The Top 50 gastropubs in the UK have been revealed, and it’s safe to say we’re well and truly spoilt here in the north.
Four out of five of the country’s very best foodie pubs are located up north, with number two – The Parkers Arms in Clitheroe – just an hour’s drive from Manchester.
Time to start making some bookings.
Despite being pipped to the top spot by Suffolk’s Unruly Pig, the Clitheroe pub has still leapt up two spots from its 2021 position to make it the best in the north of England, according to the prestigious Estrella Damn Top 50 Gastropubs 2022 list.
Other pubs up north to achieve recognition in the list include The Star Inn (Harome, North Yorkshire), The Angel (Hetton, Skipton), and Freemasons (Wiswell, Clitheroe), ranking at numbers 3, 4 and 5 respectively.
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It’s certainly been an eventful year for Michelin-starred pub The Star Inn, which burnt down in a fire in 2020 – yet still managed to claim one of the top spots, despite only having been back open for a few months.
Further down the list sits the critically acclaimed Pack Horse at Hayfield, which sits at the foot of Kinder Scout and is only a 50-minute drive from Manchester. The pub was also recently added to the Michelin Guide, to the delight of chef-owner Luke Payne.
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In total, fifteen northern pubs made it into the top 50 list, with more notable selections close to Manchester including West Yorkshire pubs The Moorcock in Sowerby Bridge, and The Shibden Mill Inn.
Suffolk’s Unruly Pig, meanwhile, was been crowned the UK’s finest, moving up from last year’s Highest Climber category to become the very best in the Estrella Damn Top 50 Gastropubs 2022 list today.
The Top 50 Gastropubs list, now in its 13th year, ranks the UK’s best gastropubs according to the votes from more than 400 gastropub owners, food critics and other industry experts.
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Image: The Pack Horse at Hayfield
Chris Lowe,, Top 50 Gastropubs publisher, said: “After a tough two years for the hospitality industry, we are thrilled to see such a strong list of contenders this year, including a new number one and several new entrants!
“The Top 50 Gastropubs provides a platform for food-lovers to explore the very best offerings across the UK. We are delighted to host this year’s event in Manchester for the first time, highlighting the range of talent across the UK.
“I’m incredibly delighted for Brendan and everyone at The Unruly Pig to get the number 1 spot.”
Further northern pubs to feature in the list include The Rat Inn (Anick, Hexham) The Broad Chare (Newcastle Upon Tyne), The Higher Buck, Waddington (near Manchester), The Pipe and Glass, (Barnsley,Yorkshire), The Shibden Mill Inn (Shibden, West Yorkshire), The White Swan at Fence (Fence, Burnley), Heft (High Newton, Lancashire), The Higher Buck (Waddington, Lancashire) and The Hovingham Inn (Yorkshire).
Inside The Moorcock at Sowerby Bridge, which jumped up 10 places on this year’s list from #39 to #29 / Image: The Moorcock, West Yorkshire
James Healey, UK Country Manager for Estrella Damm, said: “As the authentic premium beer of Barcelona, Estrella Damm is proud to continue to support the UK’s gastropubs.
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“This is the seventh year that we have sponsored the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub Awards, an awards ceremony that celebrates high calibre ingredients, culinary excellence and innovation, qualities that are also shared by Estrella Damm.
“We want to extend our congratulations to all 50 gastropubs on the list and hope more pub-goers are lucky enough to experience their talent in 2022.”
The Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropubs 2022 list is as follows:
Plans submitted for new £250 million mixed residential neighbourhood in Stockport
Danny Jones
Plans have officially been submitted for a brand-new £250 million neighbourhood in the heart of Stockport town centre.
The new mixed residential mini-village simply dubbed, ‘Stockport 8’, has been put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund – itself a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse).
Set to cost a quarter of a million, the proposed neighbourhood is just the latest step of the ever-growing Stockport Mayor Development Corporation (MDC) masterplan, a wider £500m scheme to transform the specific Stockport Town Centre West area into the most sustainable, liveable town centre in the UK.
With a planning application now submitted, we’ve also been given another look at what the new Stockport neighbourhood would look like if green-lit.
We first heard reports of the new Stockport 8 neighbourhood back in January after CGIs of what the developers envisioned were shared with the public, alongside how it fit into the West blueprints.
The overall goal of the development is to create a high-quality, green neighbourhood featuring a mix of housing tenures to suit existing and new homeowners and tenants.
Aiming to build a grand total of 1,300 high-quality, energy-efficient homes all told as part of a whipping £1bn investment in Stockport town centre, there will also be room for businesses and community spaces on the ground floor level to knit into the existing centre and its community.
There’s also an insistence from those behind the project to create different atmospheres, creating new environments for people to meet, socialise, relax and enjoy, such as residential courtyards and green roofs, as well as the usual modern amenities re: parking, vehicle charging, bike storage etc.
All told, the council and their development partners – which include chief designers, shedkm, and landscape architects, Planit – are hoping to contribute nearly a third of the homes in Stockport MDC masterplan, which is hoping to surpass 4,000 homes over a total of 130 acres.
As well as helping contribute to the busy and vital road network that is continuing to be redeveloped, the goal is to create a safe and sustainable travel environment too, with a pedestrian-only street running through the centre of the scheme.
With one big road (Cook Street) running throughout the neighbourhood, the new builds will also look to knit into Stockport’s existing structure, celebrating the area’s rich heritage and character by even reintroducing historic street patterns and street names.
If you’re interested in the skyline-changing new project, you can find out more HERE.
Planning permission applications in Manchester can sometimes take upwards of 13 weeks due to the various individual stages and processes, so we’re still a while of way from knowing if/when Stockport 8 will begin work but with a summer 2027 completion date, it could be a huge moment for the town.
Hidden drug den full of cannabis plants worth £100k exposed by police in Bury
Emily Sergeant
Police in Bury have exposed a drug den worth an estimated £100,000 hidden behind closed doors during early morning warrants.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained, earlier this week (9 December), officers from the Radcliffe and Elton and Church Neighbourhood Teams were joined by Bury’s newest district commander, Chief Superintendent Kirsty Oliver, to conduct a warrant at an address on Mitchell Street.
The warrant was conducted by acting on intelligence that was gathered from members of the public within the community.
Officers the address, where they forced entry and discovered what has been described as a “sophisticated cannabis farm” within the property.
A hidden drug den full of cannabis plants worth £100k has been exposed by police in Bury / Credit: GMP
The set-up was spread across two floors, and according to police, resulted in around 300 plants being seized overall – with half of them being at the beginning of their growth-cycle, and 100 which had been harvested.
All the plants seized have a combined street value of an estimated £100,000, it is believed.
On top of this, a vehicle was also seized after officers found it suspiciously parked outside the premises, and following further inspection, it was discovered to be outstanding as stolen and had false registration plates.
Early morning warrants uncover a hidden drug den worth an estimated £100,000 in #Bury thanks to intelligence from within the community.
Police believe that the warrant could be linked with West Balkan’s Organized Crime Groups, and are investigating additional lines of enquiry.
Chief Superintendent Kirsty Oliver, Bury’s new district commander, thanked the public for their help in yesterday’s warrant.
“We received information sent in by concerned members of the community who wanted to create a safer environment,” Chief Superintendent Oliver explained.
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“Communities are essential to preventing and solving crime, and I encourage you to continue to report any criminal acts or suspicious behaviour to us and let us know what is happening in your area.”
Georgina Pellant -
25th January 2022 
