Manchester beer masters Seven Brothers have quietly announced that their Middlewood Locks venue has closed its doors.
The local brewery has built an impressive empire across Greater Manchester over the past decade, with two other Northern sites in Liverpool and Halifax to boot, not to mention a well-established online store as well as being stocked in supermarkets up and down the country.
However, one of their smaller sites over in Salford – where the brand was born back in 2014 – has sadly had to call it a day after more than five years.
Residents at the Middlewood Locks apartment complex, which served as its primary customer base, first noticed that the venue was closed last Wednesday (22 January) and now Seven Brothers have confirmed as much in a brief statement on their website.
Although no news has been shared on social media, a quick search for the Middlewood bar on their Locations page reveals a short update.
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“It is with a heavy heart that we have had to take the decision to close our Middlewood Locks beerhouse. Apologies for any inconvenience”, the statement reads.
Commenting under their most recent Instagram post, one punter wrote, “Just walked by there’s a van and staff taking furniture apart inside”, while another added: “Really gutted about this! Nice staff, decent food and nice vibe.”
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Offering no explanation as yet as to the reason behind the closure, we can only assume the business is facing many of the same pressures other UK independents are, especially in the hospitality sector.
We’d love to just all of these closures on something in the air and hope it goes away soon before claiming any more hospitality casualties, but the reality is that news like this is simply the result of the ongoing economic pressures facing everyone.
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Not only is the cost of living crisis hitting everyone at home and preventing them from being able to go out and enjoy a night at the pub like so many regulars did at Seven Brothers, but with business rates and energy bills continue to climb for local companies like this, it’s becoming harder and harder to stay afloat.
We’re truly gutted for everyone on the receiving end of these unfortunate circumstances and pray that everyone gets back on their feet as soon as possible.
We got some real gems in 2024 and we’d rather not see that list get longer this year.
Inside Manchester’s new padel club with a Pot Kettle Black cafe and courtside cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and it’s really picking up speed in Manchester now too with another city centre club opening this month.
The Pollen Club is a little different to the others, in that it’s fully undercover and protected from Manchester’s less-than-favourable weather.
And another thing that makes it a must-visit is the cafe attached to it – a third site for the beloved Pot Kettle Black.
The Pollen Club and Pot Kettle Black have both taken over a prominent city centre spot just off Deansgate, at the foot of the recently-opened Treehouse Hotel.
There are two state-of-the-art padel courts inside, with a mezzanine terrace for enjoy Pot Kettle Black’s offerings.
In summer, there are plans to launch a bar downstairs too, where you can sip spritzes courtside from loungers and swing seats.
The exciting new Manchester padel club will host pop up events, DJ takeovers and an extended evening food offering.
Pot Kettle Black are part of the new padel clubInside Manchester’s new padel club, The Pollen ClubPot Kettle Black are part of the new padel club
And even if you’re not heading inside The Pollen Club, Pot Kettle Black has a grab-and-go hatch facing onto Blackfriars Street, making their delicious coffees, sandwiches and pastries (from their own bakery Half Dozen Other) even more accessible.
Commenting on the opening of the new site, Pot Kettle Black co-owner, Mark Flanagan said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have opened our third Pot Kettle Black site at The Padel Club. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.
“After ten years in the city we’ve been enjoying seeing some familiar faces stopping by for a coffee and we can’t wait to get started on our programme of summer events!”
Insomnia Cookies is giving away FREE cookies to anyone with these two names
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s late-night sweet treat spot Insomnia Cookies is dishing out freebies this week… but there’s a catch.
You have to be called one of two specific names to get one.
With the long bank holiday weekend upon us, those in-the-know will also have noticed that this Sunday isn’t just Easter Sunday, it also happens to be 4/20… and that means Insomnia Cookies is back with its ‘blazing’ £4.20 deal, giving you the chance to bag a box of four warm cookies while saving nearly £7 at the same time.
But even better still, if you happen to have either the first or middle name ‘Mary’ or ‘Jane’, then you can also get yourself a warm tasty cookie for free.
To mark both 4/20, and celebrate the launch of its newest strain of mouthwatering cookie, the Mary Jane, anyone called Mary or Jane can pop into either of Insomnia Cookies’ two Manchester city centre sites – Cross Street and University Green – show their valid ID with their name on, and walk alway with a cookie free of charge.
If you want to try the new Mary Jane cookie, then this limited-edition special is made up of a cookies n cream dough base, packed with rainbow sprinkles.
The freebie deal has been running all week, and you have up until 3am on Monday 21 April to take advantage of it.
Customers will be limited to one free cookie per day.
Insomnia Cookies is giving away free cookies to anyone with these two names / Credit: Insomnia Cookies UK
If you aren’t lucky enough to be called one of those two names though, then thankfully you can still make some great savings on a classic four-pack of cookies over the spring bank holiday weekend, and for every four-pack sold, £1 will be donated to Groundwork – a charity helping make Manchester greener for nature and for local people.
“We’re calling for Marys and Janes to join us to live the high life with free cookies all week,” commented Millie Ralston, Head of Marketing at Insomnia Cookies.
Danny Jones -
28th January 2025 
