Well, it’s been a year already and it’s only just September. There’s been riots, elections, celebrity breakups, it has been A LOT and I’m knackered. With so much going on in the world and trying to find time to eat, sleep, socialise, clean the house and remember to breathe, we all deserve a little escape to unwind.
Less than an hour from Manchester sits the wonderful Three Horseshoes Hotel & Spa, where you can relax in a spa, AND kick back in an award-winning pub all in one place.
With a whole host of treatments to choose from and their waterwheel room with an ice cold plunge pool, sauna and steam room, all with an extra dose of history, it is the perfect place to relax your mind and muscles.
On arrival, the staff are incredibly welcoming, a sense of calm ripples through the space making you feel instantly relaxed.
Our room wasn’t ready just yet so we were guided into the spa space and handed fluffy towels and robes to relax in.
ADVERTISEMENT
There is a fun ‘service button’ when you want a drink or something to eat and everything is brought to wherever you’re relaxing.
Outside are a number of comfy seats to recline in and there is a hot tub pool to relax in.
ADVERTISEMENT
On our visit the weather is warm and the sun is shining intermittently, perfect for sitting outside.
We could order breakfast, lunch and cocktails to the spa (which we did, obviously) and it feels like such a treat. Everyone feels like a VIP.
Ham hock and fondue sandwichBlue cheese and mushrooms on toast
We indulged in a ham hock and fondue sandwich, and blue cheese and mushrooms on toast from their light bites section, both of which were delicious. The cocktails were divine and there was plenty to choose from and spoil yourself with.
ADVERTISEMENT
The spa has a giant water wheel which harks back to the building’s history and heritage and doubles up an one of the initial ‘treatments’ as part of the experience.
Guests are encouraged to go through a cycle of cold and hot experiences, starting with a drench from the water wheel, before moving into the stone bath steam room.
There is a jazzy contraption that lifts hot stones and dumps them into cold water, flooding the room with steam to help relax your muscles.
Inside the spa at the Three Horseshoes hotel in Leek. Credit: The Manc Group
After 15 minutes of heat you then jump (probably don’t actually jump, it is slippy) into the ice cold plunge pool, which as you might have guessed, is freezing.
I lasted significantly longer than my other half but it was definitely a battle after being so warm.
ADVERTISEMENT
They have the Farmers Sauna which is delightful post plunge pool. All of the spa spaces are designed with the history of the building and area in mind which makes the space feel extra special.
We had the opportunity to try out the Beach Hut experience which replicates a sunrise to sunset to give you a heavy dose of vitamin D while you relax in the nice warm sand without fear of being harassed by seagulls.
The beach hut experience in the spa at Three Horseshoes. Credit: The Manc GroupThe beach hut experience in the spa at Three Horseshoes. Credit: The Manc Group
Being by the seaside in the middle of Staffordshire is an odd experience for the senses but we really enjoyed it. We also both had a mixed massage and facial, where we talked through our skin type needs and then lay back and let the masseurs knead our backs like bread dough.
Our room was incredibly cosy. We had a four-poster bed and I’d let the team know that it was our wedding anniversary so they made the space extra special.
We had a gorgeous little hot tub in our private garden which was perfect to relax in before going across to the pub for dinner.
ADVERTISEMENT
Bedrooms at Three Horseshoes. Credit: The Manc GroupA private hot tub with a hotel room. Credit: The Manc GroupThe Three Horseshoes country inn. Credit: The Manc Group
The Three Horseshoes country inn is an award winning restaurant with loads to choose from and the products are all sourced locally. There are stunning views of the Staffordshire peaks for you to enjoy while you dine.
In the winter it will be the perfect spot to sit by roaring fires and getting cosy with pals.
You can get a roast every day of the week between 12-2 and all day on a Sunday which sounds ideal to me.
We had to try their famous sponge pudding which was delicate and fluffy, served with gallons upon gallons of custard. Their limoncello tiramisu was the perfect balance of tart and sweet (and a little bit boozy). Breakfast is also served here buffet style, which is how breakfast should always be served in my humble opinion.
So if you’re looking for a reason to escape the rat race, then the Three Horseshoes in Leek is the place for you.
What to expect from Sticks’n’Sushi, the giant new restaurant that will have Manchester talking
Daisy Jackson
One of the largest restaurant sites in Spinningfields is finally getting the tenant it deserves – Sticks’n’Sushi is heading to Manchester.
