A bar in Manchester is giving away free pints of beer this month in partnership with craft brewery favourite Tiny Rebel.
The Botanist, which has a bar and restaurant on Deansgate and another in Didsbury Village, is offering everyone the chance to enjoy a free pint of Tiny Rebel beer this September.
It has teamed up with the independent brewery to host a treasure hunt across Manchester, hiding 21 prints of Tiny Rebel’s bear mascot around the city.
Dressed in a host of location-specific looks, the bears will be placed around Manchester city centre and Didsbury village nearby to its venues.
In order to get their hands on a free pint, all customers need to do is find a Botanist Bear and scan the QR code on its poster. This wil take them through to a survey, which once completed wiill automatically send them a voucher for a pint of Clwb Tropica.
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Beer-lovers are entitled to one free pint per person per city and the QR code will continue giving new hunters a free beer until the campaign ends at the end of the month.
If you find a Botanist Bear in another city, you will qualify for another pint, in that location. Simply scan the corresponding QR code in each city in order to redeem your drink in that location.
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The bears will be positioned around key landmarks in The Botanist’s locations from 8 September and beer-seekers can redeem their free pint any time up until 30.
As well as receiving a free beer, everyone who scans any of the 21 different QR codes will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a tour of the Tiny Rebel Brewery in Newport, South Wales – and there are five tours for two people up for grabs.
Tiny Rebel has promised to give away a whole year’s supply of beer to the person who finds the most bears around the country between 8 and 30 September.
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The winner will initially get 12 cases of Tiny Rebel beer, along with some exclusive merch, and will then continue to receive another case every month for the following 11 months.
Bears are located in Bath, Alderley Edge, Birmingham, Cardiff, Cheltenham, Chester, Didsbury, Exeter, Farnham, Ipswich, Knutsford, Lincoln, Media City, Newcastle, Reading, Sheffield, Leeds, Warrington, West Bridgford, Worcester and York.
You can now have dinner in the actual dressing rooms at Co-op Live
Daisy Jackson
Co-op Live has now launched exclusive backstage dining experiences – which means you could be having dinner inside the very dressing rooms that have hosted music megastars.
These new groundbreaking new Backstage Private Dining experiences feature menus curated by Simon Rimmer.
This will be the first time that the arena’s most exclusive artist areas have been open to guests.
There’ll be 10 selected dates from May 2026, where ticket-holders can eat dinner in dressing rooms that were previously occupied by the likes of Lady Gaga and Bruce Springsteen.
Guests will be able to choose from several packages, from intimate receptions and private three-course dinners inside the dressing rooms, to lavish extras like a Bentley chauffeur-driven arrival, live entertainment, and extended backstage access.
The most premium package will also offer access to Co-op Live’s adidas Originals recording studio.
Proceeds from the Backstage Private Dining will go towards supporting Co-op Live’s official charity partner, the Co-op Foundation, which tackles inequality and supports communities across the UK.
Chef Simon Rimmer commented: “Having worked with Co-op Live for some time, it’s incredibly exciting to now be involved with this unique series of Backstage Private Dining.
“It’s a rare opportunity to further combine the world-class music venue with exceptional food, and I can’t wait to showcase how these experiences can come to life together, creating truly unforgettable evenings for our guests.”
Becci Thomson, Chief Commercial Officer at Co-op Live, said: “From day one, our ambition has been to challenge expectations of what an arena can deliver, and we’re now delighted to introduce a new dimension of premium hospitality at Co-op Live.
“This collaboration unlocks new creative potential within the venue, offering experiences that have not previously been possible. It reflects our commitment to innovation and meaningful impact within the communities we support.”
Designed and delivered in partnership with Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC), Founder and CEO Liz Taylor said: “Opportunities like this are rare. Co-op Live is a venue built for scale, spectacle and ambition — and that’s exactly how we are approaching these events.
“Whether it’s an intimate milestone celebration or a brand hosting at the highest level, these will be immersive, one-night-only experiences designed to deliver real impact. We are proud to have been chosen to help shape this next chapter, bringing creativity, precision and bold thinking to a space that demands nothing less.”
Salford industrial estate bakery with incredible cinnamon rolls to open new site
Daisy Jackson
Mayya Bakery, a local ‘hidden gem’ with incredible cinnamon rolls, is set to open a brand-new bakery that will make it significantly less hidden.
Until now, Mayya has been quietly trading from an industrial estate in Salford, where it’s built a great reputation for its bakes despite an off-the-beaten-track-location and relatively little social media fanfare.
It opened its doors in 2024, operated by former primary school teacher Meli and her husband, dentist Oguz.
This is an artisan bakery with a real Turkish flare, with plenty of comfort food like freshly made gözleme (or gozzies for short) and bigger dishes if you fancy sitting in.
Their counters are stuffed with sweet bakes, like their perfect cinnamon rolls, plus loaves, babka, cookies, and homemade cheesecake.
For bigger dishes, you’ll find breakfast dishes like Turkish eggs, Simit (a traditional sesame bagel) breakfasts, and menemen.
The counters at Mayya Bakery’s current locationIncredible cheesecake at Mayya BakerySigns on Chapel Street Salford for the new Mayya Bakery
And now Mayya Bakery has revealed plans to open a new location in a much more prominent spot in town, with signs appearing in the windows of a unit on Chapel Street.
The sign reads: “Everything is homemade – including this picture.”
It also quips: “They called us hidden gem… not hidden anymore.”
Mayya will open on Chapel Street soon – keep an eye on our food and drink Instagram page The Manc Eats for the latest.
The Manc -
7th September 2022 
