Manchester, allows users to identify the best sun traps in our stunning city centre.
Designed and created by architect Mo Dawod, Sunseekr aims to show you the best pub, cafe and restaurant locations where you can take advantage of and soak up all the sun in real time.
As well as being a handy tool to use throughout the day, you can use this sun-centric app to pre-plan your day, as it lets you know all the sunny spots in advance for anyone who fancies chasing the sun.
The app shows you the best pubs, cafes and restaurants to catch some rays.You can easily chase the sun around Manchester city centre with this handy new app.Credit: Screenshots via Sunseeker
Of course, we don’t need an app to tell us all the best sunny pub spots in Manchester as locals and visitors alike know about our pride and joy, Stevenson Square.
However, this new technology will come in handy for organising your next beer garden trip and locating exactly where you’re guaranteed to sit down and possibly catch a tan.
Sunseekr had a trial run in London first, catching the attention of reputable publications like Timeout London and even got itself featured on BBC London.
It makes perfect sense why Dawod made this app; being a Battersea resident, his area of London is packed with plenty of amenities such as pubs and bars, perfect for sitting out and relaxing in the sun.
Now the sunny app has spread nationwide, including Manchester, meaning we Northerners can make the most of the precious sun while we have it.
Safe to say, here at The Manc, we know a lot of good places to soak up the sun while sipping on a class pint.Nothing beats a crisp pint and some gorgeous Manchester sunshine.Credit: The Manc Eats
The arrival of this sun-tracking pub-spotting app gives us the perfect excuse to drop everything and make our way to the nearest beer garden to put this to the test ourselves, it’s not like we needed any encouragement…
Sunseekr is available to download NOW and allows users to live-track the sun to see if any pubs, cafes or restaurants near you have been blessed by the sun.
We’re in the business of knowing about beer gardens galore, so this long-overdue app just made our lives a whole lot easier.
Stunning Ancoats favourite Street Urchin closes after ‘heartbreaking’ health emergency
Danny Jones
The stunning Ancoats restaurant and Manchester favourite, Street Urchin, has announced its sudden closure following a serious health emergency.
Opened by partners Kevin and Rachel Choudhary back in 2019, the inventive dining room has been a firm favourite among local foodies and those visiting Manchester for some time.
However, following the awful news that co-founder and head chef Kevin has recently suffered a heart attack, the city centre food spot has sadly had to close its doors, seemingly for good.
Informing diners and longtime fans online, Rachel confirmed, “We are unable to continue as a business”, adding that they are simply “heartbroken” by the turns of events.
Known for endless creativity and famous experimental dishes over the years, including a viral squirrel dish, Street Urchin has been one of the most envelope-pushing kitchens in the area for some time.
Writing in the caption, Rachel said: Thank you to our amazing team who supported us over all the years and continued to do so in these dark times. Thank you also to our suppliers, we never thought this would happen. We’re so sorry x”
Reacting to the news, local artist Painted By Courtney replied: “This is so sad, I’m so sorry to you both. Forever one of my favourite dining experiences in Manchester.”
Various names from across the Greater Manchester hospitality scene, including the likes of Tameside’s Cafe Continental, have joined in sharing their sadness and heartfelt support, with the Stalybridge spot simply adding: “Sending love. A remarkable place!”
Their menus boasted all the style, quality and flavour of a fine dining establishment without any of the haute cuisine pomp and traditional culinary trappings.
Put simply, they delivered great food served in an efficient market diner fashion. We, along with countless other Greater Mancunian foodies, absolutely loved this place.
It goes without saying that everyone at The Manc Group is shocked and deeply saddened to hear this news; we hope Kev makes a full and fast recovery, and our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time.
Danny Jones -
21st March 2024 
