In celebration of their ‘new look’, beloved Leeds-based brewery Northern Monk are giving away free pints of their iconic pale ale across various locations tomorrow, including right here in Greater Manchester.
So much for ‘it’s grim up North’ — don’t think so, mate.
The legendary independent brewery, based in the Yorkshire town of Holbeck, has been serving up its iconic beers across the North since 2013 and you don’t have to go far to find some of their creations on tap around here either.
Their most famous pale ale ‘Faith’ is now arguably the best core pale ale in the country and is the cornerstone of their lineup that helped make them a household name that we all know and love. Better still, you can get your hands on a few free ones this Wednesday (20 February).
Their new look.The classic Northern Monk pint being given away for free.Credit: Northern Monk/The Hoot Leeds
As per The Hoot, the brewery has recently been developing a ‘new look’, changing their logo and re-branding ahead of the ‘the next chapter for Northern Monk’.
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Whilst still undoubtedly recognisable, they’ve had a bit of a refresh — much like their pints (wahey!) — and we’ve got to say they’re looking very smart indeed.
So, in celebration of this, they’re feeling rather generous and are giving away a total of 1200 free pints of Faith across 12 different venues in the UK tomorrow.
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Available from 5pm onwards and for one day only, we know where we’ll be heading after work.
Some sage advice for people looking to enjoy the freebies there, as well.
Yes, it’s as simple as that: head to any of the venues from 5pm on Wednesday, 21 February and there’ll be a whopping 100 pints of Northern Monk in each ready to be handed over to you lovely lot.
It’s strictly one per customer but you’ll hear no complaints from us — a free pint is a free pint.
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The Manchester venues areas follows:
Northern Monk Refectory, Tariff Street – Northern Quarter
Trof, Thomas St – Also NQ
Folk, Burton Road – West Didsbury
Announcing the news to social media, Northern Monk said: “Times they are a-changin’… As we enter our 11th year, we’re embarking on the next chapter of Northern Monk. You’ll see some changes unfold in the coming months; join us as we begin to turn the pages.” We’ll cheers to that.
“We’re planning a few parties to officially ‘launch’ the new look. Across 12 different venues on Wednesday 21 February. There’s a free pint of Faith in it for you…”
They’ll also be giving away pints at venues in Bradford, Leeds, Sunderland, Glasgow and London.
So whatever you’ve got planned for 5pm tomorrow, cancel it and head to any of these cracking spots and cheers to Northern Monk’s new look.
Manchester’s newest hotel launches massive recruitment drive with 100+ jobs available
Emily Sergeant
One of Manchester’s newest hotels has launched a massive recruitment drive with more than 100 jobs available to locals.
The Medlock, Manchester’s bold new 401-bedroom hotel – which is born from a partnership between Manchester City Football Club and Radisson Hotel Group, and is set to open later this year in the autumn – is looking for new team members across a wide range of areas, including front of house, housekeeping, engineering, and reservations.
To welcome these new team members onboard, the hotel has now launched a massive recruitment drive with dozens of roles available to local people.
Individuals who bring ‘authenticity, pride, and personality’ to everything they do are encouraged to apply for the roles – which go live early next week (Monday 27 April).
Aimed at boosting employment within the local community, vacancies span front-of-house, housekeeping, engineering and reservations.
The recruitment drive – delivered in partnership with Total People – is being lead by Valor Hospitality, the hotel’s operator chosen for its global expertise and people-first approach to hospitality, and will be offering tailored training programmes that are designed to make careers in hospitality accessible to Manchester residents.
Vocational qualifications across a range of skills will help individuals build confidence and step into rewarding roles in the industry, and it also means prior experience is not entirely necessary.
More than 100 roles will be available to local people / Credit: Supplied
General Manager Richard Pearson says the recruitment drive is a ‘unique opportunity to be part of an exciting partnership’.
“This is a milestone we’ve been eagerly anticipating, building the team that will bring The Medlock to life,” he added. “We’re looking for people who carry the spirit of Manchester with them, people who are proud of where they’re from and passionate about creating something special together.”
As mentioned, all job adverts will go live next Monday (27 April) so hopefuls can get their applications submitted here.
This’ll then be followed by invite-only open days for shortlisted candidates in mid May.
Featured Image – Supplied
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UK passes bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking in ‘historic’ moment
Emily Sergeant
In what is described as being a ‘historic moment’, the UK has now passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from ever buying tobacco products.
It’s been a long time coming, but the final draft of the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill completed its journey through the Houses of Commons and Lords yesterday (21 April 2026), and is now on its way to receiving royal assent to officially become the law.
For those unfamiliar, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will stop people who were born on or after 1 January 2009 from ever taking up smoking.
It will also give Government ministers new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products – including their flavours and packaging, which make them more appealing to younger generations.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hailed the bill’s passing as a ‘historic moment for the nation’s health’ on the road to creating a smoke-free generation.
The UK has passed a bill to ban everyone born after 2008 from smoking / Credit: Lil Artsy (via Pexels)
“Children in the UK will be part of the first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm,” Mr Streeting said after the bill was passed this week.
“Prevention is better than cure. This reform will save lives, ease pressure on the NHS, and build a healthier Britain.”
The ban on purchasing tobacco products for those born after 2008 was first mooted by Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Government a number of years back, but was eventually shelved ahead of the 2024 General Election, and then revived again by Labour when they took power.
The bill’s passing parliament has been welcomed by charities and campaign groups – most notably Cancer Research UK.
“This is a historic achievement that will shield our children from the devastating grip of tobacco addiction and help to put an end to cancers caused by smoking,” concluded Michelle Mitchell, who is the Chief Executive Officer at Cancer Research.
Danny Jones -
20th February 2024 
