A brewery which has been an icon in Stockport town centre for the last 182 years is to move its operations in a £12 million project.
Robinsons Brewery has announced plans to relocate its brewing and head office operations from its well-known central site on Lower Hillgate – also known as the Unicorn Brewery – to its packaging centre in the Stockport suburban area of Bredbury.
The £12 million project – which expected to be completed by 2025 – includes the installation of a new brewhouse, together purpose-built office accommodation.
This move means that everything the company does, from brewing, cask racking, and kegging, to bottling lines, logistics, and more will soon be housed all one site for the first time since 1949, which is said to be fulfilling a long-held ambition of the Robinson family.
The brewery’s directors said it had been a “difficult decision” to relocate all operations, but assured there would be no job losses.
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We can today announce our plans to relocate our Lower Hillgate brewing & head office operations to our packaging centre in Bredbury. This will see the installation of a new brewhouse, together with up-to-date, purpose-built office accommodation. More info: https://t.co/spIxqPQMAopic.twitter.com/r8E9hJGEb1
In a joint statement issued on the move’s announcement, Directors William and Oliver Robinson said: “It will be a wrench [as] the business has a long history in the town centre and we are very respectful of the company’s role in the Lower Hillgate area.
“But the economic and logistical limitations of the site were impossible to ignore.
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“Moving everything under one roof gives us the ability to provide a more modern, flexible and greener brewing and packaging operation, while reflecting the company’s heritage.”
An artist’s impression image of the new Robinsons Brewery site in Bredbury due to open in 2025 / Credit: Robinson’s Brewery
Around 50 employees will make the move from Lower Hillgate to Bredbury, and Robinsons’ famous shire horses will also be moving to a new home.
As previously mentioned, there will be no compulsory job losses and Robinsons says the move will support its wider recruitment plans, which are linked to the acquisition of new pubs, and it also plans further investment in its “230-strong tenanted pub estate”.
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“This announcement demonstrates our commitment to writing a new chapter in our history in Stockport, continuing to brew, deliver and package award-winning cask, keg and bottled beer under 100pc family ownership,” the directors added.
The brewery is currently working on proposals to reopen The Bull’s Head in Stockport’s Market Square later this year.
It is currently liaising with Stockport Council over possible uses for the present brewery site.
Stockport Council leader Elise Wilson said the relocation of Robinsons was “good news for jobs” in Stockport, adding: “We look forward to seeing their future plans for the town centre site as they are developed over the coming months.”
Featured Image – Robinsons Brewery
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Price caps and standardisations to be introduced for vet care in UK following major investigation
Emily Sergeant
Reforms to the veterinary industry to help pet owners better navigate the vet services market are set to be introduced this year.
After an independent inquiry group recently found that the current system is leaving pet owners ‘in the dark’, with a lack of information to help make informed decisions leading to weak competition and high prices, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has this week concluded its investigation into veterinary services for household pets in the UK.
The final report green-lights a package of measures to make the market more competitive, easier to navigate, and more responsive to pet owners’ needs.
It outlines the final remedies and recommendations, which together, will transform the market.
Remedies and recommendations in the report range from price caps and standardisations, through to upfront cost transparency.
We’ve set out major reforms to the UK’s veterinary sector now our market investigation is complete.
Our reforms will help pet owners better navigate the vet services market and will start coming into force later this year.
— Competition & Markets Authority (@CMAgovUK) March 24, 2026
Practices will soon be required to publish a comprehensive price list for standard services – including consultations, common procedures, diagnostics, written prescriptions and cremation options – so pet owners know up-front how much certain services are expected to cost.
They’ll also have to make it clear whether they are part of a group or an independent business, and provide a written estimate in advance for any treatment expected to cost £500 or more (including aftercare costs), plus an itemised bill.
Written prescription fees are set to be capped at £21 for the first medicine, and then £12.50 for any additional medicines.
Price caps and standardisations are set to be introduced for vet care in UK / Credit: Pxhere
There’s also set to be changes to the complaints process, as practices will now be required to follow a transparent, accessible, in-house complaints process, and engage in mediation where disputes cannot be resolved.
The CMA says an ‘unprecedented’ response from both the public and the sector has helped to shape the final report.
The next step is for the Government to respond to the report formally – with Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Emma Reynolds, commenting: “We are grateful for all the work of the Competition and Markets Authority, and we will respond to the report and set out next steps for our proposed reforms in due course.
“This Government is focused on helping families save money on vet services by improving transparency and choice around pricing, so the public can make informed decisions about their pets’ care.”
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Police release footage of Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest by hiding under a bed
Emily Sergeant
Police have released unseen footage of a Manchester burglar who tried to evade arrest and justice by hiding under a bed.
David Dale Thompson, of no fixed abode, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (18 March) where he was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of residential burglary at an earlier hearing.
The 43-year-old was caught early last year (15 January 2025) following proactive patrols by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) neighbourhood officers across Rusholme and Moss Side, who were in the area due to a high number of reports of burglaries in the weeks prior.
While on patrol, police spotted Thompson ‘acting suspiciously’ while riding a bike just before 5pm, and once officer subsequently followed him to a property on Boscombe Street, before calling for more officers to attend.
After gaining entry to the address, officers suspected something was wrong when they entered one of the rooms, and after lifting up the bed, they found Thompson hiding in the storage compartment attempting to evade arrest.
GMP has now released footage of the moment Thompson was caught.
Speaking following Thompson’s sentencing last week, Detective Inspector Natalie McDonald, of GMP’s Manchester Central Neighbourhood Crime Team, said: “This was a fantastic example of proactive policing, which has resulted in a serial offender now behind bars.
“We know how devastating a burglary in your own home can be and this shows our commitment to tackling them head on.
“If you have any information or concerns about neighbourhood crime in your area, make sure you speak to us. In the meantime, we have officers on regular patrols in areas that need us the most.”
Emily Sergeant -
21st January 2022 
