This week the Salford Rum Company has opened its very first distillery, bar and rum school just off Chapel Street in Salford.
Aptly named The Dirty Old Town Distillery after The Pogues hit track from their 1985 album Rum Sodomy & the Lash, it’s located in an appropriately industrial setting – a former railway arch on Viaduct Street.
Inside, a bar and seating area put the focus on the rum that started it all – serving a range of simple (but delicious) rum cocktails and spirit mixers, alongside regularly changing beers from local breweries like Shindigger.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The brand’s iconic bottles, covered in hand-drawn historic maps of industrial Salford by local artist Dave Draws, line shelves behind the bar and on the walls as you enter, with a magnificent column still in pride of place on a stage at the back of the bar.
The walls are covered in more hand-drawn artwork from Dave Draws, this time depicting Salford in 2022 – with landmarks like Peel Park, Salford Cinema, the Ship Canal and Salford Lad’s Club all proudly nodding towards the area’s local history.
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Elsewhere, chunky wooden tables and black and white photographs pulled from Salford’s historical archives line the walls.
Image: The Manc Eats
Here, for the first time since the brand launched in 2018, locals have a place to sit down and enjoy the sweet spirit – be that on its own, as a sipping rum, or in simple but elegant mixers like rum and coke ice cream floats, or a classic rum and ginger beer, elevated by the addition of clementine puree and fresh ginger.
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It’s a big step up for the brand, which has come a long way from its early days on the Manchester Maker’s markets.
Created three years ago by two rugby-league-playing high school friends, James Harrison and Tommy Gaughan, Salford Rum has created two core expressions since its launch in 2018; a golden Salford Spiced Rum and Salford Dark Spice.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The pair learned about premium rum making on top of their day jobs, and with a small self-funded start up investment of just £8,000, created their first premium golden spiced spirit as a passionate celebration of the history, heritage and people of the Salford Docks
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Inspired by an era whereby the city’s Salford Docks grew to be the third-largest port in the UK, Salford Rum takes its flavour inspiration from the rums, fruits and spices from the Caribbean which were landing on British shores for the first time in that bygone time
Today, inside the brand new distillery and bar, the pair plan to innovate and experiment with new expressions to complement their core range – as well as host rum school experiences where guests can enjoy guided tastings and experiment with making their own rums too.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
Speaking on the new opening Tommy Gaughan, one half of the duo responsible for launching Salford Rum, said: “The support we’ve had locally for Salford Rum is nothing short of incredible. When looking for somewhere to take the brand to the next level, it was always going to be in Salford, and always going to be a place whereby our supporters can come and feel like they’re part of the Salford family.”
Salford Rum co-founder James Harrison added: “It’s been quite a ride and our first step into hospitality feels surreal. It’s time for us to grow in Greater Manchester’s vibrant drinks scene and for the brand to have somewhere to develop and – of course – serve awesome drinks.
“We’re grounded in Salford and are wholly dedicated to bringing to life what the city has to offer – be it local talent, drinks and team members.
“We trialled a lot of offering over Christmas and have some brilliant ideas in the pipeline to truly bring to life how special Salford’s place on the Greater Manchester map is. The city has so much to offer, and where we can we’ll be championing it
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Food & Drink
Tiny Manchester restaurant with just 12 seats added to the Michelin Guide
Daisy Jackson
Sampa, a tiny restaurant in the Northern Quarter with just a dozen seats, has been added to the Michelin Guide.
The Brazilian chef’s table concept comes from the acclaimed chef and former MasterChef star Caroline Martins, who has been refining the concept across the city for years.
She’s gone from a residency in an Ancoats wine bar to supper clubs and pop-ups across Manchester – and now has a place in the Michelin Guide.
Sampa, which is almost fully booked all the way through to August, is the first Brazilian restaurant in the UK to be included in the prestigious guide, which Caroline has described as ‘a small step for me as a chef patron, but a massive moment for the Brazilian community’.
