Over in Bury, there’s a charming East Lancashire Railway pub that’s just won a huge award for its collection of real ales and ciders.
Called The Trackside, you’ll find it at the heritage railway’s Bury Bolton Street Station serving up a huge selection of special beers and ales from local breweries, like Brightside’s Odin Blonde – brewed just down the road in Radcliffe.
Recently voted the area’s Pub of the Year by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), the award-winning booze is also a former CAMRA Cider Pub of the Year winner -boasting five different ciders, all dispensed from its cellar.
Image: The Trackside Pub
The pub combines some really excellent cask and keg ales with the nostalgia of the East Lancashire Railway, with a whopping 11 different hand pumps all permanently in use – one permanently pours the pub’s house ale, whilst the rest fluctuate with a variety of regularly-changing guests beers.
It also offers canopy seating on the station platform itself for those wanting to make the most of the full train station experience, a spot that’s a veritable sun trap when the Gods are blessing us (and with ample wall heaters that can be switched on the rest of the time).
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Inside, arches and alcoves are covered with old beer pump labels, whilst old globe chandeliers hang from the ceiling throwing a warm light across happy punters swigging their pints of local beer.
Image: The Trackside Pub
It’s easy to see why the Rochdale, Oldham and Bury branch of CAMRA named The Trackside its Pub of the Year for 2022.
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Voting was carried out by members of the local CAMRA branch, who looked at a number of elements including the selection of real ales and ciders available at the pub, service, welcome, inclusiveness, comfort and community feeling.
Tim Stronach, Supervisor at The Trackside, said: “After the difficult last few years we’ve come back stronger than ever, the entire Trackside team especially Thomas Jackson who runs the cellar. I could be here mentioning names all day over who deserves a shout out – the whole team work incredibly hard to deliver an excellent experience for our customers and it’s an honour to have played a part in the pub being named Bury area Pub of the Year.”
Local CAMRA Chairman, Peter Alexander comments: “I am delighted that this excellent pub has been chosen by a vote of our members. These awards are always closely contested and the exacting standards plus a great choice of real ale and cider have clearly been recognised.
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“The whole team at the Trackside is to be congratulated, with a special mention to Tim Stronach for his superb cellar work in ensuring beer and cider is always presented at its best. Congratulations to a very worthy winner.”
ELR Chairman, Mike Kelly, added: “The Trackside at Bury Bolton Street and Buffer Stops at Rawtenstall are an important and integral part of the heritage railway experience. Today we pay tribute to the entire Trackside team past and present, and this award is for them and recognises that they know their beers.”
Tipped for a renovation any day, make sure to get in touch before planning your visit – just in case they’ve started work already.
For information on upcoming events at The Trackside, visit the pub’s Facebook page here.
Food & Drink
First look at The Cut & Craft as magnificent new steak restaurant opens
Daisy Jackson
The wait is finally over – after several years and a few million pounds, The Cut & Craft is ready to open in Manchester… and it’s worth the wait.
This magnificent newcomer, already well-loved over in Leeds, has transformed an old Grade II-listed banking hall on Mosley Street into a decadent dining room.
Here, diners will sit beneath glittering chandeliers and ornate ceilings as they feast on premium locally-reared steaks, British seafood specials and a lengthy champagne and wine list.
Specialising in steak and seafood, with in-house butchery, The Cut & Craft has invested £3.5m to reinvigorate the former Manchester and Salford bank in the city centre.
Now, this landmark Victorian building is painted in rich blues and golds, with huge windows, private dining spaces, a sommelier lounge, and even a ‘gossip room’.
The restaurant will focus on quality steak and affordable seafood, served from lunch through to the evening.
Dishes will include freshly-shucked oysters, Exmoor caviar and hand-cut beef tartare with breaded yolk and sesame croutons, plus grilled monkfish, king scallops, fish and chips, grilled lamb cutlets and a signature 10 oz flat iron steak, which is butchered by an expert team in house.
The stunning restoration project for The Cut & Craft has been carried out in collaboration with Bruntwood SciTech who have carried out a complete reimagining of the building.
Inside The Cut & Craft in Manchester
Ciara Keeling, Chief Operating Officer at Bruntwood SciTech commented: “We are thrilled to be welcoming The Cut & Craft to Bond.
“In breathing new life into this iconic building, Bruntwood SciTech have created an inspiring new workspace and leisure destination, one which deserves an exceptional hospitality operator at its heart.
“Preservation of this building’s extraordinary heritage and architecture has been front of mind throughout the whole restoration project, and the ground floor banking hall space is no exception.
“In The Cut & Craft we have found a partner that will bring quality, elegance and laid back glamour to this magnificent space, completing Bond’s status as an exciting new destination for the city centre.”
The Cut & Craft officially opens in Manchester on Monday 28 April 2025 – see more HERE.
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!”
Georgina Pellant -
1st April 2022 
