News

Best Restaurant in England announced – and it’s under an hour from Manchester

The restaurant appeared in second place on the 2022 list of Top 100 Gastropubs - alongside Manchester restaurants Erst and Mana.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 14th June 2022

Moor Hall, the celebrated Lancashire restaurant with rooms and its very own lake, has just been named the Best Restaurant in England.

Less than an hour’s drive away from Manchester, the two Michelin star restaurant was opened by chef Mark Birchall in 2016 and is tasting menu only – offering a choice of four or eight courses.

Appearing in second place on this year’s list of the UK’s Top 100 Gastropubs, the restaurant described the accolade as an ‘incredible accomplishment’ when the news was announced on Tuesday morning. 

Image: Moor Hall
Image: Moor Hall
Best Restaurant in England announced – and it’s under an hour from Manchester, The Manc
Image: Moor Hall

Boasting a beautiful glass-fronted restaurant and a walk-in cheese room, where diners are encouraged to visit to make their selection, it also makes its own charcuterie and uses honey from its five beehives located within its verdant grounds.

Having spent the best part of the previous decade working at Simon Rogan’s two Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume, chef-patron Birchall set out to create ‘something special’ – and he’s certainly delivered.

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Set in five acres of ground and housed in a Grade II-listed building that dates back to the 13th century, Moor Hall is a perfect candidate for a weekend trip away – with seven characterful guest bedrooms upstairs for those looking to make a night of it.

Best Restaurant in England announced – and it’s under an hour from Manchester, The Manc
Image: Moor Hall

Commenting on the win, the restaurant wrote on Instagram: “After holding the No:1 spot for two consecutive years we are delighted to be awarded ‘Best Restaurant in England’ as well as ranking second place in UK Top 100.

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“It’s such an incredible accomplishment for our team, and of course testament to our chef-patron, @markbirchall. Congratulations to everyone who made the list and thanks to @nationalrestaurantawards“

Moor Hall is not the only local restaurant to be recognised in the awards, with Stockport’s Where The Light Gets In taking home the 2022 Sustainability Award and L’Enclume chef Simon Rogan taking home Chef of the Year following his restaurant’s ascension to three-star status earlier this year.

Read more: Manchester taproom hosts Maray pop-up ahead of new restaurant opening

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Elsewhere, a number of eateries in Manchester and the surrounding area also feature in this year’s Top 100 list – including L’Enclume, The Parker’s Arms, Erst, Mana and Northcote.

To see the full list of restaurants named in this year’s awards, click here.

Feature image – Moor Hall restaurant

News

Manchester palaeontologist unearths bones of what may be the largest known marine reptile

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A Manchester-based palaeontologist has unearthed the bones of what may be the largest known marine reptile.

This new identification is a crucial part of a fascinating eight-year long discovery journey.

It all started when a seasoned fossil collector named Paul de la Salle found a giant jawbone on Lilstock Beach, near Bridgewater in Somerset, back in May 2016, and then father and daughter, Justin and Ruby Reynolds from Devon, found the first pieces of a second jawbone and another giant bone while searching for fossils on the beach at Blue Anchor, also in Somerset, in May 2020.

And now, a palaeontologist at the University of Manchester (UoM) Dr Dean Lomax, has identified the fossilised remains of the second gigantic jawbone that measures more than two metres long.

Experts have identified these bones as belonging to the jaws of a new species of enormous ichthyosaur – which is a type of prehistoric marine reptile – and astonishing estimations suggest the oceanic titan would have been more than 25-metres long.

Dr Lomax has been working together with Justin and Ruby Reynolds, along with Paul de la Salle and several family members, since the father-daughter duo first contacted them about their groundbreaking discovery in 2020.

A Manchester palaeontologist has unearthed bones of what may be the largest known marine reptile / Credit: UoM

“I was amazed by Justin and Ruby’s find,” Dr Lomax commented.

“In 2018, my team and Paul de la Salle studied and described Paul’s giant jawbone, and we had hoped that one day another would come to light.”

He explained that Justin and Ruby’s new specimen was “more complete and better preserved” than the first find, and that he “became very excited” at the chance to learn more following their discovery.

As mentioned, the Manchester-based research team, led by Dr Lomax, revealed that the jaw bones belong to a new species of giant ichthyosaur that would’ve been about the size of a blue whale, and they have called the new genus and species Ichthyotitan severnensis – which means ‘giant fish lizard of the Severn’.

The bones – which represent the very last of their kind – are around 202 million years old, and date back to the end of the Triassic Period in a time known as the Rhaetian.

During this time, the gigantic ichthyosaurs swam the seas while the dinosaurs walked on land.

The University of Manchester, where Dr Dean Lomax works as a palaeontologist / Credit: UoM

Ichthyotitan is not the world’s first giant ichthyosaur, but the discoveries by Paul, and Justin and Ruby, are said to be “unique among those known to science”, as they appear roughly 13 million years after their latest geologic relatives – including Shonisaurus sikanniensis from British Columbia in Canada, and Himalayasaurus tibetensis from Tibet in China.

Speaking on the confirmation of the bones’ identification this week, Dr Lomax said: “This research has been ongoing for almost eight years.

“It is quite remarkable to think that gigantic, blue whale-sized ichthyosaurs were swimming in the oceans around what was the UK during the Triassic Period.

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“These jawbones provide tantalising evidence that perhaps one day a complete skull or skeleton of one of these giants might be found.”

Featured Image – UoM

News

Northern Quarter favourite Pie and Ale has sadly closed down

Danny Jones Danny Jones Pie and Ale Manchester closed down

Beloved Northern Quarter eatery and pub Pie and Ale has sadly and quietly closed its doors this week in yet another gutting bit of news for the Manc hospitality sector.

Known for its legendary homemade pies, great selections of ales, craft beers and lagers, not to mention a great little pub when it comes to watching live sport, it’s long been considered an NQ institution.

Unfortunately, however, as confirmed by a sign posted in the window, Pie and Ale has now closed for business after more than a decade.

Safe to say, we’re absolutely gutted, as we’re sure everyone else is.

Credit: The Manc Eats

While no official announcement has been made on their social media as yet, which will no doubt receive love and sadness from its loyal following, the sign in the window simply reads: “Pie and Ale has unfortunately ceased trading. Apologies for any inconvenience.”

The local favourite which was always hailed for being great value for money – celebrated especially for its popular pie and a pint for under a tenner deal – also served up great nibbles and light bites as well as dessert specials.

Although the Lever Street spot previously shut down for a short spell back in 2018 due to what they labelled as “unforeseen circumstances” before reopening just two months later, this latest update looks pretty definitive.

Sister-site Bakerie also ceased trading back in April 2019, with husband and wife founders, Alyson Doocey and David Cook, admitting that all independents had been “feeling the squeeze”.

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While we have few other details at this stage, it does look like Pie and Ale has indeed closed down for the foreseeable future.

A mainstay on our list of the best pies in Manchester since day dot and just the latest in the list of losses in 2024 so far, they will be sorely missed.

We sincerely hope this is like last time and will keep our fingers crossed that we see the pie pros and expert pourers back in business at some point.

RIP to an NQ icon.

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Featured Images — The Manc Group

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