Not only is the restaurant small, but it’s exclusive – Sampa is almost fully booked all the way through to August, and keeps its location under wraps until just 24 hours before your reservation.
The food showcases both traditional Brazilian techniques and ingredients, but with a modern take which has earned it rave reviews – including its signature Dormouse dessert, in the shape of a glossy red mushroom.
The Michelin Guide wrote: “In Manchester’s artsy Northern Quarter, Sampa is quite literally hidden away, with the exact address of this 12-seater chef’s counter only provided to guests 24 hours prior to dining, and a sign hung outside the door just 20 minutes before service.
“This sense of intrigue is fitting for an immersive experience where Chef Caroline Martins hosts her guests in a gregarious manner and treats them to a surprise menu of Brazilian cuisine.
“From the traditional ‘pão de queijo’ cheese bread to the showstopping ‘Dormouse’ dessert, these are fun, flavourful dishes packed with personality.”
And speaking of the honour, Caroline wrote: “SAMPA is now officially the first ever restaurant in the UK under the category “Brazilian” in the @michelinguide — and one of five across Europe! A small step for me as a chef patron, but a massive moment for the Brazilian community.
“This year has already gone beyond anything I could have imagined — and it just keeps getting better. We’re so proud of what we do at SAMPA every single day.
“Since January 2025, we’ve continued to grow and push forward, and it truly feels like we’re stronger than ever.
“A huge thank you to the Michelin Guide for the recognition, and to our amazing guests for being part of this journey and supporting us every step of the way. OBRIGADA!”
A sports bar dedicated to women’s sports is opening in Stockport
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new women’s-led sports bar is opening in Stockport, marking a first for the North.
Rita Ray’s will be joining the line-up at Weir Mill, the new neighbourhood from Capital & Centric on the banks of the River Mersey.
While women’s sport has grown in popularity in recent years, Rita Ray’s founder says that ‘the spaces to watch it haven’t caught up’.
And so, this new sports bar concept has been born, with all the buzz of a classic sports bar but with women’s sport on the big screens.
The venue will be family-friendly by day, before shifting into a lively social hangout with great drinks, music, and post-matchday energy by night.
It plans to become a community cornerstone too, hosting things like run clubs, classes, quiz nights, book clubs, pop-ups, and community meet-ups.
Founder of Rita Ray’s, Becky Brown, has named the bar after her grandparents Rita and Ray, who loved life, games, golf, and good company.
She says there’s ‘nothing like this in the North at the moment’.
Rita Ray’s sports bar is the second independent venture announced for Weir Mill this month alone – Italian restaurant The Social Trattoria is also heading to Stockport this year.
Becky said: “Women’s sport has grown massively, but the spaces to watch it haven’t caught up.
“There’s nothing like this in the North at the moment, and Stockport and the Weir Mill neighbourhood felt like the perfect spot – creative, independent, and full of character. Rita Ray’s is about sport, community, and inclusion.”
Tom Wilmot, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “Rita Ray’s is exactly the kind of bold, indie concept we love bringing into our neighbourhoods. It’s a brilliant addition to Weir Mill and a great example of the independent operators helping shape this new part of Stockport.”
Cllr Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for regeneration, skills and economy, said: “Seeing the North’s first independent bar dedicated to women’s sport choose Weir Mill is a fantastic vote of confidence in Stockport.
“This kind of bold, community‑minded business will add to the growing sense of place we’re creating here – an inclusive space where everyone can come together to enjoy sport, meet friends, and feel part of something special.
“This is exactly what regeneration should deliver: new jobs, strong independents and more reasons for people to spend time in our town centre, while keeping the character that makes Stockport what it is.
“Investment of this quality shows the direction we’re heading and the momentum we’re building, ensuring Stockport remains a vibrant, welcoming and thriving place for residents, visitors and businesses alike.”
Rita Ray’s is all set to open this summer at Weir Mill in Stockport, just in time to roar on the Three Lions.
Georgina Pellant -
16th June 2022 
