A new subterranean basement cocktail and wine bar will be opening inside the Stock Exchange hotel in Manchester city centre later this year
Called Sterling, it has been dreamt up by the Bury brothers alongside leading wine expert James Brandwood.
Expected to open this summer, it will take over the lower ground space of the hotel formerly known as ‘The Vault’.
This will be the third site in the city for the brothers, who have also opened Schofield’s Bar and Atomeca off Deansgate in the past few years since returning home to Manchester after making their names on the global cocktail scene.
Image: Schofield’s
It also gives hope that Manchester’s hotel bar scene may be finally on its way to meeting the standards set by others in cities like London, New York and Paris, with a new drinks list to reflect the history and glamour of the stunning building.
For both the Schofield brothers, the hotel has a long-standing family connection as their mother once worked there and their grandmother learnt to swim in the old basement pool.
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They will be joined by Paola Mariotti as general manager, who has spent years working at some of the world’s most renowned five-star hotels including The American Bar at the Savoy and The Blue Bar at The Berkeley in London.
Image: The Stock Exchange Hotel
With room for just 100 drinkers on any given night, the underground bar will boast a classics-inspired cocktail menu full of the sort of innovations for which the brothers have become so well known.
Elsewhere, an exciting new wine list will be curated by James Brandwood, and there will be a bar snacks menu curated by Tom Kerridge – the only man to win two Michelin stars at a pub in the UK to date.
Speaking on the new opening, Joe Schofield said: “We have been planning this new concept for a long time and now it’s nearing completion. Stock Exchange Hotel is a particularly meaningful venue for us as our mother used to work at the Stock Exchange.
“Our grandmother also learnt to swim in the old pool at the basement in our original Schofield’s Bar location.
“As we continue to evolve our operations in Manchester, it’s warming to have a connection to the past, as that very much reflects our approach to our offering.”
Exciting new CGIs released of £500m Therme Manchester wellness resort as construction continues
Emily Sergeant
As construction continues on Manchester’s massive wellness resort, some new CGIs have now been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed, construction of the £500 million Therme Manchester wellness resort officially began last September after several years of planning, and now developers have released some exciting new CGIs – with an update on how construction is going, as a new milestone has been reached this week.
Set to open to the public in 2029, Therme Manchester will become one of the largest urban wellbeing resorts in the world.
Visitors can expect to make the most of a 10 pools – both lagoon and wave pools included – thermal bathing, multi-sensory sauna rituals, steam rooms, 18 water slides, affordably-priced luxury spa therapies, and health and fitness experiences.
Exciting new CGIs released of Therme Manchester have been released / Credit: Supplied
At the heart of Therme Manchester will be three distinct zones, each offering a different way to spend time at the resort.
Play will bring together water-based fun and attractions for families and visitors of all ages, and Restore will focus on thermal bathing and restorative experiences designed to help visitors unwind, while Relax will offer spaces for relaxation and wellbeing.
The latest CGIs showcase the design as it develops – including the resort’s extensive indoor and outdoor spaces, and its 53,000sq ft wellbeing garden.
Construction is still underway on the £500m wellness resort / Credit: Supplied
The plans also feature a new public plaza designed to strengthen connections between the resort and the Bridgewater Canal.
Professor David Russell, CEO of Therme UK, said: “We have taken the opportunity to refine the design, improve how traffic and parking are managed and create a more welcoming environment for everyone arriving at the resort.
“We are creating an even better experience for visitors while supporting more efficient and sustainable operations.”
Therme Manchester was initially touted as a £250m project that would complete in 2025, but it’s now up to £500m and is scheduled to complete it 2029.
It marks one of the most significant building developments to ever take place in the North.
Featured Image – Supplied
News
All students in England to be offered the chance to do a new Ukrainian GCSE
Emily Sergeant
All students in England are soon to be offered the chance to do a new Ukrainian GCSE.
Said to be part of the UK’s ‘enduring support’ for the Ukrainian community and continued commitment to stand with Ukraine and its people, young people in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland will now have the opportunity to study for a new Ukrainian GCSE, the Government has announced.
While the qualification will be open to all students, it marks a ‘particularly significant’ milestone for Ukrainian children and young people living in the UK.
It’s hoped that the introduction of the new GCSE will help Ukrainians to preserve a vital connection to their language, culture, and identity.
It’s also hoped that it’ll open pathways to future education and employment for all pupils.
In line with the other modern foreign language GCSEs that are currently on offer, the qualification will assess listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, while also recognising the cultural and historical contexts that shape the Ukrainian language.
Examination board AQA will now begin the next phase of development, bringing together language and subject experts to design what will be a ‘high-quality’ qualification reflecting the richness of Ukrainian language and culture.
Education Secretary, Lucy Powell, commented: “As they build their lives here in the UK, it is right that Ukrainians and their children should have every opportunity to maintain that connection to their heritage and to be proud of who they are.
“This new qualification is available to all pupils and will give them the chance to develop their language skills and celebrate Ukraine’s rich culture and history, while also opening pathways to future study and employment and strengthening our partnership with Ukraine.
“Through that enduring partnership, we are building the lasting ties between our countries that will see the young minds of the future move forward together, and foster connections that transcend borders.”
The Ukrainian GCSE is expected to be available for first teaching from September 2028 – with first assessments taking place in 2029.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd May 2022 
