Manchester’s beloved gastropub Sam’s Chop House has confirmed it will be reopening to the public soon, following many long months of closure.
The historic 154-year-old pub is famous for a sculputre of artist L.S. Lowry that sits proudly in its bar and for its corned beef hash – which takes ten days to make and has previously been voted one of Manchester’s top ten dishes.
It’s also known for cooking up other traditional gastropub delights like beef suet pudding, steak, epic roast dinners and battered fish with triple cooked chips.
In a statement posted to its social media channels on Sunday, owner Roger Ward confirmed the pub would be reopening this February – stating this would be “hopefully in less than two weeks. And certainly in time for Valentine’s Day.”
Having closed in order to aid works to Cavendish House, the building in which it is based, the pub will soon fling open its doors to deliver its modern take on British classics to hungry Mancunians once again.
ADVERTISEMENT
Speaking on the reopening, its owner confirmed that the pub would continue to work with local suppliers in order to cook with the freshest produce.
He also said that its love of fine wines would continue to be a focus, heralding the return of legendary sommelier George Bergier who, at the tender age of 75, has been “serving Manchester’s top tables and top people for 54 years now.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The corned beef is brined for ten days before being put into this famous dish at Sam’s Chop House, due to return to the menu imminently / Image: Sam’s Chop House
Confirming that George would return to host Thursday and Friday’s lunchtime services, Roger added:
“The team will be led by general manager Sam Hernandez and Head Chef Scott Munro supported by some familiar faces. We’ll tell you more about them in the days to come.”
In 2015, the pub had joked as part of an April Fool’s Day prank that it was to permanently close – causing great consternation amongst its loyal band of followers. Little did we know back then that it would happen for real.
ADVERTISEMENT
The man, the myth, the legend – George Bergier, the brilliant Chop House sommelier who’s been serving Manchester for over 50 years. / Image: Sam’s Chop House
Fortunately, this time the closure was only temporary – and now it appears that fans won’t have to wait long to sit and enjoy a pint at the bar with Lowry once again.
It’s not the first time that the pub has been reopened by Mr. Ward, who relaunched itin 2001 four years after it was shuttered by its former corporate owners.
Promising to “build back better than we were before”, he said, “our family business will be joining the movement to rebuild Manchester city centre.”
The suet pudding at Sam’s Chop House is another stand-out customer favourite, and for good reason. / Image: Sam’s Chop House
Nodding to the pub’s longstanding history he added, “When Samuel Studd opened his doors for the first time in 1868 there were 13 chop houses in the city.
“More than 150 years later his business has seen two world wars, the Great Depression of the 1930s and two global pandemics.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Only two of the original chop houses are still standing. And they are still independent.”
Mr. Ward also used to own the Albert Square Chop House, but this was sold to London pub operator The Metropolitan Pub Company, a Green King pub retailer, last year and has since relaunched as The Fountainhouse.
Feature image – Sam’s Chop House.
News
How and where to recycle or donate your Christmas tree in Manchester | 2026
Emily Sergeant
The new year is here, and the ’12 days of Christmas’ are up… which means it’s time for a fresh start.
Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve both feel like things of the past now, and for most of us, this is our first proper week back at work too, which means (if you haven’t already) it’s time to tackle the task of taking down and putting away all the festive decorations – even if it is one of the dullest times of the year and it signals that the magic of Christmas is over.
For those of us that opt for a real Christmas tree though, the end of the year always brings one question – now what do we do with it?
Manchester City Council has aimed to answer that very question by providing residents with a handful of different ways to recycle their Christmas trees to make sure they’re put to good use and don’t go to waste or get dumped.
Here’s the different options.
___
Recycle it in your food and garden waste bin
You can recycle your Christmas tree by cutting it up and placing it in your food and garden waste bin, but you’ll need to make sure you take the following steps before doing so.
Remove all decorations and fairy lights
Take off the base or wooden block if your tree has one
Make sure the trunk is not thicker than your wrist. Wood thicker than your wrist is too big and can’t be put in the garden and food bin. Large trunks and wooden bases can be taken to a recycling centre.
