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
Bewitching Christmas light trail Northern Lights will return to Heaton Park this year
Daisy Jackson
The festive light trail that proved to be a smash hit last winter will make a return to Manchester this year.
Northern Lights has just announced a major return to Heaton Park, with a brand-new Christmas Time Machine theme.
The dazzling mile-long light trail will transform the park into a wonderland with 14 different installations, plus selfie spots along the route.
And there’ll be a limited Kids Go Free offer on select dates, as well as inclusive evenings with reduced capacity and lower audio levels.
Northern Lights attracted more than 100,000 visitors when it made its Heaton Park debut last winter, and received rave reviews across the board.
This year, A Christmas Time Machine will take place from 19 November all the way through to the end of the year, inviting visitors to step back into their favourite festive memories with a nostalgic collection in installations.
Original soundscapes, spectacular new illuminations, and even a marshmallow zone will bring the fully accessible trail to life.
Northern Lights is returning to Manchester. Credit: Supplied
Visitors will walk along Candy Cane Lane, admire a giant neon slinky, and ogle at shimmering nutcrackers.
There’ll also be vintage fairground rides, cosy festive pit stops, and an expanded Christmas Village with artisan food and drink producers from across the region.
Demand is expected to be high for this year’s festivities, with Early Bird tickets just released to get you the best value prices of the year.
Emma St.Croix, Senior Marketing Manager at From The Fields, said: “The response to Northern Lights Manchester last year exceeded all of our expectations.
“The warmth and enthusiasm from visitors made it incredibly special for our team, and we’re delighted to be returning to Heaton Park with something completely new.
“Since January, we’ve been reimagining every part of the experience. A Christmas Time Machine takes visitors on a journey through the festive moments that stay with us long after the decorations come down. Nodding to the traditions we return to year after year, the nostalgia of Christmases gone by, and the excitement of creating new memories together.
“We can’t wait to welcome visitors back and share this next chapter of Northern Lights with families, friends and loved ones from across the region.”
Northern Lights will also host dedicated inclusive evenings on Wednesday 2 and Wednesday 9 December. Visitor numbers will be reduced by 75%, with lower audio levels throughout the trail to create a calmer environment that may be preferable for some neurodivergent visitors and those who benefit from a more relaxed experience.
Northern Lights Manchester tickets
Kids Go Free offer – available on selected Off-Peak Early Bird dates until 31 August (or until allocation is exhausted. Use code KIDSLIGHTS before selecting tickets to unlock.
Early Bird Pricing
Peak tickets – from £17.25 including transaction fee
Off-peak tickets – from £13.75 including transaction fee
Andy Burnham wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster
Emily Sergeant
Andy Burnham has set out his vision for the country if he is to become Prime Minister.
In case you need brining up to speed first, after it was announced earlier this month that Andy Burnham had clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231, he then went onto announce his intention to run for Labour Party leader, and therefore Prime Minister, after Keir Starmer confirmed he would be stepping down.
And this week, Mr Burnham has now delivered his first speech as part of his ongoing campaign, addressing how he plans to give the country a ‘new direction’.
Burnham says that he wants to bring the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to Westminster.
A lot has been discussed and reported on when it comes to Burnham’s intentions to create a so-called Number 10 North here in Manchester, but what exactly does it mean to take the ‘Greater Manchester way’ to the capital?
“The Greater Manchester way is based on strong partnership between all sectors: public, private, community, voluntary, academic, faith, and our trade unions,” Burnham said in his speech.
He continued: “When I started as Mayor in 2017, we set about building a new approach, a new politics based on the exact opposite of the Westminster approach.
“Place-first, not party-first. Problem-solving, not point-scoring. Long-term, not short-term.
“A decade on, it’s incredible how much we’ve been able to achieve by working together instead of fighting against one another.”
Burnham said he feels the truth is that the country spends ‘too much time arguing and not enough time doing’ and that for Britain to get back where it ‘should be’, his Government would ask everyone to ‘face the same way’ and then ‘pull in that same direction together’.
He declared that No 10 North will be the ‘nerve centre’ for a rewired Britain.
“It will be the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the UK,” he concluded. “It will coordinate all parts of Government, at national and local level, to agree a long-term economic strategy and help all places set new growth ambitions.”
Georgina Pellant -
24th May 2023 
