Iconic Manchester pub The Deansgate has officially reopened its doors after two years of sitting boarded up on the busy Manchester stretch from which it takes its name.
After closing during the pandemic in 2020, the pub, which started life in the city in the 19th Century, has undergone a three-month refurbishment – retained its historical features whilst adding a fresh modern touch.
With bars and cosy snugs spreading across three floors, the top floor – previously used as a flat by the pub’s previous landlord – has been brought into public use, and now boasts a stunning adjoining rooftop terrace.
This means there’s now not one, but two roof terraces, all with built-in seating, lighting, outdoor heaters and great views of the ever-growing city skyline.
In a nod to the history of the pub, the refurbishment has been careful to retain some of its original features including the stained-glass windows, external frontage, ceilings, and woodwork whilst also giving the venue a modern, on-trend feel.
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Green decor and solid wood flooring and bar areas create a proper pub feel, as does snug booth-style seating.
The ground floor also includes a feature bar area in a half-moon shape, bespoke brass fonts and a glass back bar, as well as the return of the pub’s gorgeous festoon lighting throughout.
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As for food, diners will find traditional favourites aplenty on the menu here with a new food menu boasting the likes of Steak and Ale Pie, Beer Battered Fish and Chips, Bangers and Mash and Sticky Toffee Pudding.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
The pub is also serving up a traditional Sunday Roast, with a range of different meat options and a Nut Roast Wellington served with gravy and all the trimmings.
On the drinks front, you’ll find a host of different beers and ciders on draught including favourites like Peroni, Guinness, Old Mout and Amstell, alongside house craft beers Flint Eye and Level Head.
In total, the drinks menu offers a range of 12 premium beers on tap including regional favourite the Fuzzy Hazy Pale Ale from Manchester’s number one rated beer company, Cloudwater.
The back bar also boasts a selection of wines and spirits, including the popular Fitz English Sparkling wine.
The pub also boasts an extensive cocktail menu featuring everything from Palomas to signature spritzes – including the classic Aperol Spritz and the alcohol-free Warner’s Pink Berry 0% Spritz.
To accommodate the city’s sports fans, the venue boasts seven TV screens showing live sports on BT and Sky on every floor, including a bookable private screening space on both the ground and third floor, perfect for private viewings.
Speaking on the new opening, Jonathon Evans, General Manager at The Deansgate, said: “The Deansgate has always been a Manchester staple, from when it was first opened back in the 19th Century and we’re so excited to be able to open its doors once more.
‘The transformation from an empty to space into a proper yet modern pub, with extensive food, drink and live sports offering has been months in the making and we’re looking forward to welcoming guests back to The Deansgate.”
Feature image – The Manc Eats
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Trafford Centre announces opening hours for 2025/26 festive season – including Boxing Day
Emily Sergeant
Trafford Centre has published its full list of opening hours for this current festive season.
We all know that the Christmas period is one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry, with people flocking to the shops in their millions to snap up festive gifts for their loved ones, and it only gets busier from Boxing Day onwards too when all the sales launch, offering shoppers some unmissable deals and bargains.
And nowhere in Greater Manchester gets busier during the festive season than the Trafford Centre. After all, with more than 200 stores all under one room, it’s not hard to see why.
This year, shoppers can make the most of extended opening hours at the Trafford Centre right through to New Year’s Day – with late night shopping until 11pm on selected dates in December leading up to the big day.
Alongside being a one-stop-shop for gifts, there’s also dozens of festive events and new Christmas lights to enjoy at the Trafford Centre too, so visitors can tick everything off their list and have a great day out while they’re at it.
The shopping centre will be open from 9am – 5pm on Christmas Eve, so you can whip round and grab any last-minute presents, before it’s closed fully on Christmas Day, and then opens again bright and early at 8am on Boxing Day.
Trafford Centre Christmas Opening Hours 2025/26
18 and 19 December: 10am – 11pm
20 December: 10am – 10pm
21 December: 12pm – 6pm
22 and 23 December: 10am – 11pm
Christmas: 9am – 5pm
Christmas Day: Closed
26 December: 8am – 8pm (some stores may be closed, please check with individual brands)
27 December: 10am – 9pm
28 December: 12pm – 6pm
29 and 30 December: 10pm – 10pm
New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: 12pm – 6pm
It’s also worth noting, however, that not every store inside the Trafford Centre will be open on Boxing Day, so you’ll need to check with individual brands ahead of time.
For the restaurants, stores, and leisure venues that are open, you can check their specific trading hours on the Trafford Centre website here.
When it comes to festive event, The Grotto is open until Christmas Eve for pre-bookings only, and the Christmas fairground and ice rink, Big Wheel, and Gandeys Snowstorm Firebird show are all open until 4 January (closed Christmas Day).
Featured Image – Trafford Centre (Supplied)
News
Greater Manchester’s ‘clean taxi’ plans backed by government funding
Danny Jones
The Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) ‘clean taxi’ initiative has been officially backed by the UK government, with an extra boost coming from a leading electric vehicle brand.
Millions of pounds are set to be pumped into the scheme over the coming years as the North West at large strives to become greener.
The Mayor himself, Andy Burnham, has made environmentally conscious travel a core part of his plans for the city region ever since he took up the post back in 2017; now he and his team are helping link up with connections in the capital to secure further investment.
With the new £8 million Hackney Support Fund being put into action as we speak, a further £2m is now set to go towards Manchester city centre and its surrounding boroughs via LEVC.
LEVC (London Electric Vehicle Company) have done away with classic petrol and diesel engines in their particular corner of the automotive industry, setting a more eco-friendly example for metropolitan cities up and down Great Britain.
As a result, Manchester City Council and the GMCA as a whole are looking to take a leaf out of their book as part of their wider carbon reduction targets, with local authorities having recently reaffirmed their five-year ‘climate change action plan’.
For context, the Hackney Support Fund in question is a series of government-backed grants aimed at helping taxi drivers replace older black cabs with more modern, zero-emission capable vehicles.
Not only that, but LEVC will also be offering licensed carriage drivers extended warranties on new and used TX cabs – like their new ‘eCity powetrain’ pictured above – as well as taxi scrappage allowance on other models.
Like any part of the country, our region itself has its own clean air goals, and with the continued expansion of the Bee Network continuing to advance that progress, we’re heading in the right direction.
It goes without saying that adding a fully-fledged fleet of cleaner, more energy-efficient EV taxis into that mix could help benefit these greener pursuits.
Managing Director at LEVC, Chris Allen, noted that the company has “helped the capital achieve legal air quality targets for the first time” and strongly believes that they can do the same up North.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Our taxi trade is a vital part of Greater Manchester’s transport network and supports the local economy.
“That’s why we’re working hard to secure funding and practical support to help drivers upgrade to cleaner, greener vehicles – improving air quality for everyone, while protecting livelihoods. By backing our taxi trade, we’re building a fairer, healthier city-region for all.”
Georgina Pellant -
8th November 2022 