In recent months, we’ve seen giant fish being plastered into the windows of the massive two-storey building, which has been largely vacant since Iberica closed way back in 2020 (apart for those weird moments it became a Christmas bar, and then the Oasis merch store).
Work is moving at pace to breathe some life and love back into this building, ready for the official launch of Sticks’n’Sushi at the end of this month.
And the giant fish in the windows give you a good hint of what’s to come, with fresh, quality seafood at the heart of the menus, alongside grilled skewers of meat.
Sticks’n’Sushi is, contrary to what the menu might suggest, a Danish brand – and one of Denmark’s most successful restaurant names, with a dozen locations across its native country plus restaurants in London, Berlin, Oxford and Cambridge.
As well as Manchester, Sticks’n’Sushi has revealed plans to open in Leeds, too. It’s a really impressive operation.
The restaurant started life back in 1994, founded by brothers Kim and Jens Rahbek, and Thor Anderson. The brothers called on their half-Japanese, half-Danish roots to combine culinary traditions from both backgrounds to create their menus.
Beef tataki at Sticks’n’SushiShake tatakiEbi bitesMaki, and nagiri Sticks’n’Sushi also makes excellent cocktailsSashimi Deluxe
It’s still a family affair too, with their nephew working in their rooftop Copenhagen restaurant that overlooks the famous Tivoli Gardens.
When Sticks’n’Sushi lands in Manchester, they want to bring that sleek Scandinavian atmosphere to Spinningfields, along with the precise craftsmanship of Japanese cooking.
They’re perhaps best-known for their sharing menus, which show off a mix of both sticks and indeed sushi.
Highlights will include slithers of beef tataki, topped with artichoke chips and miso aioli (the trick to eating this one is to try and fold the beef around the chips).
The miso-marinated black cod skewers are another popular choice, along with melt-in-the-mouth Wagyu yaki sticks and Shoyu Tebasaki chicken wings.
House roll highlights include shrimp, gochujang and avocado maki, soft shell crab rolls, and lobster abokado.
Sticks’n’Sushi Manchester will transform the two-storey corner unit in Spinningfields with glass and timber, with Berlin architects Diener and Diener working on the project.
It’ll also have a sizeable outdoor pergola terrace and bar.
Bookings are open now HERE ahead of its 30 March launch.
Neighbourhood restaurant slams lack of ‘common decency’ after huge booking no-shows
Daisy Jackson
A neighbourhood restaurant with rave reviews has been forced to speak out and change its booking system after a huge table didn’t show up for their reservation.
Anello, a pizzeria and small plate restaurant, said that it was left with a large empty table for two hours on a busy Saturday night because a group of 10 people failed to honour their booking.
The restaurant, which comes from the original founders of Rudy’s, said they received ‘no call, no email, no notice, no chance of us filling the space’.
They’d accepted the large booking for 10 people with no deposit, which had always been the system in place.
Anello said: “We’ve always wanted to go off trust when taking bookings for tables. It’s common decency to let someone know you’re not coming – right?
“Life is busy and plans change and I’ve never been comfortable with the idea of punishing people financially for that.”
However, losing that amount of potential revenue on a Saturday night when the hospitality is ‘in a state’ has left the business with no choice.
They wrote: “I could bang on and on about the state of the hospitality industry, but we are where we are with that. But with that and the amount of times this has happened, we’re now going to take a booking deposit for groups of 6+.
“Sorry folks. It doesn’t sit quite right but we just don’t have a choice at the moment.”
The Anello team and family outside the restaurant. Credit: Instagram, @anellopizzeria
Anello opened in the heart of Slaithwaite, a pretty town halfway between Manchester and Leeds, back in 2022, taking over a former library.
Not only does it have serious pizza credentials (again – Rudy’s founders Jim Morgan and Kate Wilson are at the helm), but real local produce credentials too.
A lot of the ingredients used at Anello have been grown in their very own kitchen garden, where they also host occasional open days with wood-fired butties.
And as well as Neapolitan pizza, you’ll find excellent seasonal small plates and starters, plus homemade ice cream.
Their necessary change to their reservation policy has been welcomed by customers.
One person commented: “I think that’s fair and reasonable, it’s not on to ghost a small business like that.”
Another said: “That’s so frustrating! Deposits are a great idea – will always happily pay a deposit.”
And someone else wrote: “Sorry to hear this keeps happening. Not sure what sort of bubble of ignorance people exist in to not be considerate to providers. Hope the deposit system helps.”
Kristen MacGregor-Houlston -
6th September 2024 
