A bar in the centre of Manchester is giving away free pies and pints this Friday to celebrate the start of the Easter long weekend.
Turning Good Friday into ‘Good Pie-Day’, accessible archway theatre bar 53Two has teamed up with award-winning Bolton pie makers H.M. Pasties and Manchester-made Brightside beer to kick start the Bank Holiday in style.
From 5.30pm this Friday, the team will be giving away free food and drink to the first 50 people through 53Two’s doors.
The bar at 53Two under the arches. / Image: Brightside Beer
There’ll be something for everybody, with vegan-friendly bottles and cans provided by Manchester brewery Brightside and a choice of different pie fillings courtesy of H.M Pasties – who ust won the overall vegan category for their chickpea curry pasty at the British Pie Awards last month.
If you’ve not yet made it down to this quirky little indie theatre bar with its baby grand piano, upcycled furniture and cosy book-lined nooks, well, we think a free pie and pint offers the perfect excuse.
A relative newcomer to Manchester’s bar scene, arts charity 53Two opened its doors under the city’s railway arches last summer and has made waves in improving Manchester‘s reputation for accessibility by training all of its staff in basic sign language skills.
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Image: 53Two
The team here can take orders and explain the menu to hearing-impaired guests, whilst tactile card reader pads have been installed for partially sighted customers, and all of the bar tables are designed at a level that allows wheelchairs to fit underneath comfortably
There’s also a lowered bar space and till for wheelchair access, making the new bar and arts hub one of the most accessible venue in Manchester by a mile.
And as well as operating as a theatre bar, 53Two also runs an ‘artists members club’ – meaning that, after 11pm, those working in the cultural sector are able to enter via a secret ‘members entrance’ for a late night post-work drink.
It also hosts a range of events in its second archway and, as a charity, supports diversity and gender equality in the arts, so know that when you spend your money here it’s going to a good place.
To find out more about 53Two and its various comedy, theatre and music nights, live podcasts and quizzes, visit its website here.
Feature image – 53Two
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Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
24-hour bus services are now running across all Greater Manchester boroughs
Emily Sergeant
24-hour bus services are now running across all boroughs in Greater Manchester.
You may remember that back in March, it was announced that every borough of Greater Manchester was set to get a night bus service in what is hoped to be a ‘boost’ to the night-time economy… and now it’s official, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has launched those 24-hour buses this month, along with a series of other measures.
Oldham, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford now join the rest of Greater Manchester in having 24-hour bus services, meaning every part of the region will have a night bus operating Thursday through to Sunday.
It’s expected that these new services will help around 625,400 people working in the night-time economy across Greater Manchester, as well as those out enjoying the region’s nightlife, TfGM has said.
The routes which will run around the clock from Thursday until Sunday are:
50 (Salford – Manchester)
216 (Tameside – Manchester)
263 (Trafford – Manchester)
192 (Stockport – Manchester)
83 (Oldham – Manchester)
All Greater Manchester boroughs now have 24-hour bus services / Credit: TfGM
They launch alongside the most significant service changes to the Bee Network since the completion of bus franchising last year – including other new bus routes, and more frequent services across Greater Manchester.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy everything Greater Manchester offers, without the worry of how to get there and get home,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor, Bev Craig.
“By growing the Bee Network, we’re making it easier than ever for people to use the bus, day and night.
“Our night buses are already providing a lifeline to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are growing our night-time economy and working in essential public services.”
“Whether people are heading home from a night at the theatre or starting the early shift at a hospital, they can now get on board the night bus as a safe and affordable way to travel.”
Further improvements will delivered from January 2027, and a full breakdown by borough can be found on the Bee Network website here.
Georgina Pellant -
13th April 2022 
