The iconic Manchester worker bee is to feature on a new eco-friendly takeaway cup that’ll soon be available throughout the city.
In a bid to celebrate and champion the city’s identity, all while helping the region cut back on the consumption of single-use plastics, family-run Stockport-based catering equipment business, Stephensons, has created a new environmentally friendly takeaway cup that you’ll soon be able to buy from a wide range of places across Manchester.
And around 5% of all the sales will be donated to the life-changing We Love MCR Charity too.
The certified plastic-free cup is fully compostable, and is designed to be recycled along with paper and card after use.
It will be available in 8oz and 12oz sizes, with 16oz soon to follow, and is to be sold to hospitality outlets, venues, and event organisers, alongside independent coffee shops, universities, museums, and everywhere in between.
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Iconic worker bee to appear on new eco-friendly takeaway cups across Manchester / Credit: Supplied
The iconic Manchester worker bee – which is a symbol of the city’s resilience and work ethic, and the embodiment of the Mancunian spirit – takes centre stage on the cup, with the design originating from the striking mosaic in the Town Hall that can also be spotted throughout the city, on everything from lampposts and street art, to bins and beyond.
The launch of the new cup comes after the success of Stephensons’ – which is one of the few companies to have the official rights from Manchester City Council to use the iconic bee symbol – now widely-recognised 100% recyclable bee straws.
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The bee straws were notably introduced back in 2018 as part of the first step of a Greater Manchester initiative to eradicate avoidable single-use plastic, ahead of the government-imposed ban on plastic straws.
Just like the new bee cups, a percentage of the sales of the bee straws were donated to the We Love MCR Charity – with over £5,000 of vital funds raised to date.
“We came up with the idea of putting the bee mosaic on a disposable cup when we launched the straw back in 2018,” Stephensons’ Managing Director, Henry Stephenson, explained ahead of the cup’s official launch next week.
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“But it was only until recently that the technology finally arrived, allowing us to put the bee on a truly sustainable, certified plastic-free cup.
“We’re proud to see both the cup and the straw as a simple but powerful statement from the city’s hospitality industry, reflecting its collective commitment to sustainability.
“As a Manchester-based business since 1868, we understand the pride and identity people associate with the Manchester bee, so to have the bee as a continued symbol of the city’s desire to limit single-use plastics is fantastic.”
The new plastic-free cups will soon be available across the city / Credit: Supplied
Lord Mayor of Manchester, Donna Ludford – who is also Chair of the We Love MCR Charity – says she “can’t wait to see the beautiful cups in cafes, bars, and venues throughout Manchester”, and added that they’ll make “a great impact in helping reduce waste”, while the donations made to We Love MCR Charity will help “improve more lives across Manchester.”
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, also says she welcomes the bee cup initiative.
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“The Manchester worker bee positively represents Manchester, so to see it on biodegradable coffee cups across the city will be a great way to celebrate our heritage whilst making a positive difference to our communities and our environment,” she added.
The official launch of the cup will take place at the Northern Restaurant and Bar show at Manchester Central on Tuesday 14 March, before being distributed across the city.
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Thanks to Terminal 2’s major upgrade, now holidays really do start at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
It’s a phrase that’s almost as old as air travel itself, but luckily, Manchester Airport are well and truly getting your holidays started early, courtesy of the new and improved Terminal 2.
T2‘s massive upgrade technically finished in 2025, but with other bits debuting already this year and even more to come in 2026, Manchester’s biggest terminal is a more fully-fledged travel hub than ever.
Complete everything from the essentials and a healthy supply of food and drink, to lots of luxuries and plenty of ways to unwind and kill time between both before and after flights, you can feel extra smug about getting to the airport early.
As part of their latest ‘Terminal Explorer’ campaign, we recently paid a visit to see just how much fun we could get up to in and around T2. Spoilers: quite a lot.
With a little help from their wayfinding screens dotted around the various areas, from the World Duty Free section and ever-growing internal shopping district, to all the bars and restaurants that have opened since the big refurb, we took ourselves on a very fun day out.
And that was without even having an actual holiday booked to look forward to, so just imagine how good it must feel to top all this off with a real trip away.
In fact, you don’t even need to think that hard about it; roughly 80% of all passengers heading in and out of Manchester Airport now come through T2, and with the experience improving all the time, they’re seeing a serious uptick in visitors and their time spent enjoying some leisure before their getaway.
From additions like the LEGO store to keep the kids entertained, as well as numerous places to grab a brew, a bite, or even your first adult beverage of the holiday, it’s up to you how you choose to explore – they’ve just given you plenty of options.
There’s no bigger testament to the latest hospitality offerings in Terminal 2 than the recently opened Great Northern Market, which brings a rather big taste of the Mackie Mayor vibe to Manchester Airport.
A VERY comfortable place to wind down any wait times before you fly.
You’ll be blown away by the amount of choice on offer in here – we certainly were – and, of course, the multi-vendor culinary destination epicentre is just one of many fantastic food and drink offerings now boasted by the T2 ‘2.0.’
For instance, we could happily spend most of the time before our next hypothetical flight just chilling in the super stylish Fever-Tree Bar, which includes a wonderful range of breakfast and light bites, charcuterie boards, small plates, sandwiches and so on – plus a cocktail menu perfect for any occasion.
Put simply, you’ve now been given all the tools and means to turn downtime of almost any duration into an excuse to explore Manchester Airport at its best; in fact, scratch that: it’s an opportunity to go for a wander and make the most of it – and it’s one you don’t want to waste.
Whether it’s stocking up pre-flight or kicking back with your first drink of many, don’t just be another person sitting watching the departures board, be a terminal explorer.
Sensory-friendly Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Emily Sergeant
This week marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference, according to the most recent statistics, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026) highlighting the importance of championing, raising awareness of, and accommodating neurodiverse people.
And Printworks is marking the occasion in its own special way, with a series of new initiatives designed to create a more ‘inclusive’ and ‘sensory-friendly’ environment.
You may already know that the popular indoor entertainment complex in the heart of Manchester city centre is home to more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and leisure activities – including one of the largest IMAX screens on the continent – and Europe’s largest digital ceiling too, of course, but this week’s experience is unlike anything the venue has welcomed before.
Throughout the week, Printworks will be transforming its digital ceiling with calming Northern Lights and constellations which have been specifically designed to create a relaxed, sensory-friendly atmosphere for visitors with additional sensory needs.
Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week / Credit: Supplied
As part of a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Printworks is also introducing a weekly sensory-friendly hour every Sunday too, where lighting throughout the venue will be dimmed, and music and SFX volumes reduced for a reduced-stimulus environment.
200 free sensory packs – which can be collected at Vue cinema – with a pair of ear defenders and sensory-friendly toys, designed to support visitors who may benefit from sensory tools while enjoying the venue, are also on offer throughout the course of the week.
On top of this, there’s also a range of autism-friendly cinema screenings taking place on the last Sunday of every month at 10:30am.
An additional autism-friendly screening will be taking place with a showing of Hoppers this Sunday 22 March at 10:30am, with tickets now available from Vue’s website.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an important time for brands and venues to recognise and support the diverse ways visitors and audiences experience the world,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks.
Emily Sergeant -
9th March 2023 
