Manchester’s best bars, pubs and hospitality staff celebrated at the Manchester Bar Awards

Manchester’s bars, restaurants and hardworking hospitality staff have been celebrated at the Manchester Bar Awards.

Now in its fifth year, the Manchester Bar Awards took place last night, Tuesday 14 March, in a high spirited ceremony at industry favourite Bunny Jackson’s.

Following on from a jam-packed first day back at the Northern Restaurant and Bar Show, the creme de la creme of Manchester’s bartending scene flocked across to the First Street dive bar for a night full of Hooch, tequila and well-deserved accolades.

Put together by a group of Manchester bartenders and hospitality professionals, the awards were organised by the admins of a local Facebook group and first began in 2018 to champion local people working in the industry.

Winners were decided by a public vote from within the Manchester bar community, which is some 17,000 members strong.

Every year the awards pick out the very best operators in the city – with 2023’s categories championing the city’s best new bars, speciality venues and restaurants.

Further categories paid homage to professionals within the industry, with awards given to the best bar backs, front-of-house staff, and rising stars.

Big winners included underground cocktail bar Project Halcyon which took home the award for best new bar, Mulligan’s of Deansgate, which won the speciality venue award for its incredible pints of Guinness, and modern Chinese takeaway Salt & Pepper, taking home the award for best restaurant/food concept.

See the full list of winners from last night’s awards ceremony below.

Manchester Bar Awards 2023 winners

Best New Bar sponsored by Ford’s Gin

Winner: Project Halcyon

Shortlisted: Blinker, Sterling, Exhibition, New Century, Project Halcyon

Speciality Venue of the Year sponsored by Tipples

Winner: Mulligan’s, Guinness

Shortlisted: Flawd, Wine, Northern Monk, Beer, Mulligan’s – Guinness, Whisky Jar – Whisky, Briton’s Protection – Whisky

Best Restaurant / Food Concept sponsored by Tito’s Vodka

Winner: Salt & Pepper

Shortlisted: Salt & Pepper, Sparrows, Kong’s, Climat, Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria

People’s Choice Bar of the Year sponsored by Jameson Irish Whiskey

Winner: Schofield’s

Shortlisted: Blinker, Sterling, Exhibition, New Century, Project Halcyon

Bartender of the Year sponsored by Angel’s Envy Bourbon

Winner: Conor Knowles, Schofield’s

Shortlisted: Jonathan Moncur – Speak in Code, Deana Ferguson – Hawksmoor/Redlight, Adam Montanaro-Taylor – Project Halcyon, Dionysios ‘Dio’ Tzorouchof – Cane & Grain, Conor Knowles – Schofield’s

Outstanding Achievement sponsored by Jagermeister Cold Brew

Winner: The Schofield Brothers

Shortlisted: Abi Dunn – 68 People, The Schofields – Schofields, Sterling, Stock Market Grill, Atomeca, Nathan Larkin – Speak in Code, Dan Berger – Blinker Bar, Paddy & the Team at So Let’s Talk

Front of House Hero sponsored by Cazcabel

Winner: Alex Proudfoot – Wolf at the Door

Shortlisted: Alex Proudfoot – Wolf at the Door, Paola Mariotti – Sterling, Hannah Wingfield – Ramona, Taylor Martin – Tariff & Dale, Oliver Hughes – Ramona

Manchester’s Rising Star sponsored by Old J

Winner: Reah Owen, Project Halcyon

Shortlisted: Reah Owen – Project Halcyon, Caitlyn Grocott – Blind Tyger, Eddie Smyth – Tariff, Joe Kereszteny-Lewis – 10 Tib Lane, Ben Topham-Taylor – Blind Tyger

Bar Back of the Year sponsored by Belle de Brillet

Winner: Sid Curry, Sherlock’s

Shortlisted: Sid Curry – Sherlock’s, Huanxuejiao Xiong – Sterling, Craig Dwyer – Junior Jackson’s, Eduardo Barbosa – 20 Stories, Iglis Zaraj – Tattu

Feature Image — The Manc Group