Local brewers Seven Bro7hers and gin distillery Four Sis4ers are set to merge to form one big Salfordian alcohol outfit. You love to see it.
With Seven Bros already being a household name, operating out of four locations in Manchester alone, not to mention more and more sites opening up across the country and their beloved beers stocked in ASDA, Morrisons, Co-op, Booths and soon Aldi too, the brand just keeps getting bigger.
Now, the next step in that development will see the McAvoy brothers link up with their real-life sisters and their aptly named company, FOUR SIS4ERS Distillery, to form one big happy family business.
While many aware of the two companies’ connection always wondered whether it would happen, this link-up will finally put all 11 McAvoy siblings under one commercial roof, allowing customers and consumers access to a ‘one stop’ shop for craft beer, gin, rum and who knows what in the future.
The takeover will see a rebrand of the craft gin distillery aimed at bringing the portfolio in line with the brother’s lucrative core beers, targeting grocery buyers and convenience stores.
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Inspired by their father’s home-brewing legacy, the company was founded in 2014 by the seven McAvoy brothers themselves: Guy, Keith, Luke, Daniel, Nathan, Kit, and Greg.
Following their success, the McAvoy sisters Kerry Collins, Hayley Robinson, Kate Haslam, and Lucy White then decided they wanted in on the action and launched SIS4ERS Distillery back in 2018.
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With their own reputation growing exponentially, it seemed only natural to bring them on board. The merger will make SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO the largest alcohol family in the industry. Try 55 direct relatives. Absolutely massive.
Credit: SEVEN BRO7HERSCredit: FOUR SIS4ERS
Keith McAvoy, CEO of Seven Bro7hers said: “Our sisters have built a brilliant portfolio of delicious, unique gins and rums unlike others in the marketplace. We believe with the right branding strategy and access to our fantastic network, we’ll be able to grow the business and get the products in front of new buyers.
“We are excited to be under one roof. Family is the foundation of our business, so it is fantastic to bring the sisters into our fold. Now you really can #jointhefamily, drink and serve the full family collection of amazing beers and spirits.”
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Lucy White of SIS4ERS DISTILLERY, said: “The merger feels like a natural progression for our business. The brothers have had great success taking the brewery from in-house webshop to store and we can’t wait to see where that wealth of experience takes the FOUR SIS4ERS brand.”
SEVEN BRO7HERS currently run successful beer houses in Middlewood Locks, MediaCityUK, Ancoats and, of course, their HQ, taproom and brewery in the heart of Salford.
Always looking to grow their portfolio — as exampled by the Four Sis4ers merger — they also opened their partnership bar at Manchester Airport‘s new T2 Departure Lounge in July 2020, before planting their first flag on the rest of the UK in May 2021 with their new Beerhouse in the heart of Liverpool.
Together with the help of their sisters, who have already seen their success not only in day-to-day sales but with hosting gin tours and tastings, as well as bookable event spaces, the sky is the limit for the McAvoy family.
Featured Image — SEVEN BRO7HERS/FOUR SIS4ERS DISTILLERY (via Instagram)
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Major travel warning issued ahead of Manchester Pride this bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
A major travel warning has been issued ahead of the upcoming bank holiday weekend.
Of course, Manchester Village Pride returns to the city centre this weekend from Friday 28 to Monday 31 August – with four days of music, live performances, and entertainment taking place to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and of course, the annual Pride Parade will be taking to the streets from 12pm on Saturday too.
Starting at midday on Liverpool Road, the Pride Parade will travel through the city centre via Deansgate, Peter Street, Oxford Street, Portland Street, and Whitworth Street, all before arriving in the Village and closing out at around 4pm.
Pride may be the biggest event in Manchester this weekend, but given the fact it’s a bank holiday too, it’s by far the only thing happening.
A major travel warning has been issued ahead of this bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
As thousands of visitors gear up to visit the city in the next few days, travel warnings have been issued by Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), as road closures are in place and major traffic congestion is expected across the city centre.
For the celebrations to all take place as safely and seamlessly as possible, a full list of road closures and parking suspensions have now been published.
Drivers are advised to avoid travelling into the city centre by car if possible, particularly on Saturday, and should use other modes of transport – such as buses, trams, and trains – instead to best avoid all the closures.
But for those who do need to drive, they’re being strongly advised to ‘allow plenty of extra time’ for their journeys and check routes before setting off.
🏳️🌈 On Saturday [29 August], it's the #PrideParade so you'll see plenty of rainbows in the city centre.
To allow the parade to take place: – There will be road closures in place – Some buses may operate on diversion – Trams in the city centre may experience minor delays
Wherever possible, drivers are advised to park on the same side of the city as their route, as travelling across the city to reach a car park could add additional time to the journey.
“Plan ahead if you’re travelling over the bank holiday weekend,” Manchester City Council said in its travel warning.
“A number of other major events are taking place across the city, including live events at Wythenshawe Park and Manchester United’s first home game of the season, which are likely to increase demand on tram services and roads in and around the city centre.”
You can find out everything you need to know about Manchester Village Pride here, and see the full list of road closures here.
Featured Image – TfGM
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Aldi on Market Street is officially open again, with a major upgrade
Daisy Jackson
Good news for literally everyone in the city centre – Aldi on Market Street is BACK after a major upgrade.
The supermarket in the Manchester Arndale has been closed for what feels like an eternity (okay, three weeks) while it was given a refurbishment as part of Aldi’s Enhanced Project Fresh initiative.
The closure had left some shoppers less than impressed, with locals previously taking to social media to say it had ‘ruined my f***in day‘.
But after weeks of waiting, the Market Street branch is now back open, and Aldi says there are plenty of changes for shoppers to discover.
The revamped store has been given a new floor layout, upgraded refrigeration and repositioned departments, all designed to make navigating the shop a little easier.
Having popped in this morning, we can confirm that the aisles feel significantly less claustrophobic than they did previously.
One of the biggest additions is a brand-new in-store bakery, alongside expanded chillers and an enhanced fresh produce section.
Buzzball BiggiesThe new Aldi bakery on Market StreetAnd magnums of Aldi’s own chicken wineLoads of new self checkoutsThe aisles feel much wider and calmer in the new Aldi Market Street
There’s also a larger food-to-go chiller, while the freezer section has been redesigned with easy-to-browse freezers.
And for anyone who has ever found themselves trapped in a city-centre supermarket queue, Aldi has also introduced an improved queuing system for its self-checkouts, with the changes intended to ease congestion during the busiest periods.
Store Manager Mark Strickland said: “We thank our customers for being patient during this period of closure and we hope the improvements we’ve made to the store create a noticeably better experience for our shoppers.
“The new floor, upgraded refrigeration, and repositioned departments now make shopping at Aldi Arndale easier and more comfortable than ever.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming back familiar faces and new customers to showcase what we’ve achieved.”
The makeover forms part of Aldi’s wider investment programme across its stores, including the rollout of updated CO₂ refrigeration systems.
According to Aldi, the carbon reduction from the completed programme will be equivalent to the amount of energy used to heat more than 6,500 homes.
So, while Mancs might have had to survive without their Market Street Aldi for a little while, there’s now a shiny new reason to head back into the Arndale.