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
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.
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.
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
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Police appeal for information regarding ‘serious assault’ around Old Trafford before United game in October
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are appealing for fresh information on a “serious assault” committed around the Old Trafford area earlier this year.
GMP issued a press release on Friday, 9 December, asking for members of the public to come forward and share any details they might have on the attack carried along Seymour Grove in Trafford around 1:30pm on 16 October 2022.
They go on to explain that “a man in his 20s was assaulted by a group of unknown males” on the way to the game at Old Trafford, adding that “it is believed that the suspects were also attending the Manchester United vs Newcastle United match.”
It remains unclear whether or not the assailants were travelling fans in town to support the away side but GMP are looking to speak to the men pictured as they may be able to help with enquiries.
Credit: GMP
As detailed in the statement, “the victim suffered a severely broken jaw, a broken nose, numerous cuts to the face, and damage to the nerves of four teeth which he is likely to need further medical treatment for.” Terrible stuff.
The authorities are continuing to investigate the Seymour Grove assault after having followed up on a number of lines of enquiry since the incident took place and are now asking for the public’s help.
Anyone with information, or anyone who may have footage/images, or can identify the men in the photos, can contact Greater Manchester Police on 101, quoting log number 1589 on 16/10/22; or, alternatively use the Live Chat service HERE.
Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously via the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image — Greater Manchester Police/David Dixon (via Geograph)
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Football fans call out ‘tone-deaf’ FA TikTok for mocking ‘life-threatening’ head injury
Danny Jones
Football fans are calling out the official FA Cup TikTok account for mocking a serious head injury suffered by a Stockport County player earlier this week.
The Hatters beat Charlton Athletic in fine fashion with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday, 7 December, with Will Collar’s hattrick (the club’s first since 2019) sending them through to the next round of the cup.
However, another notable moment from the night was right back Macauley Southam-Hales’ collision with advertising hoarders after a shove from Charlton captain George Dobson.
As the likes of County fan Joel Ward wrote on Twitter, many online were quick to slam the clip for joking about an injury that hospitalised the player, the consensus being that it isn’t a “great look” for the FA.
Don’t think it’s a great look that the official @EmiratesFACup account is making joke tik toks about a head injury that sent our player to the hospital just a few weeks after a player nearly lost his life to a similar incident pic.twitter.com/7r9Stm8Vnr
While many reacting in the comments recognised that Dobson didn’t intend to hurt Southam-Hales by shepherding the ball out of play, the Stockport defender does hit the predominantly metal structure with some force and was left in clear discomfort following the smash.
The video itself has since been removed from the official account following the backlash but people are still reacting as the clip continues to be reshared on social media.
The clip was branded as everything from “disgusting” and “disgraceful” to “simply unbelievable”.
Considering it’s the FA cup and I’m assuming it’s an FA ran account, it should be someone pretty senior and stuff is checked thoroughly first before posting so this one’s gone under the radar I reckon.
What’s most concerning is that despite the recent push to promote awareness surrounding concussions, brain trauma and even heading the ball – which, historically, haven’t been properly monitored in football – whoever posted the video on behalf of the FA didn’t consider the very serious nature of the incident.
As alluded to above, perhaps what makes the post even more shocking and tone-deaf is that it comes just weeks after Bath City player forward Alex Fletcher was placed in intensive care following an almost identical accident.
The 23-year-old underwent life-saving brain surgery and although he has since been discharged from the hospital, he is said to have a “long road to recovery ahead of him”.
County confirmed that despite being the all-clear pitchside, Southam-Hales was taken to the hospital as a precaution after he suffered significant swelling around the neck area. Nevertheless, as we know all too well, it could have been much worse.
As for the FA, they have now apologised for the inappropriate attempt at humour, confirming that they have removed the video from all official accounts, admitting that “it should never have been published and assuring that they will “review [their] processes to ensure this never happens again.”
You can watch the full highlights from Stockport County vs Charlton Athletic HERE but we’d recommend you watch Alan Shearer reminding everyone who plays football to be more vigilant when it comes to head injuries.
Georgina Pellant -
14th June 2022 
