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.”
Council sets out plans to rework busy Manchester junction after ‘serious safety concerns’
Emily Sergeant
Bold new plans to transform one of Manchester’s busiest junctions following ‘serious’ safety concerns have been unveiled.
All the way back in 2022, Manchester City Council identified the junction of Wilmslow Road with Ladybarn Road and Sherwood Street as an area that would ‘greatly benefit’ from upgraded infrastructure.
As a major route into Manchester, and an important route cutting through the city’s southern neighbourhoods, this junction sees a vast amount of road, cyclist, and foot traffic every day… and because of this, there are also said to be ‘serious concerns’ around safety when it comes to this particular stretch of road.
In a five year period between 2018 and 2023 alone, there were 15 collisions at this junction, the Council explained – with two of these classified as ‘serious’.
Under the plans – which have been announced by the Council this week – the junction is to be partially redesigned, creating several new and safer crossing points for cyclists and pedestrians, a more ‘seamless’ route along the current cycling lanes, and overall, just general improvements to the layout.
🚧 Wilmslow Rd Junction Improvements 🚲 Works start 18 May 2026 at Wilmslow Rd / Ladybarn Rd / Sherwood St to make the junction safer for pedestrians & cyclists. ✅ New cycle lanes ✅ Safer crossings ✅ Better links to the Fallowfield Loop 🔗 https://t.co/Y26mH7cc8Epic.twitter.com/IiOih5ehqp
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) May 11, 2026
Some of the safety features set to be included are three dedicated crossing points for pedestrians at the junction, rumble strips for cyclists at pedestrian crossing points, and improved signage and road markings.
Work is due to begin as early as next Monday (18 May), and will run until January 2027.
The work is set to be carried out in four phases, the Council has confirmed – with the first phase of these works comprising of the removal of street furniture, kerbs and tarmac, as well as upgrades to the drainage and road markings.
“This junction in particular sees a high volume of traffic – from cars, cyclists and pedestrians, commented Councillor Tracey Rawlins, who is the Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport at Manchester City Council.
“So it was clear that improvements were required following our engagement with local residents.
“As has been the case with other schemes like this in Manchester, safety remains our number one priority.
“We have long said that we want Manchester to be a city where people can walk and cycle around in safety, and by upgrading this junction and improving its crossing points, we are taking another step towards that goal.”
Featured Image – Google Maps
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Printworks launches UK-wide student art competition for Europe’s largest digital ceiling
Emily Sergeant
Printworks has launched a student art competition offering the winner a chance to have their work displayed on Europe’s largest digital ceiling.
Do you know an aspiring artist? Students aged 16 and over are invited to bring the ocean to life in a brand-new creative arts competition launched by one of the UK’s leading entertainment destinations, Manchester’s Printworks.
The venue has now opened entries for UK students from sixth forms, colleges, universities, and art colleges across the country to take part in an exciting new art competition.
This year, students are asked to create an original artwork inspired by the theme ‘Ocean / Under the Sea’, and then the winning design will be transformed into a spectacular digital display across the impressive ceiling installation.
From colourful coral gardens and tropical fish, to mysterious deep-sea worlds and majestic marine life, students are encouraged to unleash their creativity and dive beneath the waves for inspiration.
“We’re incredibly excited to launch this year’s student art competition and can’t wait to see the imagination and creativity that the UK’s young artists bring to this year’s theme,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks Manchester.
Printworks has launched a UK-wide student art competition for Europe’s largest digital ceiling / Credit: Supplied
“Our digital ceiling gives students the opportunity to see their work displayed on a truly massive scale in front of thousands of visitors, and we hope the addition of new prizes will encourage creativity to continue beyond the competition.”
The winning artist will also receive an iPad 11th Generation with an Apple Pencil (USB-C) this year too, as well as the main prize of having their artwork featured, giving budding creatives powerful new tools to continue developing their artistic talents and future projects.
Entrants who come in second and third place will also receive vouchers to be used at different venues inside Printworks.
The competition is now open, and further details on how to enter, submission guidelines, and full terms and conditions can be found on the Printworks website here.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd May 2022 
