Bar Camparino, Milan’s timeless icon of Aperitivo culture, is arriving in Manchester for its first-ever northern residency.
Established more than 100 years ago by Davide Campari, son of Campari founder Gaspare, Camparino has ever since been home to the artists, intellectuals and celebrities of the day, cementing itself as a must-see mainstay of Milan.
Now, it’s coming to Manchester for one night only on Sunday 5 March and will be hosted at Manchester favourite Schofield’s Bar – a polished, old-world venue specialising in cocktails housed inside the former Old Grapes Tavern on Little Quay Street.
Moving in for one-day only, the takeover will celebrate the illustrious history of Camparino and the vibrancy of contemporary Aperitivo culture.
Served in the very same way as it is in Milan, it uses a recreation of Camparino’s famous 1915 soda machines – the only way to ensure a perfectly cooled, sparkling Campari Seltz with its distinctive foamed head.
Visitors to the Camparino residency can expect exceptional cocktails mixed by Camparino’s Head Bartender Tommaso Cecca, that will capture the complexity and versatility of the distinctive Campari taste.
The residency arrives as the UK continues to fall in love with Aperitivo, embracing the timeless ritual of ending the day and starting the evening with a refreshing, appetite-whetting drink alongside light bites and good conversation.
ADVERTISEMENT
Camparino’s limited residency consolidates its status as one of the most influential establishments in the world for lovers of mixology and gastronomic innovation.
Camparino Head Bartender, Tommaso Cecca, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Camparino to Manchester, through this exclusive collaboration with Daniel and Joe at Schofield’s Bar.
“With Campari being at the heart of Milanese Aperitivo culture for more than 100 years, we are so excited to bring the essence of Camparino from our home in Milan to The North for the first time.”
Schofield’s Bar co-owner Daniel Schofield, said: “As well as being synonymous with the timeless art of Aperitivo, Camparino is an innovative, legendary bar serving up an exceptional range of classic cocktails that we’re looking forward to showcasing on the night.”
Joe Schofield added: “We can’t wait to welcome the Camparino to Manchester for this exclusive residency, and to be able to share a truly unique experience and taste of the original Campari Seltz with our guests.”
Those who want to experience Camparino at Schofield’s Barcan visit on 5 March. No reservation is required, guests can book here and walk-ins are welcome.
Entertainment union Equity makes £1 bid for Manchester Pride to protect workers from ‘further exploitation’
Emily Sergeant
Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity has made a £1 bid for Manchester Pride.
You may remember that, back in October last year, Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – entered into voluntary liquidation, and news emerged last week that the assets were being sold off to the highest bidder by liquidators.
By offering a ‘symbolic’ £1 for the assets – which include the Manchester Pride brand name and associated domain names – Equity says its bid has been made to give workers the opportunity to ‘decide the future’ of the event.
The bid is also said to have been made to prevent a repeat of 2025 – which apparently left Equity union members more than £70,000 out-of-pocket in unpaid fees.
Equity’s variety organiser, Nick Keegan, warned that selling the Manchester Pride brand to a commercial buyer risks ‘undermining the values’ of the event and the community that built it.
He worried it could also leave performers and workers ‘vulnerable to further exploitation’.
“Manchester Pride is not just a city-wide party,” Mr Keegan explained. “Its roots in protest are as important today as then.”
He added: “Manchester Pride was built by the LGBTQ+ workers of Canal St and beyond who provide a space and a community for LGBTQ+ people all year round. The event should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold off to the highest bidder.
“The cultural workforce are at the heart of Pride, without them, there is no festival.
“After what happened in 2025, with members left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket, we don’t want to see history repeat itself.”
Equity says that if its bid is successful, the workers will have control over who the ‘asset’ goes to.
“Our bid is about protecting Pride as a community asset, not a commercial one,” the union’s statement continued.
“Allowing the people whose labour was used to build this ‘asset’ to decide how the trademark of Manchester Pride is used in the future will help protect them from further exploitation, as well as preserve the values and the longevity of the event itself.”
Featured Image – Manchester Pride (Supplied)
News
New police hub to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour
Emily Sergeant
A new police hub is set to be established in Piccadilly Gardens.
In case you missed it, it was announced last week that council tax in Greater Manchester could be increased to help fund improvements to policing, and that a consultation on it has been launched – with local residents urged to have their say.
The police precept helps Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements, including the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bringing more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.
Greater Manchester council tax is set to be increased again to help fund improvements to policing, and a consultation is now live. 🏘️🚔📝
But on top of this, Mayor Andy Burnham has also pledged to deliver a new police hub in Piccadilly Gardens as part of a wider drive to improve policing.
GMCA says its ‘top priority’ is to build strong communities where people feel safe, and it is Mayor Andy Burnham and his Deputy Mayors’ responsibility to enable GMP to be an ‘effective and efficient’ police force.
Local leaders say their ambition for 2026 is to maintain a ‘high-performing’ police service by tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and protecting residents and businesses along the way – and part of this ambition is to increase police visibility in Piccadilly Gardens, which is a much-maligned part of the city centre, by launching a new ‘prominent’ police hub.
The increase in the police precept is also being touted to help increase ‘hot spot policing tactics’ in town centres and other key locations to help drive down theft and other violent retail crimes.
A new police hub is to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour / Credit: Gerald England (via Geograph) | Rawpixel
“We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham. “The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year.
“So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack. These incidents added significant pressure to police resources.
“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”
Georgina Pellant -
28th February 2023 
