We’re very lucky here in Greater Manchester to have so many wonderful pubs and restaurants right on our doorstep but when it comes to the very specific locale of waterside spots, we think you’ll find it very hard to beat The Wharf.
Considered by many as the jewel not only Castlefield‘s culinary crown but the pinnacle of canalside hospitality, The Wharf has been open under its current name for over a decade now and has gradually built up one of the most adoring customer bases any business could ask for.
Although the pub itself was opened back in 1998 as Jackson’s Wharf, it wasn’t until its regeneration in 2012 that it truly found its footing in the local food and drink scene, going from strength to strength ever since becoming part of the Brunning and Price family.
You only have to check our favourite pub or favourite beer garden series to see it crop up and you can bet we’re by no means the only ones shouting about it.
Just like the man says (it’s me, I’m the man), The Wharf‘s beer garden is so popular for a reason: it’s big, beautiful and situated right next to a picturesque corner of the Bridgewater Canal, soaking up the rays for hours on end whenever they decide to grace us with their presence.
It’s this combo, plus the fact it’s knitted perfectly into its green and pleasant surroundings, that makes it feel like something ripped straight out of a postcard from some idyllic little village in the country. Only it’s not, it’s just a short walk down the canal from the city centre.
Whenever it gets really nice and summery, they really push the boat out – pun very much intended – with their outside bar and dedicated cocktail hut, open Thursday-Sunday every week in spring and summer, which serves all manner of seasonal concoctions, as well as all the classics.
It also means you don’t have to leave the comfort of the sun-soaked terrace even for a second, not to mention it helps service flow smoother as they split the crowds between this and the indoor bar.
Undoubtedly one of the best beer gardens in town.They nail cosy interiors too.(Credit: The Manc Eats/The Wharf)
Gastro pub goals with a superb Sunday roast
But even when the big yellow thing does go back into hiding as we know it does most of the year here in our corner of the North West, we’d also wager The Wharf is up there with one of the cosiest pubs you’ll find in and around Manchester city centre.
From the homely and inviting interior spread across two floors, with a raging fire and comfy little nooks for you to cosy up with your dog, to the now tipi-covered outdoor seating area with plenty of heaters to keep the outside just as welcoming, it – but it’s that food that truly warms up the cockles inside.
Be it their legendary fish and chips that is quite literally bigger than your arm, hearty homemade pies and rustic but refined classics you’d expect from a traditional boozer, to lighter and seasonal small plates or their equally stunning Sunday roasts, we’ve never once left here feeling anything but fully satisfied.
You’ll find decent pub grub all over Greater Manchester, but you won’t find many that do it to the kind of standard The Wharf has consistently delivered for years now.
A proper pub with a community feel – in every sense of the word
Whether you’re sat out on the terrace, up on the balcony, or around a big table with your nearest and dearest sharing a few pints, you’ll notice that this place is rarely even a bit quiet and literally never empty.
That’s not just because it’s a pretty pub with good food but because its booming business is built on locals from the Castlefield community and beyond. It’s one thing calling yourself a family pub, actually living up to that image is something else entirely.
Packed out with regulars every evening, not just punters come the weekend; welcoming as many furry faces as possible with free snacks and a water station, as well as hosting regular events like their upcoming burger week this August to their annual summer bash and BBQs, the proof is in the pudding.
This particular writer has no shame in proclaiming it as his favourite pub anywhere in the region and why should he? You only have to wander down the locks and through Manchester’s historic canalside neighbourhood to see it full of smiling faces, flowing drinks and busy tables.
Castlefield is steeped in Roman heritage but its modern reputation hinges on, to our count, three key things: TV shows love to film around here, it was the geese’s home first so don’t mess with them, and The Wharf is absolutely mint.
Aesthetics are one thing but if you’ve never tried it before, you’ll find this vibrant waterside watering hole and restaurant has more than enough substance to back up the country pub style.
Stunning food.The staff are just as lovely as the setting.Credit: The Manc/The Wharf
Bohemian FC are giving away five of their viral Oasis football shirts
Danny Jones
Irish football club and growing cult favourite footy fashion industry-leaders, Bohemians, recently dropped a limited edition Oasis shirt to celebrate the Live ’25 reunion tour.
Now, if you were at the Heaton Park dates or any of the comeback shows, you will likely have seen a fair few gig-goers donning the Bohemian FC x Oasis kit collab.
In fact, even if you’ve walked through Manchester city centre over the past couple of months, the chances are you passed someone wearing one of these Britpop-inspired shirts, which have quickly gone down as music culture collectables.
And while pretty much every bit of Oasis’ official adidas Originals clobber and countless other bits of merch continue to sell out, ‘The Bohs’ are offering you lucky lot the chance to cop a free kit. If you’re interested, keep reading…
The Bohemians x Oasis collab shirt is one of our favourites of the year. (Credit: Bohemian Football Club (supplied)
For anyone unaware of the background behind this crossover, the Bohemians are a 100% fan-owned, not-for-profit organisation, who also happen to be the oldest club in the League of Ireland.
