Cloudwater is opening a new beer hall inside a former Victorian shipping warehouse
"We're proud to be able to open another venue in the city, especially one neighbouring Canal Street, which has long been a vital part of the city's nightlife."
Manchester brewery Cloudwater is opening a huge new flagship beer hall in Manchester.
The world-renowned brewer will bring its super-fresh, acclaimed beer selection to the Kampus neighbourhood.
They’ll be taking over the ground floor of Minshull House, a former Victorian shipping warehouse.
With a communal beer hall, beer tap wall, full kitchen and 3°c cold store, plus outdoor seating in both the Kampus garden and the new square on Chorlton Street, it’s set to be quite the behemoth – taking over a 3,798 sq ft space at the neighbourhood.
The Cloudwater garden at Kampus./ Image: Kampus
The beer hall’s kitchen will serve local and seasonal food throughout the day in a relaxed setting, perfect for work or casual lunch, but by the evening the space will become more lively with a mix of dining, parties and events.
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The new beer hall will become the brewery’ biggest location to date, complementing their existing tap room in London and the Sadler’s Cat pub and Unit 9 tap room in Manchester.
Speaking on the new opening plans, co-founder Paul Jones said: “We’re looking forward to joining the community at Kampus, which already includes a number of outstanding independent operators who are a major credit to our city.
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Image: Cloudwater
“Manchester means so much to us – far more than simply acting as our home city, it provides us with inspiration, feeds our creative energy and informs our values.
“So we’re proud to be able to open another venue in the city, especially one neighbouring Canal Street, which has long been a vital part of the city’s nightlife.”
The brewer has been creating its beer in Manchester since 2015, with its first brew dating back to Valentine’s Day.
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Since then, Cloudwater has grown into a huge export for the city as well as a local treasure, creating hundreds of evolving and seasonal beers and gaining a loyal band of followeres along the way.
Image: Cloudwater
In 2020, they brewed the equivalent of over a million pints of beer.
The brewery is the latest big name to join Kampus which, with the likes of Nell’s, General Store, Beeswing, Great North Pie and Pollen also signed up, is fast becoming a haven for some of Manchester’s most-loved indies.
Adam Higgins at Capital&Centric, described Cloudwater as a ‘perfect fit’, adding: “Every neighbourhood needs a good boozer and we just know it’ll be one of the friendliest, most inviting places in the city to kick back and enjoy a beer in the garden.”
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“It’s amazing that they’ve chosen Kampus for their biggest venture yet and we can’t wait to see what they will deliver.
Terms have been agreed on the 3,798 sq.ft space at the neighbourhood, being developed by Capital&Centric and HBD, with the brewery eyeing a spring opening.
Pat Regan at the Fairfield Social Club – a brilliantly unhinged evening of standup comedy
Clementine Hall
There’s a particular kind of chaos that only Pat Regan can deliver, and the recently re-recognised Fairfield Social Club got the full force of it last night.
Making his Manchester debut as part of the ‘A Lovely Time’ series at the equally as lovely Fairfield Social Club, the New York comic, writer, and podcast host arrived with the energy of someone who had already lived through three emotional breakdowns before breakfast and somehow still had the worst to come.
Known for his work on HBO’s Hacks and the cult-favourite podcast Seek Treatment with fellow comic Catherine Cohen, Regan’s stand-up feels less like your traditional comedy set and more like being trapped in the world’s funniest group chat.
The perfectly intimate room beneath Fairfield’s railway arches was packed with adoring fans who were immediately on side as Regan launched into stories about traumatic trips to Paris, Grindr dates, massage tables and having crushes at the gym.
The audience was in the palm of his slightly sweaty hands (don’t worry, he’ll be fine with me saying so), laughing at every awkward punchline and self-deprecating anecdote.
The material is nothing groundbreaking, but this is what makes it so deeply hilarious; never before has shopping for the perfect pair of jeans been so serious and unserious at the same time.
There was laughter rolling through the venue for virtually the entire set, and after an hour of never-ending quips and jokes, we were left wanting more.
And the best part is, it won’t be long until we get more from this place, and it’s no wonder they’re starting to get the hosting plaudits they deserve.
It’s safe to say Fairfield Social Club has become one of Manchester’s most exciting homes for alternative comedy, and this felt like exactly the sort of booking that justifies its growing reputation.
By the time Regan left the stage, the audience looked equal parts exhausted and delighted. An absolutely classy evening indeed.
Find out about what else is on at the Fairfield Social Club HERE.
First-ever JD Wetherspoon pub to open at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
In news that we feel many Mancs and travellers all-round have been waiting on for a long time, the well-known British chain, JD Wetherspoon, will be opening its first-ever pub at Manchester Airport.
That’s right: soon that first airport pint of the holiday could actually be a relatively cheap one.
While Wetherspoons are no strangers to popping up in terminals across the UK and Ireland, they’ve never done so here in Manchester despite having three, yes THREE, in Gatwick alone.
Not for much longer, though, as soon T2 will be lending more than 3,000 square feet of its prime leisure and retail real estate to a new Greater Manchester ‘Spoons’.
Posting on social media, the airport wrote: “Wetherspoon comes to Manchester Airport this September! The pub will be located in the Terminal 2 Departures lounge and will have more than 300 seats.
“This will become the final major food and drink venue to open its doors as part of our decade-long £1.3bn transformation of Terminal 2. It will be named ‘The Belle Vue’, in a nod to Manchester’s historic showground [now a sports complex and leisure hub].
“It was a focal point for social life in the city from the Victorian period up until 2020, when the final event was held at Belle Vue stadium. The design of the pub is inspired by the history of Belle Vue and the sporting culture of the North West of England. We look forward to welcoming you all in September!”
While a lot of money has been pumped into T2’s refurb as a whole over the past few years, it remains unclear just how much this particular new addition will cost; we do know that great sums were set aside for the launch of the Great Northern Market last year.
The inaugural Manchester Airport Spoons is just the latest in a series of major renovations.
As mentioned, the company already operate several up and down the country – 10 airport pubs, to be specific – but this will be the first in the North West.
Speaking on the news, JD Wetherspoon chief executive John Hutson said in a statement: “We are looking forward to opening at Manchester Airport. We believe our new pub will prove popular with travellers of all ages and be an asset to the new terminal.”
With Manchester Airport adding a dozen new routes to its roster this summer, you can expect to see even more people flying in and out than ever – no doubt having already polished off a cut-price pint or two beforehand.
Georgina Pellant -
6th January 2022 
