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.
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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.”
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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.
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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.
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“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.
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Four rare African ducklings have been hatched at Chester Zoo for the very first time
Danny Jones
More conversation celebration down the road at Chester Zoo, as the award-winning wildlife park has welcomed four African ducklings who belong to a rare breed.
As is so often the case with the work they do all year-round, their arrival could help signal the species’ survival in the long run, whose status was sadly upgraded from vulnerable to endangered on the official IUCN Red List.
The particular type of fowl we’re referring to is the Maccao duck, a stiff-tailed bird that typically belongs to the fresh and brackish inland waters of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Medium-sized, chunky, with big bills and subtle striping around their heads, they’re gorgeous creatures as is, but especially so as ducklings…
If you didn’t say ‘awww’ out loud, then you’re just lying.
As the Zoo itself put it, they are “rare, fluffy and VERY cute.” Celebrating what is “a breeding breakthrough for one of Africa’s rarest ducks […] so these little guys are kind of a big deal.”
These little delightful little duckies are known for diving down to the bottom of lakes and riverbeds to forage for aquatic invertebrates and plants; in fact, given the choice, they tend to prefer going underwater over flying pretty much full-stop.
As a resident species that doesn’t migrate like many other birds, they are native to nations like Namibia, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. They’re identifiable by their dark black heads, blue bills (among the males, at least) and presence within the wetlands.
However, their estimated numbers continue to drop, and unfortunately, just 14 of their kind currently remain in Kenya and only 100 in Tanzania, with fewer than 5,000 believed to be left across the entire African continent.
Not only is this the first time the species has ever been successfully bred by bird experts at Chester Zoo, but conservationists hope ducklings will put a spotlight on the threatened species.
Their scientific name is ‘Oxyura maccoa’.Just like human babies, they prone to stuff all over their face.As far as ducklings go, these adorable little African variants are pretty special. (Credit: Supplied)
The zoo’s Head of Birds, Andrew Owen, said of their birth: “As one of just seven zoos in Europe – and 12 zoos globally – that care for Maccoa ducks, these ducklings are very special as they’re the first of their kind to ever hatch here at the zoo – making it a really historic moment for our team,
“This success gives a real boost to the future of the species, and these vital new additions will contribute to the safety-net population in zoos. These birds are facing rapid decline in the wild, so every hatchling really does count.
“To see them now out on the water inside our new Heart of Africa habitat, which is dedicated to helping Africa’s most threatened species thrive, makes this milestone even more special.”
Nothing short of brilliant news, we’re sure you’ll agree; better still, in addition to the crucially charitable and conversation-based tourist attraction being named one of England’s most popular destinations once again, but these are the only rare birds welcome by the zookeepers this month.
Vogue’s immersive ‘Inventing the Runway’ show is coming to Manchester
Thomas Melia
A Vogue immersive show titled ‘Inventing the Runway’ is coming to Manchester, and it’s even co-created by Anna Wintour herself.
Ever fancied learning more about the fashion world? Well, now’s your chance to hear everything you need to know from global fashion leaders and lifestyle magazine Vogue.
The Anna Wintour-approved immersive experience comes alongside the announcement of Factory International‘s Winter lineup, which features another new event all about voyaging to the moon.
This Vogue-fronted experience will incorporate interviews, visual media and more to help attendees visualise fashion shows of the past, present and future.
As well as understanding how fashion shows became the pinnacle of a designer’s vision, this runway-themed display also includes looking back at iconic moments of fashion and pop culture.
‘Inventing the Runway’ by Vogue is focusing on outfits worn by models and A-listers alike, with narration from the one and only Cate Blanchett.
You can expect to see curated pieces by significant creative minds in fashion history like Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and lots more.
Throughout the Vogue experience, as well as coming visually face to face with fashion, you will also hear a soundscape that perfectly reflects this innovative industry with a fusion of classical and pop music.
This fashion exhibition uses the same Lightroom technology behind the impressive David Hockney experience that opened back in December.
Vogue is using this show to honour anyone who has made an impact in the fashion world.The Met Gala has become a staple in everyone’s calendar year in and year out.First Northern Quarter’s Chanel show, now this… Très chic. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons/GoodFon)
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer, Condé Nast, and Global Editorial Director, Vogue said: “At Vogue, we’ve been lucky enough over the decades to see many incredible runway shows, which have often told the story of fashion as much as the clothes themselves.”
“This Lightroom experience is a wonderful opportunity for a lot more people to experience first-hand the thrill of watching the history of fashion unfold right in front of them.”
You can experience Vogue’s ‘Inventing the Runway’ immersive show from 18 December to 10 January when it visits Aviva Studios this winter.
Find out more information and grab your tickets HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
31st January 2022 