Based in Dublin, the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division side has remained deeply immersed in the local community and its sporting culture throughout their history, and of late, they’ve been further infusing that heritage with their equally deep connection to the arts.
Over the past few seasons, they blended footy with the music world, releasing several exclusive and highly sought-after kits that all tie back into the club in some capacity, including shirts inspired by Bob Marley, compatriots Thin Lizzy and Fontaines D.C. (equally viral), as well as our very own Oasis.
Liam and Noel Gallagher’s following and its Irish contingent, in particular, are as strong as they’ve ever been, so ahead of the reunion shows getting underway last month, Bohemian FC revealed their special FAI Cup shirt paying homage to the Burnage boys.
Featuring the band’s iconic logo in the traditional blue tones of Dublin City, it went down as an instant hit among Oasis and Bohs fans alike, as well as among footy kit culture connosieurs.
Better still, all the profits from the shirt sales are being split between Bohemian FC and two key charities back in the Emerald Isle and in 0161: Music Generation Ireland and Irish Community Care Manchester, based on Stockport Road – not too far from where the Gallaghers grew up.
Now, although the Manc music legends never played Bohemians’ home stadium at Dalymount in Phibsborough, the Gallaghers remain two of the most iconic green and gold-blooded musicians ever.
Having crossed off Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh off their Live ’25 reunion tour, their Dublin double-header is up next this August, with two shows taking place at Croke Park, less than a mile from the hallowed ground.
Whether or not you’ve got tickets to see them in the ancestral homeland, or anywhere else for that matter and want to look the part, or just want to wear your colours for as long as Oasis mania lasts, you might as well throw your hat in the ring to win one of five FREE Bohs footy shirts.
As for how to enter, it’s all very simple: fill out the competition form HERE; like and share this post on X (formerly known as Twitter), and follow our Audio North music page, as well as the official @bfcdublin account on Instagram.
Oh, and tagging a friend or sharing a pic of your best Oasis memories wouldn’t hurt either.
That’s it; we didn’t want to make things complicated – this is a giveaway not only in the hopes of scoring our readers with a freebie but a charitable one that helps Irish cousins over the water and here in Manchester.
Comedy nights, run clubs, and resident parties – why The Castings is Manchester’s most social city centre neighbourhood
Emily Sergeant
Manchester is a city full of opportunity – and The Castings is the perfect place to live to experience all it has to offer.
As the bustling hub of the north – and, arguably, the UK’s ‘second’ city, depending on who you ask – Manchester has firmly cemented itself as being somewhere people of all walks of life want to live, thanks to the wealth of live music,sport, nightlife, and so much more.
And for those who want to get amongst it, one of Manchester’s newest city centre neighbourhoods, The Castings, has a social life built right in, ready for residents to make the most of.
Currently rated number one on HomeViews, it has been voted by its residents as the best place to live in the city.
And it recently celebrated its first birthday too, in one of the ways it knows best, of course – with a free party for all residents.
A glimpse into life at The Castings’ stunning lifestyle-led apartments / Credit: The Manc Group
If you were unfamiliar withThe Castings until now, it’s a stunning community made up of 352 apartments to rent in Piccadilly East.
With its range of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom homes, The Castings’ design-led spaces are inspired by industrial shapes, flowing forms, and molten textures.
As well as its stunning apartments, the lifestyle-led development also features a fitness studio, high-spec gym, games room, private dining spaces, a co-working hub, and a 21st-floor rooftop terrace with panoramic views of Manchester.
The Castings is one of Manchester’s most social city centre neighbourhoods / Credit: The Castings
It sits in the heart of Piccadilly East is a neighbourhood often touted as Manchester’s next-generation, and named by The Sunday Times as one ofthe UK’s best places to live and The Castings has been ‘bringing new life’ to this up-and-coming area near Manchester Piccadilly stationever since it launched it last summer.
Even though Piccadilly East – which is conveniently-adjacent to Ancoats, New Islington, and the Northern Quarter – is already home to some of Manchester’s most popular food, drink, and liveentertainment venues, residents at The Castings don’t even need to leave the comfort of their own community to get involved with a wide variety of events and make some new friends along the way.
In just the year since the first residents moved into The Castings, it has hosted everything from live comedy nights to regular yoga and fitness sessions, run clubs, and seasonal resident ‘socials’.
One of the biggest highlights in The Castings’ social calendar so far has to be the recent ‘Spring Social’, which helped welcome the new season in style, complete with an ice cream van, DJs, big Jenga, and lots and lots of pizza, making it a ‘standout’ moment of the year.
If The Castings sounds like somewhere you’d love to live, then the final few apartments are still remaining, and you can head online to book a viewing now.
Danny Jones -
7th June 2024 