Donate it to charity
Did you know you can donate your Christmas trees to charity? That’s right – for residents living in Manchester, all you’ll need to do is register your tree with national charity JustHelping, along with a donation towards the collection, and you can help a local hospice or charitable cause in the city-region.
The money raised will go to good causes in the area, including Moya Cole Hospice (previously St Anne’s Hospice), Francis House, and We Love Manchester.
You can find more information and register your tree here.
It’s time to take down and recycle our Christmas trees for another year / Credit: Myriam Olmz | Tanbir Mahmud (via Unsplash)
Take it to a local drop-off point
You can drop your real tree throughout January at:
Angel Meadow Park (entrance Old Mount Street) – M4 4HA
Wythenshawe Park and Gardens Athletics Track – M23 0PH
Heaton Park (Middleton Road entrance) – M8 4NB
Boggart Hole Clough (near the Visitor Centre) – M9 7DH
Patchett Street, off Hyde Road in Ardwick – M12 4RY
Bring it to your local recycling centres
And finally, wherever you live in Manchester, you can take your real Christmas tree – and even your artificial tree that is beyond reuse – to your local recycling centre for free of charge, but it’s worth noting that if you’re planning on using a van, pick-up truck, or a twin-axle trailer to dispose of your tree, then you’ll probably need to apply for a permit.
You can find information about your nearest recycling centre here.
Are you elsewhere in Greater Manchester? Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) has teamed up with local councils and charities across the region to provide Greater Manchester residents in all 10 boroughs with several different options for either recycling or donate their old Christmas trees.
Featured Image – Jelleke Vanooteghem (via Unsplash)
News
NHS releases list of first conditions set to be eligible for new ‘online hospital’
Emily Sergeant
The first conditions that are set to be eligible for video appointments via the new NHS online hospital have been revealed.
In case you hadn’t heard, back in September of last year, the Government has announced that the NHS would be setting up an ‘online hospital’ known simply as NHS Online – which will not have a physical site and instead digitally connect patients to expert clinicians anywhere across the country.
Ultimately, this means patients can be seen faster than normal, as teams triage them quickly through the NHS App and let them book in scans at times that suit them at centres closer to their home.
NHS Online – which will begin to see its first patients in 2027 – is expected to deliver the equivalent of up to 8.5 million virtual appointments and assessments in its first three years, according to the NHS, which is four times more than an average NHS trust.
And now, the NHS has selected nine ‘common’ conditions which will be the first to be treated by the NHS Online service.
📲 Introducing NHS Online 📲
A new digital hospital will transform healthcare.
From 2027, you'll be able to get specialist care:
✅ straight to your home via the NHS App ✅ faster than a traditional hospital appointment ✅ wherever you live in England
Women’s health issues, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that can be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will be among the conditions available for online referrals, as will prostate problems like prostate enlargement and a raised prostate specific antigen (PSA) level, along with eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration.
NHS Online will also provide support for other painful and distressing conditions, such as iron deficiency anaemia and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
So, how will NHS Online work then? Well, when a patient has an appointment with their GP, they will have the option of being referred to the online hospital for their specialist care instead, and then from there, they’ll be able to book directly through the NHS App.
Once referred to the online hospital, patients will have the ability to see specialists from around the country without leaving their home or having to wait longer for a face-to-face appointment.
The NHS has released a list of the first conditions set to be eligible for the new ‘online hospital’ / Credit: Nordwood Themes (via Unsplash) | rawpixel
If they need a scan, test, or procedure, then they’ll be able to book this in at a time that suits them at Community Diagnostic Centres closer to home.
Patients will also be able to track their prescriptions and get advice on managing their condition at home too.
“We’ve selected nine common conditions which the NHS Online service will initially provide support for when it launches next year, including some women’s health issues as well as prostate problems,” commented Professor Stella Vig, who is the National Clinical Director for Elective Care at NHS England.
“We know that these conditions can be painful and difficult to cope with so providing faster, more convenient access to diagnosis and treatments will have a real and positive impact on people’s lives.”
Georgina Pellant -
31st January 2022 
