The north’s leading beer festival is heading back to Manchester city centre this summer, ready for a weekend dedicated to all things craft beer – and we’re talking all-your-beer-is-included levels of craft beer here.
The Manchester Craft Beer Festival is set to take over Depot Mayfield for its fourth year, bigger and better than ever.
The cavernous space will be home to expert-led talks, tastings and tours, as well as live Euros screenings.
Some of the world’s best breweries and most dynamic brands from across the planet will be joining in with the fun this July, with more than 65 breweries and 500 beers to taste.
Local names like Cloudwater, Track, Marble, Northern Monk, Bundobust, Sureshot and Seven Brothers are all lined up, as well as British craft names like Deya, Verdant, Siren, North Brewing, and plenty of heritage brands.
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The Manchester Craft Beer Festival is returning for 2024. There’ll be talks and tastings at Depot Mayfield for the The Manchester Craft Beer Festival 2024
And for those who want to drink something other than delicious back-to-back beers, there are plenty of other drinks on offer, like Pimentae’s pre-batched margaritas and loads of other spirits.
A portion of the festival’s floor will be taken up by a Food Block Party, again showing off plenty of local favourites.
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Almost Famous will be serving their legendary burgers, Bundobust will have Indian street food, MorMor will supply Middle Eastern-inspired meals and Voodoo Rays are bringing giant NY-style pizza slices, along with ramen joint Bone Daddies making their Manchester debut
Channel 4’s Mark Dredge, who is Sunday Brunch’s beer expert, and Craft Beer Channel’s Jonny Garrett will be speaking at the huge event as part of the addition of talks, tastings and tours.
As the Manchester Craft Beer Festival coincides with the Euros, matches will be screened inside, so you can Harry Kane the beers while watching Jack Beerlish bring it home.
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Manchester Craft Beer Festival will have a food block partyYour ticket includes a glass and all your beers
The whole thing will be soundtracked by an acoustic music stage, as well as DJs playing throughout.
And new for this year will be a complimentary trade exclusive session, allowing those who already work in the industry to come along for free.
Thousands of beer-lovers and industry experts are expected to flock to Manchester from across the country to attend one of the UK’s biggest and boldest beer experiences, created by We Are Beer.
Mark Dredge said: “I’m thrilled to be participating in this year’s Manchester festival, to talk all things beer, a topic I am well versed in after writing eight books about it, working internationally as a beer judge, and talking about it daily!
“I’m a big fan of the festival and what they do so I’m delighted to be on board to bring an educational element to the festival where guests can learn a little more about the background and creation process behind what they are sipping, and why it tastes the way it does – a bit of beer education essentially.”
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Co-founder of We Are Beer and Director of Manchester Craft Beer Festival, Greg Wells, adds: “It’s been a disheartening year for Manchester’s beer scene so far with closure of the beloved Indy Man Beer Con Fest and the unfortunate debut of the International Brewing and Cider Festival, but we’re pleased to announce our return and bring more of what has been loved in the past three years.
“With even more breweries and experiences on offer and larger capacity this year, we’re buzzing to be back to satisfy all the beer lovers out there.”
The Manchester Craft Beer Festival will take place at Depot Mayfield on 5 and 6 July.
The Friday afternoon trade session will run from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, with public sessions 6pm to 11pm on Friday, and 11.30am to 4.30pm then 6pm to 11pm on Saturday.
Tickets start from £52, which includes all your beers and a special glass, plus access to all the talks, tastings, and tours, and are available here.
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You can upgrade to special packages and even full weekend tickets too.
The family-run gem doing tapas, craft beer, cocktails and live music just outside Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A good neighbourhood restaurant should be somewhere you can pop in to at any time of day, for just about any occasion.
Whether it’s coffee and a bake after the school run, a tapas night with your mates, a cosy cocktail with your partner, or even somewhere to end the night listening to live music, Gin & Brews is one such neighbourhood gem.
This brilliant family-run venue opened in an old bank in Garstang in 2023 and quickly spilled over into the unit next door, expanding its offering as it went.
It’s gone from a cosy bottle shop and microbar to a true neighbourhood haunt, with fantastic deals (like two pizzas and a bottle of wine for £25 on Thursdays) and cocktails made with their own distilled spirits.
The food is a big part of the appeal, particularly the tapas.
There’s bread and oils, chorizo and prawns, goat’s cheese and loaded potatoes, with plenty designed for sharing – you might want to order more than you think you need, but at £12 for three dishes, that’s no hardship.
