Manchester’s neighbourhood Kampus is gearing up to host a solid ten weeks of back-to-back block parties from its canal-side garden.
From laid-back disco vibes to escapist California beach sounds, Irish folk parties, raucous Mexican festivities to smooth NYC jazz, each weekend will see guest DJs take to the decks to spin tunes from different corners of the world.
Kicking off from Friday 15 April, the neighbourhood will play host to a range of eclectic patio parties with free-flowing beer from Manchester brewery Cloudwater.
Image: Kampuis
As for food, Ramsbottom favourites Levanter will be moving into the Kampus Bungalow for a residency -serving up tapas, giant paella and charcuterie boards aplenty over the ten-week period.
Every Saturday and Sunday from 11am, the team will be putting on a special Spanish brunch with a rotating menu and special Bloody Mary cocktails from Cloudwater on tap, using a different base spirit and garnish each week.
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The residency – to takeover the Kampus gardens and Bungalow – will run until Sunday 26 June 2022.
Paul Jones, co-founder of Cloudwater, said: “The vibe at Kampus last summer was knock-out, with people dancing in the gardens and sipping craft beer overlooking Canal Street.
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“We’re properly excited about this line-up. We not only wanted to celebrate the best of Manchester’s scene, with local DJs and artists, but cherry-pick the best produce from around the world and showcase it during a run of epic neighbourhood parties.
Image: Levanter
“The global weekenders mean we can not only rotate our own beers, but serve up amazing imported drinks from our friends in Europe and the US to the Manchester crowd.”
The residency is further expansion for Ramsbottom favourites Levanter.
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Born from founder Joe Botham’s love for Flamenco music and Andalusian culture, the restaurant and sister brand Baratxuri went on to gain critical acclaim – with rave reviews from national food critics, awards and a place in the Michelin Guide.
Based at The Bungalow, the canalside concrete block on stilts at Kampus, they’ll be serving up food from 11am to 9pm Thursday to Saturday, and 11am to 8pm on Sunday throughout the residency.
Giant paella will be served in the garden from 3pm on weekends, with both meat and vegan options.
Joe Botham, owner of Levanter and Baratxuri, said: “We’re all about serving delicious, Spanish food in a way that’s unpretentious, traditional but above all social. It’s about the shared experience of having great food and spending time with the people you love the most.
“This residency will be perfect for that, visitors can expect giant paella cooked outside, hand-carved Jamon Iberico de Bellota and a raft of our favourite dishes we picked up on our travels around Spain’s stunning villages.
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“We’ve done our own thing and gained an awesome following at Levanter, but we’ve always loved collaborating with like-minded people. Coming to Kampus is like coming home, it’s got that neighbourhood feel that we love and loads of our old mates who’ve gone on to found great brands that are due to open here too.”
Image: Kampus
The Cloudwater X Levanter global weekender line-up will include:
Manchester Long Bank Holiday (14-17 April)
Known Manchester DJs and homegrown city favourite beers
Spain (21-24 April)
Spanish house music, specially imported Basqueland beers and cider, plus Record Store Day pop-up featuring indie record shops selling and spinning hot records.
California Bank Holiday (28 April – 1 May)
Beach soundtrack, surf rock and hip hop, with guest beers flown in.
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Mexico (5-8 May)
Cinco de Mayo celebrations, with traditional décor and Latin party vibes.
Ireland (12-15 May)
Fresh imported beer from our neighbours, folk music, spoken word artists and stalls.
New York (19-22 May)
Eclectic mix of Jazz in all its forms, paired with beers from the best NYC breweries.
Canada (26-29 May)
Fresh beers from Toronto’s finest, including Bellwoods, Sonnen Hill and Goodspeed breweries.
The Queer Ju-Beer-lee Festival Bank Holiday (2-5 June)
Celebrating the Best of British in honour of Queen Liz! Party bags and street party at the ready, pouring fresh beer from the Queer Brewing Project.
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Portugal (9-12 June)
Fun-twist on a Portuguese party, with Fado and Flamenco tunes, with port-infused Bloody Marys.
New England USA (16 –19 June)
Levanter dishes with beers from some of the highest rated breweries in the world.
Manchester closer (23-26 June)
Manchester favourites to celebrate our home town, with back-to-back tunes!
