Beloved student stomping ground and long-standing pub The Footage has suddenly closed its doors as university regulars and city centre locals have been left in shock.
The Oxford Road institution, which served as one of the busiest and most affordable student pubs for more than three decades and was rejuvenated back in 2014, looks to have sadly posted a closure notice over the May bank holiday weekend.
Formerly The Grosvenor Picture Palace, hence its modern-day name, the ex-cinema turned public house was also a great spot for student deals on no-nonsense pub grub and a go-to spot for watching live sport, having only recently shared a post welcoming England fans ahead of the Euros.
Unfortunately, it all looks to have been premature as The Footage is now listed as “permanently closed” online and the team has now shared a statement on their website.
The brief statement simply reads: “We will no longer be trading after Saturday, 25 May. It has been a pleasure serving the community and we shall miss you!”
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The Footage was previously a branch of the Riley’s Snooker Club and pool hall chain before first opening as a pub, first called Flea and Firkin, back in 1990. The pub was then renamed to The Footage and Firkin prior to the takeover which saw the suffix ultimately dropped.
People reacting online have been left gutted by the news, with one user on Reddit commenting, “The last hold out of Scream Pubs from circa 2004. A sad day” and another going on to say, “Can’t believe it’s gone! I always go there for the football and it’s always busy?!”
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Social media is full of people mourning the pub and reminiscing years of watching live sports inside the Grade-II listed building and spending uni socials there. A third Redditor wrote: “One of my favourite bars in the mid-90s. So many nights spent with the bouncers asking us to stop dancing on the tables.”
Operated by Crafted Social as part of the wider Stonegate Pub Group, The Footage was one of several Manchester boozers said to be under threat earlier this year.
They operate 4,400 pub and bars around the UK in total, including dozens across Greater Manchester. We approached Footage and their owners for a comment on the abrupt closure but are yet to receive a response.
Rest in peace to a truly great pub that we ourselves spent many an evening in, you will be sorely missed.
Featured Images — The Manc Group/The Footage (via Facebook)
Food & Drink
Joe & The Juice to open even MORE locations in Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Joe & The Juice is set to launch yet more juice bars and coffee shops in Manchester city centre.
The viral brand used to have a spot in town within the former Debenhams building, but vanished from Greater Manchester when the department store folded.
But its comeback has been remarkable since reopening in town last year, with the number of Joe & The Juice locations now at an all-time high.
And there are even more on the way…
Bright pink hoardings have appeared on a corner unit on Princess Street, right off St Peter’s Square, teasing a new Joe & The Juice cafe in the city centre.
The unit has been empty for at least 10 years, despite being in such a prime part of the city centre.
Plans were also revealed last year for the Danish-based brand to open within the reopened Sunlight House on Quay Street.
Joe & The Juice is coming to St Peter’s Square in ManchesterJoe & The Juice on Cross Street
The new additions will bring the number of Joe & The Juices in Greater Manchester to five, adding to their existing portfolio of Cross Street, Manchester Airport T2, and the Trafford Centre.
The brand is known for its signature menu of juices, smoothies, health shots, coffees and matchas, plus its viral Scandi-inspired sandwiches like the Tunacado.
With more than 300 juice bars and coffee shops around the world, Joe & The Juice’s pink branding has become a familiar site globally since its launch in 2002.
An exact opening date for the new St Peter’s Square Joe & The Juice hasn’t been revealed yet, but the signs promise it’s ‘coming soon’.
Inside the new Manchester food hall opening in a Grade II-listed building
Daisy Jackson
The operators behind a brand-new food hall in Manchester city centre have shared a glimpse inside.
Work is underway to transform the Grade II-listed Ducie Street Warehouse into an enormous food hall concept, with 11 kitchens plus an outdoor terrace, mini cinema, tequila bar, and game rooms.
When it opens this summer, Manchester Street Food will also have a self-service beer tap wall and two stages, as well as a 75-cover private hire space.
Ducie Street Warehouse closed late last year to make room for the building’s new chapter, as the team behind Edinburgh Street Food (ESF) take the reins.
In new images shared today, original features like the arched brick ceilings and terracotta tiled floors will be retained, but the space will have plenty of colour added in the form of murals, painted pillars, and neons.
ESF is looking to expand right across the UK over the next five years, kicking off here in Manchester on the edges of the Northern Quarter.
The 15,000 sq ft internal space, just a stone’s throw from Manchester Piccadilly, will have space for 450 people inside plus another 180 on the south-facing terrace outside.
The games room at Manchester Street FoodThe 32-seat cinemaInside Manchester Street Food
A winter garden will host breakfast service, while guest traders will take over the terrace to keep the offering fresh.
The existing 32-seat mini cinema in the building will be retained in the new plans for Manchester Street Food.
Manchester Street Food is expected to generate 180 employee opportunities.
Ben MacMillan, ESF Managing Director, said: “Manchester has always been a city with incredible energy, creativity and a love of food, so bringing our concept here in this stunning venue is a natural and exciting next step.
“We want to create a space brought to life by local artists which celebrates the city’s culture and provides line up independent traders and brewers a city centre platform to shine.
“We’ve seen how much people embraced the spirit of ESF in Edinburgh and we know Manchester, with its energy and hunger for innovation will take it to another level. We’re incredibly excited about making the city our second home.”
Danny Jones -
28th May 2024 