You can get three tapas dishes for £12Lemon curd French toast
Then there’s the homemade honey and sea salt butter. It’s the sort of butter you try once and immediately want to tell everyone about.
For daytime visits, the brunch menu brings out perfectly poppable eggs and seriously good French toast, with the lemon curd a particular must-try.
And if you have dietary requirements, Gin & Brews is unusually well set up for gluten-free diners, with almost everything on the menu gluten free – even the beer – plus a generous selection of gluten-free bakes.
The drinks offering is where things get particularly interesting.
The team make their own spirits under the Garstang Gin name, with the distillery growing from just three spirits to an impressive 46.
It’s a natural progression for the owner, who previously worked in the drinks industry before leaving to set up her own gin distillery.
They distill their own Garstang Gin spirits for cocktailsInside Gin & Brews
Those spirits now make their way into the cocktails at Gin & Brews, giving the bar plenty of its own character and making it a particularly good shout if cocktails are your thing.
There’s also a constantly changing selection of craft beer, with the range switching up regularly, alongside the bottle shop, so there’s always something new to discover.
For somewhere that has grown so quickly, Gin & Brews still feels firmly rooted in its community.
Much of what goes onto your plate is sourced from businesses on the high street, including local butchers and egg suppliers. Even some of the cakes and cookies are made by one of the members of staff.
It feels fitting for a venue in Garstang, which is recognised as the world’s first Fair Trade Town.
Bakes at Gin & Brews are made by a member of staff
And while Wednesday and Thursday evenings are already busy, the team are keen to bring more people through the doors during the day. They certainly have the offering for it.
There are coffee-and-cake afternoons, brunch dates, tapas lunches, craft beer, cocktails and plenty of gluten-free treats to take away.
Then, when the sun goes down, the music comes on, with live performances at weekends and regular events bringing the place to life.
If you’re looking for a reason to venture out of Manchester for something a little different, this might just be it.
Gin & Brews has only been around for a few years, but it already feels like one of those places that has been part of the local scene forever.
And if the homemade butter doesn’t convince you, the cocktails probably will.
Magical Christmas experience in Manchester will bring The Polar Express to life
Daisy Jackson
A magical new Christmas experience is coming to Manchester this winter, bringing The Polar Express to life.
The fully immersive walkthrough experience will invite you on an enchanting journey to the North Pole, as you whizz past beautiful landscapes – all without actually leaving Manchester.
The all-new BELIEVE! THE POLAR EXPRESS Experience brings the beloved story to life, following the Hero Boy and Hero Girl.
Taking place at the O2 Victoria Warehouse, the experience begins in Hero Boy’s bedroom, before you step foot into the iconic The Polar Express carriage as a passenger.
Then you’ll be glued to the windows as you whizz through the Caribou Forest, past icy lakes, and dazzling Northern Lights displays.
Entertaining passengers every step of the way are beloved characters like the Conductor, Hero Boy, Hero Girl, and the mysterious Hobo.
You can get your golden ticket punched, warm up with a complimentary hot chocolate and a cookie, and be swept along by the festive tale.
Passengers will meet beloved characters from The Polar ExpressYou can visit the nice-o-meterAnd meet Santa himself
At the ‘North Pole’, the magic continues, with a Pyjama Party, a Letter Writing Station where you can send a note to Santa, visit the Naughty or Nice Machine, and craft a special Christmas decoration to take home.
You’ll even get the chance to meet Santa Claus himself…
While THE POLAR EXPRESS Train Ride has welcomed over 1.7 million riders in 2024, BELIEVE! THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Experience is a brand-new experience – no moving train, no stations.
Instead, the wonder of the story is brought off the tracks and into a hands-on environment.
The magic of The Polar Express will be brought to lifeFollow Hero Boy on his journey to the North Pole
Photo opportunities are available throughout the experience, and little ones (or grown-ups, we’re not judging) are encouraged to wear pyjamas to fully embrace the story.
BELIEVE! THE POLAR EXPRESS comes from Warner Bros., Discovery Global Experiences, Rail Events Inc., and Plus Live Events.
BELIEVE! THE POLAR EXPRESS takes place between14 November and 31 December at O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester, with tickets now available and expected to sell out quickly HERE.
A Relaxed Performance Day for guests with neurodiverse conditions will also be held.
Daisy Jackson -
25th May 2024 
