A popular independent brewery bar in Bolton has announced it is to stop accepting bookings due to an unprecedented number of no-shows.
Like numerous other hospitality venues across Greater Manchester that have reopened for outdoor service now that ‘Step Two’ in the government’s “irreversible” roadmap for lifting England’s current national lockdown has commenced, Blackedge Brewery Bar in the Horwich area of Bolton has been let down by several customers who have booked a table at its beer garden and then failed to turn up.
The issue of no-shows has sadly blighted the region’s hospitality businesses throughout the last year of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
So much so that the hospitality sector was forced to launch the #NoMoreNoShows campaign last summer following the revelation that so many customers abandoning pre-booked tables was costing the sector £16 billion a year.
Taking to Twitter to confirm that no further bookings will be taken, The Brewery Bar – part of Blackedge Brewing Co – said: “With immediate effect we are no longer accepting bookings [but] all existing bookings will be honoured.
“We will now operate on a normal walk in first come first served basis.
“This is due to the sheer number of calls and emails that we don’t have capacity to deal with, and booking no shows”.
Blackedge Brewing Co then added: “Shame on you people that book tables at any venue and then fail to show up for your booking without giving any notice.
“Small independent businesses have had a rough year and are reliant on bums on seats.
“If you book a venue and cant make it, let them know”.
Please RT & spread the word. Shame on you people that book tables at any venue & then fail to show up for your booking without giving any notice. Small independent businesses have had a rough year & are reliant on bums on seats. If you book a venue & cant make it let them know!
— Blackedge Brewing Co Ltd (@Blackedgebeers) April 26, 2021
Managing Director Wayne Roper, 45 – who founded Blackedge Brewery 12 years ago – has since said that he does not wish to expand upon his initial Twitter statement and decision to suspend bookings at the venue due to receiving “backlash” from locals.
The #NoMoreNoShows campaign encourages all customers to contact venues if they cannot make their reservation and rebook for a different time, and one of the early backers of the campaign – Abi Dunn at Manchester-based hospitality recruitment company, Sixty Eight People – has continued to emphasise to customers that “it’s ok to cancel”.
“In no other area of business is it acceptable to renege on a contract in this way,” she stated.
“We have to change the way people behave and the notion that no shows are acceptable.
“Greater Manchester is a metropolis of bars, dining, coffee hang outs, gastronomic delights and nights to remember.
“Please help them all stay open”.
Featured Image – Blackedge Brewing Company Ltd
Food & Drink
Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The huge LA-based fried chicken brand backed by Drake is heading to Manchester for the very first time this summer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open in the Printworks this August – the first UK branch outside of London and Birmingham.
The cult chicken brand has said that its new venue will feature an ‘industrial design inspired by Manchester’s rave scene’ (if we had a pound every time a new venue used that design style, we’d be as rich as Drake…).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is famed for its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, which is served in seven different spice levels from No Spice to Reaper.
Expect sliders, tenders, ‘next-level’ top-loaded shakes and slushes.
It’s grown so quickly that in 2021, it caught the eye of none other than rapper Drake, who is a ‘significant investor’ in the brand.
The fried chicken spot will be moving into the large corner unit at Printworks, which has previously been Busaba Thai, and Floripa, with 139 covers.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester
Inside, it will feature towering ceilings, exposed steelwork, and laser lights, claiming to be a ‘full-on sensory trip, where music, light and fried chicken will come together to create a high-voltage experience’.
There will also be custom graffiti inspired by L.A.-based street artists Splatterhaus and Dehm.
Dave’s Hot Chicken still has hour-long queues down in London, several months after opening on Shaftesbury Avenue – next up will be a Birmingham branch in July before Manchester opens later this summer.
And this is just the start of a nationwide expansion.
Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “Printworks Manchester is the ideal setting for our next UK site – right at the heart of one of the country’s most exciting cities.
“The new restaurant pays homage to Manchester’s legendary warehouse rave scene, with an industrial-inspired design and bold, high-energy atmosphere to match our signature flavours.
“We can’t wait to bring something fresh to this iconic venue and its vibrant mix of entertainment, food and culture.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open at Printworks Manchester on 8 August.
Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
Emily Sergeant -
28th April 2021 
