Manchester Rum Festival is set to return to Manchester this month, but this time, things are ramping up.
There’ll be more than 50 rum brands bringing the calypso vibes to New Century, serving cocktails and rum tastings.
The huge event is taking over New Century for the first time, happily falling on World Rum Day (13 July).
The bigger venue also means a larger-than-ever line-up of rums and brands, with tastings all included in the ticket price.
Cocktail creations will come from local bars like Exhibition, Hold Fast, Northern Monk Refectory and New Century Kitchen, with the official cocktail bar headed up by MONIN.
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Authentic Caribbean food will come from Nyammin’, who will have their world-famous rum cake in abundance, while Manchester legend DJ Dom will be keeping the party going all day with a mix of Reggae and Soca from the decks.
Rum names making their Manchester debut at the Manchester Rum Festival include O Reizinho, an agricultural rum from Madeira; Casa Tarasco from Mexico; Renegade Cane Rum from Grenada; Ron Carúpano, a Venezuelan brand with the only female Master Blender in the country; Rhum Depaz from the volcanic terroir of Martinique; and Don Q from Puerto Rico.
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Manchester Rum Festival – Tiki paradise lands at New Century this month
Bristol Classic, a rum firm that produces limited quantity rums from countries including Guyana and Mauritius, as well as Trinidad and the Dominican Republic, will also be making its first appearance at the festival.
Other much-loved brands making an appearance include Chairman’s Reserve, Pusser’s, Worthy Park, Cockspur, Damoiseau, Don Papa, Ninefold and Aluna, plus Manchester-based One-Eyed Rebel from the Spirit of Manchester Distillery.
And if you fancy switching from the rum for a brief while, there’s also going to be Caribbean lager Carib heading to Manchester for the very first time.
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London Essence will be the official mixer partner for 2024, bringing their distinctive drinks, including tonics, crafted sodas and lemonades, to the festival.
This year, founder and Manchester rum expert Dave Marsland and special guests will also be running three ‘Rum Ramble’ seminars.
These will include a ‘From Grass to Glass, the making of a Rum Brand’ showcase with Equiano Rum and Ian Burrell; a talk and tasting surrounding the world of rum cocktails with MONIN; and finally, a ‘Make your own Arranges’ class (the first time this has been run at a European festival) hosted by Damoiseau of Guadeloupe and ambassador, Danilo Grenci.
Ticket-holders will have the chance to book their places on these exclusive seminars in advance.
Dave Marsland said: “The festival brings together renowned distilleries from all over the world, and ticket holders are in for an even bigger treat this year as we relocate to New Century Hall – what an incredible, iconic central city venue it is!
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“The event really has gone from strength to strength over the last eight years and we are now one of the biggest rum festivals in the country outside London.
“We can’t wait to welcome the rum lovers to the event, which is set to host more rum brands than ever before, meaning the ticket price is even better value for money.”
MediaCity’s massive Vue cinema has had a comfort upgrade with new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats
Emily Sergeant
Manchester cinephiles are now able to enjoy the latest movie releases in ultimate comfort.
That’s because, over at the popular MediaCity Vue cinema complex, 75 brand-new ‘Ultra Lux’ seats have been installed across seven screens, offering film fans what is, quite literally, the chance to sit in the best seats in the house.
Each seat provides the very-best view of the big screen and comes with a host of premium features.
Some of these exciting premium features include extra-wide armrests and a personal table for snacks and drinks, your very-own beverage cooler, which is ideal for films with a particularly long run-time, and even a back and legs that recline independently, so you can find the most relaxing viewing position possible.
Vue currently has 93 state-of-the-art cinemas throughout the UK and Ireland, totalling more than 850 screens – and the Quayside cinema is the latest to benefit from upgraded seating.
Ultra Lux seats have arrived at Vue Quayside Manchester / Credit: Vue Gallery / Supplied
This means that anyone heading to the cinema to see some of the latest and upcoming releases like Avatar: Fire and Ash, Marty Supreme, The Housemaid, Fackham Hall, Wicked: For Good, and so many more, can experience comfort like never before.
“We have invested in bringing Vue’s best seating option to our venue and are excited for our customers to enhance their experience on their next visit,” commented Darren Tinsley, who is the General Manager at Vue Manchester Quayside.
“It is truly the best way to immerse yourself in a film and to have the most comfortable experience.”
Tickets for Vue Manchester Quayside start from £6.49, with upgrades to Ultra Lux from £3 on selected tickets.
January is a month where the temperatures are colder, the days darker, and the social batteries a little lower, so it couldn’t be a better time to lose yourself in the power of cinema – and treat yourself to an Ultra Lux experience.
You can book tickets to upcoming films online by visiting myvue.com.
Featured Image – Supplied
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A massive home and furniture store just outside of Manchester is holding its biggest ever winter sale
Danny Jones
You heard: a huge home, furniture and accessories store just outside Greater Manchester is holding its biggest ever winter sale, making the festive period and the New Year the perfect time to pop in.
Rather annoyed we got mum those nice cushions for Christmas before we saw this, now, but ah well – there’s always her birthday…
Anyone who’s been to Macclesfield or on a train heading in or out of the North West will have most likely been past this place on the train, but the multi-storey emporium that is Arighi Bianchi really is a must-visit for anyone looking to upgrade their interior on a budget.
The Macclesfield home furnishings store has something for everyone, from high-end luxuries to decorative accessories, with pretty much every price range taken into account – which is why landing some seasonal discounts is such a big win for the region.
A fairly iconic sight as you pass through the Cheshire town, Macclesfield‘s Arighi Bianchi was founded way back in 1854 by two Italian immigrants – both called Antonio – whose surnames give the long-standing retail destination its title.
Well over 170 years later, and it’s more popular than ever, so the bonus of them bringing never-before-seen in-store deductions and special seasonal promotions across all departments is an even bigger win.
It doesn’t matter whether you want to shop online or visit in-store (though we would highly recommend the latter), you can get up to 30% off items in what is their biggest event of 2025.
As well as discounts on everything from sofas, sideboards and dining tables to floors, mattresses and much more, they’re doing cut-price offers on top designer brands from around Europe, including Cattelan Italia, Calligaris, Ercol, Hypnos, Tempur, Vispring and Stressless, just to name a few.
Subject to the usual terms and conditions, customers can even get early flexible finance deals (24 months 0% APR*) on their purchases; after all, they know as well as we do how tight money can be around this time of year.
Better still, their early bird offers, which are on top of the standard winter sale, will see even more cost cuttings on the likes of the Britannia Sofa, Freja Dining Bundle, the Heritage Bed Collection and other premium accessories from 27 December until 18 January.
For instance, if you spend £1,200 in-store, you will receive an extra £50 voucher for the CASA Accessories Lounge; or, beyond that, spend £2.5k and earn yourself a £100 voucher.
So, if you’re looking to get a fresh living room suite for 2026, make the most of 10% off wallpaper and fabrics or 20% off mirrors, or even get four new dining chairs for the price of three, there’s a cheeky deal to suit just about everyone.
You can see the full extent of what’s on offer during the Arighi Bianchi winter sale right HERE, or go and peruse the four floors for yourself in the flesh on the famous Silk Road.
Happy holiday season shopping, folks – maybe bump into you around Caffè AB.
Daisy Jackson -
11th July 2024 
