A Manchester cocktail bar has been named the best in the UK for two years running.
City centre cocktail bar Schofield’s, run by two brothers from Rossendale with a wealth of global experience in the hospitality industry, was awarded the gong last night at the prestigious Class Bar Mag awards.
Last year, Schofield’s won both Bar of the Year and New Bar of the Year too. Now, it’s followed up on that success by taking home the coveted Bar of the Year award once again.
It’s a huge coup for the northern cocktail scene, with the prestigious bar awards normally being dominated by London establishments.
Hamish Smith, editor of Class and co-host of the Class Bar Awards, said: “The 78 finalists this year were the strongest and most geographically diverse since we relaunched the Awards in 2017.
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Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
“London remains strong but the Bar of the Year is in Manchester again, the New Bar of the Year is in Birmingham, the Bar Innovator of the Year is in Edinburgh and the bar leading sustainable practices is in Cornwall – there are countless other bars up and down the UK propelling the industry forward.
“Not in recent memory has the UK bar scene felt as rich in talent, or as evenly spread. London doesn’t lead the global bar industry anymore, the UK does.”
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The award-winning cocktail bar also scooped up a gong at this year’s World 100 Best Cocktail Bar awards, stunning industry folk as it became the first Manchester bar to ever be listed in the prestigious list.
First opened in the summer of 2021 as pandemic restrictions on northern hospitality began to ease, Schofield’s has won a string of awards and is widely recognised amongst punters and industry alike as one of the city’s best boozers.
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Brothers Daniel and Joe have since gone on to open more bars in the city: taking on Atomeca at Deansgate Square, followed by Sterling underneath the Stock Exchange hotel.
More recently, the brothers made their first venture into the world of restaurants, taking over the former Bull and Bear space to open new venture The Stock Market Grill.
Speaking to The Manc on the award win, Daniel Schofield said: “For two years in a row, we have won the best bar in the UK at the prestigious Class awards.
“We are honoured to receive this recognition but we are even prouder of the teams at SCHOFIELD’S BAR, STERLING, ATOMECA and the STOCK MARKET GRILL.
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“We are very grateful for being finalists for Best New Bar and Best Bar Food for STERLING, Industry Innovators for Joe and myself, as well as seeing Rachel Orange be nominated for the Best Bartender in the UK.”
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Manchester
‘Exclusive’ Manchester nightclub shares customer’s eye-watering £88k bill
Daisy Jackson
A nightclub in Manchester has shared a picture of a recent customer’s bill – and to call them a big spender would be underselling it.
The luxury nightclub posted a photo of a bill that racked up to an eye-watering £88k.
Or, to be very specific, £88,589.60.
The flash customer was at The Continental Club, otherwise known as The Conti, an ‘exclusive’ bar and club on South King Street.
The bar is a drastic departure from the former nightlife spot which stood in its place – the building was previously home to South, a legendary underground club famed for its alternative soundtrack.
Now it’s got a new life as a nightlife haunt where, apparently, it’s not uncommon to spend the equivalent of a small terrace house on drinks.
The bar shared the picture of the receipt yesterday, describing it as a ‘record-breaker’.
The Continental Club has claimed that it’s not only the biggest spend in its own walls, but the most expensive bill to have ever taken place in any club in Manchester.
‘Exclusive’ Manchester nightclub shares customer’s eye-watering £88k bill
Curious to see how exactly a person could spend £88k on drinks? Let’s break down some of the more expensive items.
Let’s kick things off with three bottles of Clase Azul Ultra Extra Anejo, a tequila which retails for around £2.5k but set this customer back £9,500 a pop…
Then there’s a couple of magnums of Dom Perignon rose champagne (£2,000 each), a few bottles of Armand de Brignac Ace of Spades Champagne (£1,500 each), and a few £950 bottles of Chivas Regal 25 whiskey.
It makes the £850 Grey Goose at the bottom seem like child’s play.
They also slammed at least 48 Red Bulls, according to the bill.
Then on top of that you’ve got a staggering £8k worth of service charge – some very happy staff went home that night, I’d imagine.
The Continental Club wrote: “Some come to sip…others come to set records. The biggest table spend to EVER take place in a club in Manchester.”
India’s most beloved singer Shreya Ghoshal announces Manchester arena gig
Daisy Jackson
Shreya Ghoshal, one of India’s most celebrated singers, will be performing in Manchester next spring as part of a new UK tour.
The star will be heading out on a global run of dates on The Unstoppable Tour, performing to fans in three arenas in the UK.
She has announced a huge arena show in Manchester at the AO Arena, as well as gigs in Birmingham and London.
As well as dates in the UK, Shreya will perform across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australia, South Africa and North America.
Shreya Ghoshal will take audiences on a journey that spans from her soulful beginnings to her global stardom.
She has been an enduring force in Indian music for more than two decades, and The Unstoppable Tour will prove exactly why.
There’ll be a setlist of her most iconic hits, like ‘Dola Re Dola’, ‘Teri Meri’, ‘Deewani Mastani’, and ‘Sun Raha Hai’, as well as new music that reflects her evolving artistry.
She first became known after winning the TV singing competition Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, going on to win a National Film Award at just 18 years old with Devdas.
Shreya has more than 12 billion streams on Spotify and 42 million monthly listeners, and ranked as the number one artist on Spotify last year in India.
Shreya Ghoshal said: “I am looking forward to bringing The Unstoppable Tour to the UK! When I dreamed of The Unstoppable Tour, I wanted to create something that feels alive, something that connects heartbeats across the world.
“This tour is deeply personal to me, it’s a reflection of every note, every story, and every emotion that has shaped my journey so far.
“It’s a celebration of the people, memories, and moments that are so special. For me, that’s what makes it truly unstoppable.”
Shreya Ghoshal will perform at the AO Arena in Manchester on 10 April 2026, with general sale tickets live from 10am on Friday 28 November HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
24th May 2023 
