From a brutalist icon to a green oasis complete with a ‘secret forest’ treehouse canopy and three new restaurants and bars, there’s an exciting new development coming to Deansgate in 2023.
Called Treehouse Hotel, it will completely transform the former Renaissance site with 216 new bedrooms, a magical treehouse canopy, and three brand new dining and drinking experiences – all run by top northern chefs and restauranteurs.
In an announcement made today, the hotel has revealed it is working with local hospitality heavyweights Mary-Ellen McTague, Sam Grainger, Luke Cowdrey (aka Unabomber) and Justin Crawford to bring its food, drink and music offering to life when it opens its doors here in Manchester.
Left to right: Mary Ellen McTague, Luke Cowdrey (aka Unabomber), Sam Grainger and Justin Crwaford. / Image: Supplied
Working with some of the north’s biggest names in hospitality, Treehouse will bring three unique new dining and drinking experiences to the city.
The new luxury hotel will feature a ground-floor eatery with a seasonally-changing all-day menu, a 14th-floor restaurant and bar with uninterrupted views of the skyline, and a crowning rooftop party venue, bar and terrace.
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Mary-Ellen McTague of The Creameries and Eat Well MCR will curate the new ground floor offering, serving a menu based on seasonality, sustainability, and a sense of place.
Image: Treehouse hotel London
Fresh pastries and hot and cold sandwiches will kick start the day here, followed by a regularly-changing all-day menu completed by a carefully-chosen list of low intervention wines.
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Up on the fourteenth floor, meanwhile, Sam Grainger of the critically-acclaimed Liverpool restaurant Belzan, not to mention relative Manchester newcomers Madre and Carnival, will oversee the hotel’s destination restaurant and stand-alone bar.
BBQ lambs heart, salsa verde, black tahini at Belzan Liverppool. Image: gringlepie
Known for his eclectic mix of dishes, diners can expect to find inventive South East Asian dishes here – elevated by the use of Japanese and European ingredients and techniques.
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Sam will also be collaborating with Manchester DJs and hospitality heavyweights Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford on the food and drink side of things, as well as working with them to bring the 14th-floor space to life with Manchester’s most cutting-edge musicians and entertainers.
The pair are known for hosting seminal club nights over the years such as Homoelectric Electric Chair here in Manchester, as well as introducing the city to popular eateries Volta, Electrik and The Refuge.
No strangers to a good time, they will also curate events in the Rooftop bar and the ground floor restaurant at Treehouse.
Evidently, it’s all change for the long-standing Deansgate hotel the Renaissance. Previous announcements also hinted at plans to install a kitchen garden that could harvest its own rainwater and a rooftop apiary that will produce the hotel’s own honey.
Elsewhere, stepping stones in the lift lobbies and a unique ‘living wooden art piece’ guest book – which you’re actually encouraged to carve your name into – will set Treehouse apart from other hotels in the city when it opens its doors here in 2023.
Feature image – Treehouse Hotel
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Salford RLFC issue statement as head coach Mike Grady departs after less than three months
Danny Jones
Salford Rugby League Football Club have issued an official statement following the departure of head coach Mike Grady, who has left the role after less than three months in the job.
It has been insisted that this is not a sacking, but rather a joint decision to terminate his contract.
Grady, who took up the mantle at the start of this project following the end of the Salford Red Devils era, was only appointed on 5 January.
He had previously been in charge of the Red Devils’ women’s side over the past couple of years, but moved over to hopefully lead this new era forward.
As you can see, the club confirmed in a statement that they and Grady have “mutually agreed to part ways due to changes in his personal circumstances.”
They go on to write: “We are forever indebted to Mike for his unwavering commitment to the club. We want to thank him for all his hard work since taking on the role as Head Coach in very challenging circumstances in December.”
Also sharing a comment from former player turned CEO, Ryan Brierley, he said: “Mike came in as Coach at a time when the club had just come through one of its toughest times with the double impact of relegation and liquidation.
“He was willing to roll up his sleeves and bring stability to the club on the pitch. The fact we were able to field a team against Oldham in January, after only three weeks, speaks volumes about his commitment and determination. To beat Hunslet at home only four weeks later was a fantastic achievement.
“Mike will always be remembered as the person [who] strived and achieved the objective of sending out the first Salford team of this new era. A team running onto the pitch, after so much hard work, gave us all something to cheer about. We also remember how well he successfully guided our women’s team to third and fourth place finishes in the Championship.”
Sharing his own farewell message, he went on to add: “I want to thank Ryan for the opportunity to represent this great club and fan base. What we created at the start of the year was pretty special, and I’m proud to have built that.
“I’m happy to leave the club in a better place than I found it and wish the club all the best for the future.” Salford RLFC have already assured that they are now recruiting for his replacement.
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.”
Georgina Pellant -
8th June 2022 
