The former Albert’s Chop House site is becoming a gastropub, following the quiet closure of the popular traditional English restaurant in the summer.
The iconic Memorial Hall will reopen as gastropub The Fountain House this November, serving up classic English pub favourites like fish and chips, steak, and pies in a premium setting.
Named as a nod to the stunning Victorian fountain opposition, designed by the buildings’ architect Thomas Worthington, it will open on 11, November.
Split over three floors of the stunning Grade II building, it has undergone a complete refurbishment since being taken over from former tenants Alberts Chop House.
Promising a “chic yet charming pub atmosphere”, The Fountain House is the first northern site for The Metropolitan Pub Company, which largely operates in London and across the south ofEngland.
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Image: supplied
The acquisition of the former Albert Square Chop House in the heart of Manchester represents a bold step for the brand as they expand and bring their premium offering to like-minded guests across the country.
Hoping to create a “must-visit” experience for Manchester’s hospitality scene, The Fountain House will combine classic British pub culture and cuisine with a quality wine and cask ale offering.
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To ensure the new site retains its heritage and Mancunian spirit, The Metropolitan Pub Company has appointed an experienced Manchester-based hospitality manager, Lawrence Hallows, to oversee the transition.
Hallows previously worked with the Chop House company in multiple roles – including as a weddings and events manager – and knows the building better than anyone.
A former team member at Albert’s Chop House, Lawrence has worked at the site since 2014 at every level of the business.
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Image: supplied
Having recently seen the venue pass through the challenge of COVID 19, Lawrence believes now is the perfect time for the Metropolitan Pub Company to help reignite the iconic sites offering.
Speaking on the new opening Lawrence Hallows, Sales Manager at Metro Pub Co. said: “It’s no secret that lockdown has fundamentally changed eating and drinking habits for customers. Now restrictions have eased, people tend to go out less often, but spend more when they do go out, to make the most of the experience.
“The location of The Fountain House, right in the centre of Manchester’s business district and focal point of the Town Hall, tells you everything you need to know about its potential.
“Local city workers, tourists and premium weekend drinkers are all looking for a high quality space with an equally outstanding food and drink offering, and that’s what The Fountain House will provide.”
Michael Horan, managing director of Metropolitan Pub Company, said: “We are really excited to bring our first pub to Manchester. The Memorial Hall site is perfect, as it will allow us to team our premium gastropub experience to customers in the heart of the city.”
Feature image – supplied
Manchester
Man jailed after violently assaulting two female police officers at Manchester Airport
Emily Sergeant
A man who assaulted two female police officers at Manchester Airport in a high-profile case back in 2024 has now been jailed.
PCs Lydia Ward and Ellie Cook – who each have eight years of experience and service at Greater Manchester Police (GMP) – were part of a team of officers based at Manchester Airport who responded to a report of a headbutt in Terminal 2 on the evening of 23 July 2024.
When officers went to arrest the man, named as 21-year-old Mohammed Fahir Amaaz from Rochdale, he initially resisted before turning and attacking police.
During the shocking incident, PC Ward – an unarmed officer – suffered a broken nose after being subjected to actual bodily harm by Amaaz, while PC Cook, who was armed, suffered an injured jaw after being assaulted.
Many may remember that a short clip of the incident – which was recorded by a bystander – went viral after it was uploaded to social media without any wider context, leading to the officers involved becoming subjected to online abuse and condemnation.
A CCTV image of the brawl in action / Credit: CPS
PC Ward described the whole situation as ‘so confusing’.
“I have never seen anyone so violent,” she added in a victim impact statement. “I have never been so scared. It was utterly terrifying.”
PC Cook explained that she was left ‘traumatised by the incident’, adding: “I hate that we were judged by everyone. We were just doing a job – we were trying to protect the public.”
Last week (Friday 26 June), Amaaz appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he has sentenced to three and a half years in jail for his role in the incident.
Speaking on the sentencing, GMP’s Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson commented: “This incident began after a man was headbutted in a public place in front of his family.
“Our officers were responding quickly to precisely the sort of outrageous criminal behaviour that rightly offends the public. In undertaking their duties, officers were met with resistance and violence, followed by online vilification, condemnation and adverse commentary from those who did not have the full facts.
Read more:
Rochdale man, 20, found guilty of assaulting police officers at Manchester Airport
“It is vital that officers get the respect and support they deserve for routinely putting themselves in harm’s way to protect the public.
“Assaults on police officers are sadly all too common – 35 of my officers are assaulted every week across GM – and such incidents can never be justified.”
Featured Image – GMP
Manchester
Robyn: The Sexistential Tour – Co-op Live, Manchester | Review
Lonnie Bowes
There are pop stars, and then there is Robyn.
There’s something about the Co-op Live that still feels new, but last night it felt like it had been waiting for a show like this. The Swedish icon brought her long-awaited Sexistential Tour to Manchester, and from the first beat drop, the arena was hers.
Opening with a wall of robes, strobes and a euphoric rush of synths. Robyn didn’t so much arrive as materialise – already dancing, already fully committed. The production was immense; towering LED rigs, carefully crafted lighting, and a stage that somehow managed to feel intimate despite the sheer scale of the room. It was a proper spectacle.
Images: The Manc Group
The setlist drew from across her catalogue, weaving newer material around the bangers with real care. Honey felt celestial. With Every Heartbeat did what it always does. And when the opening bars of Dancing On My Own finally landed, the roar that met them was something else entirely – the kind that gives you goosebumps on the back of your neck. Even if you’ve heard the song a thousand times it still landed it like it was the first time.
What strikes you most about Robyn, though, isn’t the production or even the songs. It’s how real she seems up there. She throws herself into every lyric, dances like nobody’s watching, and radiates a kind of joy that feels hard-won rather than performed. In an era of very calculated pop, that matters.
The Sexistential Tour is exactly what it promises – big questions about love, loneliness, and what it means to just exist, set to some of the best pop music ever written.
Manchester, she owned us and I think we are all okay with that.
Georgina Pellant -
29th October 2021 
