Notable pubs that made the list this year include Cask in Ancoats, Reasons to be Cheerful in Burnage, and the Swan with Two Necks.
The Lass O’ Gowrie is in the CAMRA’s Good Beer Guide 2022 / Credit: Lass O’ Gowrie
For Oldham, businesses including The Cob & Coal Tap in Tommyfield Market made the list, while in Rochdale the pub/curry house hybrid Bombay Brew was praised for its unique conSeveral Salford stalwarts are included in this year’s guide, including the Eagle Inn and the New Oxford.
ADVERTISEMENT
In Stockport, Blossoms – the pub that gave the band their name – was celebrated for its landmark architecture, joined by neighbouring businesses Bakers Vaults, Magnet, and Project 53.
Manchester city centre shone particularly brightly though, with almost 20 pubs in the heart of the region praised by CAMRA.
ADVERTISEMENT
In the Northern Quarter, Beatnikz Republic’s house bar, Port Street Beer House, and the Smithfield Market Tavern are all in the guide.
The City Arms is in the Good Beer Guide 2022 / Credit: The City Arms
Then historic pubs like the Angel, the Marble Arch, the Peveril of the Peak and the City Arms have retained their position as some of the greatest boozers in the UK.
CAMRA National Chairman Nik Antona said: “After the struggles of the past 18 months for the industry, it is great that The Good Beer Guide figures are showing the resilience of pubs and brewers in the face of strife – an increase in brewery numbers after they dipped last year for the first time, as well as over 500 new pub entries.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This is great to see, especially coupled with the news from the Government’s latest Budget, including the announcement of a new, lower rate of duty for draught beer and cider.
“However, the industry is still vulnerable in the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Breweries still face issues around costs of goods, lack of business rate relief and silence from the Government on Small Brewers’ Relief reform.
“We are calling on the Government to make sure the new draught duty rate applies to containers 20L and up so that all our small and independent brewers can benefit.”
The full list of Manchester city centre pubs in CAMRA’s 2022 Good Beer Guide
The Marble Arch on Rochdale Road / Credit: Facebook, The Marble Arch
Angel, Green Quarter
Beatnikz Republic Bar, Northern Quarter
Cafe Beermoth, Spring Gardens
Cask, Liverpool Road
City Arms, city centre
Gas Lamp, Bridge Street
Grey Horse, Portland Street
Hare & Hounds, Shudehill
Jack in the Box, Eagle Street
Lass o’ Gowrie, Charles Street
Marble Arch, Rochdale Road
Peveril of the Peak, Great Bridgewater Street
Port Street Beer House, Port Street
Salisbury Ale House, Wakefield Street
Smithfield Market Tavern, Swan Street
Waterhouse, Princess Street
Featured Image – Adam Pester
News
One of Manchester’s oldest surviving Victorian mills to be repurposed into ‘distinctive’ rental homes
Emily Sergeant
A multi-million funding deal has been agreed to repurpose one of Manchester’s oldest surviving Victorian mills.
After £55 million plans to reimagine Talbot Mill into a 10-storey apartment block began back in May of last year, social impact developers Capital&Centric have now agreed a £37 million deal with Paragon Bank to finance the restoration of the historic mill and repurpose it into 190 new distinctive properties for rent.
Built in 1855 overlooking the canal, the imposing red-brick mill on Ellesmere Street in the Castlefield neighbourhood was the product of Manchester’s textile boom.
One of the city’s last massive mills to be restored, it was Talbot that spearheaded the rapid transformation of the Cornbrook area from undeveloped land to a powerful industrial hub in the late 19th century, before going on to dominate the local cotton industry in the early 1900s.
It was even used as a mushroom farm in the 1980s, while more recently, it has been the set of a period drama and a massive art exhibition.
But when the restoration is complete, over half the development will be newly-built and will offer residents of the nearly 200 ‘distinctive’ apartments a lush hidden garden, with plenty of green spaces to meet and hang out, while still managing to celebrate the mill’s past and retain loads of original features.
Capital&Centric is developing Talbot Mill as an investment, which it will retain for rent once finished.
This is something the developers have already done successfully on a number of sites in recent years, especially in its lengthy run of restoring Manchester’s iconic listed buildings and mixing the old in with the new.
One of Manchester’s oldest surviving Victorian mills will be repurposed into ‘distinctive’ rental homes / Credit: Capital&Centric
“We love to restore and repurpose historic buildings,” explained Tom Wilmot, who is the joint managing director at Capital&Centric.
“But as one of Manchester’s oldest mills, Talbot Mill is something a bit different, so we’re buzzing to be bringing it back to its former glory, [as] it had a huge role to play in the industrial revolution in the city and now it gets to be part of the city’s future.
“We’re retaining as many features as we can, to keep the history of the mill alive and so that our residents can enjoy becoming custodians of the past whilst enjoying all the trappings of modern-day living.”
Featured Image – Capital&Centric
News
Government sets out plans to fix the UK’s ‘broken’ rail system and deliver reliable services
Emily Sergeant
Plans to fix the ‘broken’ rail system across the UK and deliver reliable services for all have been set out by the Government.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is aiming to ‘rewire Britain’s railways’ with the introduction of its landmark bill unveiled by the Government yesterday (18 February), most notably including the setting up of a powerful passenger watchdog to reform Great British Railways (GBR), give passengers a voice, and hold train operators to account.
The creation of the new watchdog is described as being a ‘once in a generation overhaul’.
Its establishment should bring track and train together, end ‘major failures’, and deliver reliable services for passengers, all while catalysing growth across the country, the DfT assures.
The Railways Bill is set to deliver a once in a generation overhaul of Britain's railways.
But what will it actually do, and what does this mean for passengers?
It will also give devolved leaders more of a say on the services that directly impact their towns and cities, and work together to integrate transport, ultimately making it simpler to travel and attracting more people to our railways.
The new independent watchdog will be tasked with ensuring GBR addresses the issues that consistently rank highest in passenger complaints to ensure the public are given clear information when they travel.
Working with the Transport Secretary and GBR, the watchdog will also be given the powers to set clear standards for passengers on things like journey information and assistance, investigate persistent problems, and publish reports on poor service – before referring this to the railway regulator for enforcement action.
The Government has set out plans to fix the UK’s ‘broken’ rail system and deliver reliable services / Credit: Network Rail
A public consultation on the plans has also been launched this week, giving the Government a chance to hear Brits’ views on putting an end to ‘outdated and inefficient processes’ which have resulted in poor performance, timetable chaos, and complex fares and ticketing over the years.
“Passengers have put up with broken railways for far too long,” insisted Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure, creating a Great British Railways passengers can rely on.
“We’re giving passengers a powerful voice with a new watchdog dedicated to addressing their biggest concerns, building railways people can trust, improving our services, and boosting the economy in the process.”
Daisy Jackson -
12th November 2021 
