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
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of new ‘immersive’ museum
Emily Sergeant
Manchester City has revealed key information about its new museum experience designed to immerse visitors in the history and culture of the club.
Set to open later this year in the heart of the £300m Medlock Square entertainment district at Manchester’s Etihad Campus, the Manchester City Museum Experience will be spread across 10 distinctive spaces and visitors will be able to take a trip down memory lane with nostalgic environments from throughout the club’s history.
Fans can also take part in interactive media experiences, like posing with all 48 major trophies won by the club’s first teams or trying their hand at football punditry.
The experience will combine the latest immersive technology with physical memorabilia drawn from across the club’s history to do this.
Hidden details and surprising ‘did you know’ facts are set to be embedded across the experience, so that even the most devoted Man City fans will have the chance to discover something new about the club they love.
CGIs of what the new museum experience will look like when it opens have been released.
By combining interactive environments, technology, and authentic artefacts, the experience is aiming to appeal to a wide audience – from lifelong Manchester City supporters, to families and those with a broader interest in football, culture, and the city of Manchester.
“Building a completely new museum has allowed us to create an immersive experience that celebrates the people and moments which have shaped Manchester City,” commented Danny Wilson, Managing Director at Manchester City Operations.
“But our story isn’t traditional and straightforward, so why should our museum experience be? We want something different. Something immersive which will resonate with our fans, as well as excite the wider city.
Manchester City releases CGIs and important details of its new ‘immersive’ museum / Credit: Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
“In doing so, we have developed something that appeals to fans, complements the Etihad Campus and provides a year round attraction for the city.”
When it opens, the Manchester City Museum Experience is set to complement the club’s existing Stadium Tour – which is currently ranked among the top five visitor attractions in the UK, according to TripAdvisor reviews.
Further information about the museum experience – including booking details – will be shared ahead of its opening later in 2026 during the phased completion of Medlock Square.
Featured Image – Manchester City / Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA)
Manchester
Annie at Palace Theatre Manchester – a charming interpretation of an old classic | Review
Clementine Hall
For a musical built on nostalgia, this Annie that’s just arrived at the Palace Theatre in Manchester feels surprisingly lively – here’s our full review…
Annie is a show tied up with countless childhood memories. Whether you performed it in the school choir, watched the film starring Carol Burnett, or saw it on stage, we’ve all got our own memories of Annie since it first opened in 1977.
So to bring it to a modern theatre audience who no doubt feel some connection to the characters and score is no mean feat.
If you’ve seen any of the posters plastered around the city, you’ll see British drag queen ‘La Voix’ take centre stage as the slippery and gin-fuelled Miss Hannigan.
Images: Press shots (supplied)
This is obviously a strategic move to get bums on seats, and although La Voix is of course a ferocious and standout performer, the production is so much more than that.
They say never to work with children in showbiz, so leading a group of 10-year-old orphans in a snappy and perfectly choreographed rendition of‘It’s a Hard Knock Life’ is really a huge achievement in itself.
All the kids are wonderful, but Victoria Alsina, who plays the titular role, deserves particular credit. It’s a huge role for any actor, never mind a child, and she handles it with confidence, charm, and just the right amount of grit.
As expected, La Voix gets some of the biggest laughs of the night. Her Miss Hannigan leans heavily into the character’s chaos and bitterness, but never feels one-note. It’s a performance packed with quick-fire comedy, and the vocals are tight.
Images: Supplied
That said, Annie would be in trouble if it relied solely on stunt casting. Thankfully, it doesn’t.
The wider cast is consistently strong, the ensemble numbers are full of energy, and the costumes are nothing short of fabulous. The real challenge with Annie is making a story that’s approaching its 50th birthday feel fresh. This production doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to.
Instead, it focuses on delivering the songs people came for, giving the cast room to shine, and reminding audiences why the show has stuck around for so long.
La Voix might get people through the doors, but it’s the strength of the production as a whole that sends them home happy.
Georgina Pellant -
24th May 2023 