Feature image – Kampus
News
Northern Quarter favourite Pie and Ale has sadly closed down
Danny Jones
Beloved Northern Quarter eatery and pub Pie and Ale has sadly and quietly closed its doors this week in yet another gutting bit of news for the Manc hospitality sector.
Known for its legendary homemade pies, great selections of ales, craft beers and lagers, not to mention a great little pub when it comes to watching live sport, it’s long been considered an NQ institution.
Unfortunately, however, as confirmed by a sign posted in the window, Pie and Ale has now closed for business after more than a decade.
Safe to say, we’re absolutely gutted, as we’re sure everyone else is.
Credit: The Manc Eats
While no official announcement has been made on their social media as yet, which will no doubt receive love and sadness from its loyal following, the sign in the window simply reads: “Pie and Ale has unfortunately ceased trading. Apologies for any inconvenience.”
The local favourite which was always hailed for being great value for money – celebrated especially for its popular pie and a pint for under a tenner deal – also served up great nibbles and light bites as well as dessert specials.
Although the Lever Street spot previously shut down for a short spell back in 2018 due to what they labelled as “unforeseen circumstances” before reopening just two months later, this latest update looks pretty definitive.
Sister-site Bakerie also ceased trading back in April 2019, with husband and wife founders, Alyson Doocey and David Cook, admitting that all independents had been “feeling the squeeze”.
While we have few other details at this stage, it does look like Pie and Ale has indeed closed down for the foreseeable future.
A mainstay on our list of the best pies in Manchester since day dot and just the latest in the list of losses in 2024 so far, they will be sorely missed.
We sincerely hope this is like last time and will keep our fingers crossed that we see the pie pros and expert pourers back in business at some point.
One of Manchester’s largest hotels has reopened after an ‘extensive’ £33m renovation
Emily Sergeant
One of the largest hotels in Manchester city centre has now reopened its doors to the public following an “extensive” £33 million renovation.
A new chapter is officially underway for Manchester‘s Marriott Hotel in Piccadilly.
Conveniently located next to Manchester Piccadilly train station, and what is a world-class and ever-popular urban neighbourhood in Mayfield, the Piccadilly Marriott hotel is the second Marriott hotel in the city centre, and following its wide-scale refurbishment, the new premises now offers “a contemporary destination for travellers“.
A stunning bistro-style restaurant and bar, a large function room, 11 meeting rooms, a 24/7 ‘MClub’ lounge, a state-of-the-art gym, and an Elemis spa with six treatment rooms and a thermal suite, can all be found inside the new hotel.
Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly has now reopened following a £33m refurbishment / Credit: Supplied
Known as the largest four-star hotel in the city centre, Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly boasts 338 “generous” bedrooms spread across eight floors with “unparalleled comfort” and interior design that gives a nod to the neighbourhood’s industrial and music heritage.
The biggest standard-sized rooms in Manchester, 16 ‘Panoramic Suites’, and a selection of family rooms, are just some of the accommodation options the hotel now offers.
As well as the rooms, Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly is also considered to be one of the best hotels in the city for both corporate and social events, with meeting rooms, function rooms, and more all on site, and now, thanks to the recent renovations, these refurbished spaces all include the latest in digital screen technology, audio-visual equipment, high-speed WiFi, and air conditioning.
The 338-room hotel is now one of the largest in Manchester city centre following the “extensive refurbishment” / Credit: Supplied
The new hotel is also home to Manchester’s only Marriott brand exclusive, MClub Lounge – which is a unique club lounge space designed to be the perfect place to relax, socialise, or meet for business.
The hotel’s stunning new spa is also described as being a “haven of wellness”, as it boasts six treatment rooms in partnership with award-winning British skincare brand, Elemis.
The stunning new premises now offers “a contemporary destination for travellers” / Credit: Supplied
Speaking as the new hotel opens its doors this week, Stephen Rycroft, who is the General Manager of Manchester Marriott Hotel Piccadilly, commented: “We are excited to be part of this launch, bringing the flagship Marriott brand to this grand hotel, as it’s grand in both innovative design and size, making it the largest hotel in Manchester city centre.
“Our team is committed to providing exceptional experiences for both business and leisure guests alike.”
Georgina Pellant -
25th March 2022 
