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Andy Burnham’s favourite Manchester pub, restaurant, neighbourhood and Sunday roast

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 28th August 2026

Andy Burnham’s favourite pub, restaurant, neighbourhood, and Sunday roast have been revealed – and the man’s got taste.

Old footage of now-PM Andy Burnham chatting to content creator Isaac Likes has been doing the rounds again, and while the interview dates back to before Andy left us and headed down to the big smoke, his Manchester recommendations still stand.

From his go-to neighbourhood and favourite pub to where he heads for a Sunday roast, and even the song he likes to play when he gets behind the decks, Burnham gave us a glimpse into his ideal Manchester day.

First up, there’s the Northern Quarter, which Burnham reckons has to be his favourite neighbourhood in the city.

He said: “Got to be the Northern Quarter. It’s the place where it’s all happening.”

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When it comes to food, he singled out Firehouse, sitting on the edge of the Northern Quarter, as one of his favourite places to eat. He also gave a shoutout to its sister venue Ramona, where he’s been known to get behind the decks.

Andy said: “On the edge of the Northern Quarter, Firehouse is a place I love to go. Ramona Pizza, I’ve DJ’d there – if the mayor DJs there it’s gotta be alright.”

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For a proper pint, Burnham’s choice is a little more traditional, saying his favourite pub is the ‘proper old school’ Peveril of the Peak.

The beautiful tiled pub was recently named the best in the UK, just days before its legendary landlady Nancy passed away.

When Sunday rolls around, Burnham said he has a couple of options up his sleeve. The Wharf in Castlefield gets a mention, as does Edinburgh Castle up in Ancoats.

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The Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
The Peveril of the Peak pub in Manchester
The Edinburgh Castle has ranked highlight in the Top 50 Gastropubs list. Credit: The Manc Group
The Edinburgh Castle
Firehouse
Firehouse
Some of Andy Burnham’s favourite places in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group

He said: “We love our gravy, we drink it by the pint in Manchester.”

Of course, no conversation with Burnham about Manchester would be complete without talking music.

Asked to name the best Manchester band of all time, he offered a few contenders – The Smiths, New Order, and, ultimately, The Stone Roses.

“The band I think are quintessentially Manchester is The Stone Roses. That was peak Manchester,” he said.

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Featured image: Shaun Peckham (via GMCA)

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Manchester romcom Finding Emily is currently one of the best-reviewed films of 2026 so far

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Finding Emily

A new romcom that is set, was filmed in, and actually romanticises Manchester is soon to be released overseas.

If you haven’t had the chance to see Finding Emily for yourself yet, the film is set in Manchester at the fictional Manchester City University and tells the story of a lovesick musician, played by Spike Fearn, who meets his dream girl named Emily on a night out.

Sadly though, he ends up with the wrong phone number for Emily, and so teams up with a driven psychology student, played by Angourie Rice, in a bid to find her.

Together, the unlikely duo spark a hilarious campus-wide frenzy that tests their own hearts and ambitions along the way.

Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice in a Salford diner
Finding Emily is set all over the University of Manchester campus
Finding Emily - the hit new romcom that really romanticises Manchester
Manchester romcom Finding Emily is currently one of the best-reviewed films of 2026 so far / Credit: Matt Squire / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

The film – which is directed by Alicia MacDonald, based on a screenplay by Rachel Hirons, and produced by Working Title Films – is filled with notable local locations dotted throughout, from Manchester Central Library and Piccadilly Records, to Canal Street, the Northern Quarter, and even the Emmeline Pankhurst statue in St Peter’s Square featured for all to see.

Oh, and not to mention, if you keep your eyes peeled when watching the trailer, you can even see a small clip of Stockport band Blossoms playing a gig in there too.

Finding Emily was released here in the UK back in May, and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from fans and critics, including by The Manc Group team when we were lucky enough to see it at the Manchester premiere.

And ahead of its international release this week (Friday 26 August), those reviews have remained as glowing as ever.

In fact, over on major film review platform Rotten Tomatoes, the film stands at 95% on the ‘tomatometer’, meaning it’s one of the highest-rated romcoms of the decade so far.

That also makes it one of the best-reviewed movies of the entire year, in addition to its record score for the genre itself, as only two other films released in 2026 have retained scores higher than it – thrilling Hong Kong action film, The Furious, with a score of 98%, and the uniquely hilarious Olivia Wilde directed and starring, The Invite, with a score of 97%.

Unfortunately, box office projections for Finding Emily are pretty low for the weekend over in the US, as it has to contend with continuing big-hitters like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey.

But it says a lot that this fun-filled original romcom set in our incredible city is more critically acclaimed than those two blockbusters based on existing IP.

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Critics say Finding Emily ‘makes a tried-and-true formula feel brand new’, and to us, that’s about as good as you can get.

Finding Emily is no longer in UK cinemas, so if you would like to check it out, you can currently buy or rent the film on Amazon Prime UK, the Sky Store, or the Virgin Media Store.

Featured Image – Matt Squire / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC

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Manchester crowned UK’s best-value stag do destination for 2026

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Prague, Amsterdam, Benidorm, and now… Manchester?

Jetting off to some of Europe’s cheapest capital cities for a boozy night out with your mates before tying the knot is pretty common-place in the world of stag do culture nowadays.

But some new research has now revealed the UK cities that deliver a legendary last hurrah without the price tag, or the need to hop on a plane.

Chillisauce, the UK’s leading hen and stag organiser, has analysed 81,000+ recent group bookings alongside survey feedback from 4,738 stag groups, cross-referenced against live 2026 travel fares, accommodation, and pint prices.

To devise its top 10 list, real price data has been blended with verified group satisfaction to guarantee stags and their pals the best experience.

With the pull of a major city with music, sport, food, and nightlife without London prices, Manchester was crowned the best-value city for a stag do in 2026 overall.

Manchester has been crowned the UK’s best-value stag do destination for 2026 / Credit: Manchester City Council | shawnanggg (via Unsplash)

The average pint runs a little higher in Manchester than the smaller cities on the list, but groups rated the sheer scale and quality of the night out well above the cost, calling it ‘much more affordable than the South of England’ and ‘cheaper than London’.

For a weekend in Manchester, research found that the average cost per person includes £86.36 for accommodation, £36.66 for an activity, £25.08 for a drinks package, £29.35 for a meal, and the average pint coming in at £6.

“We send thousands of groups to Prague, Amsterdam, and Benidorm every year,” said Robyn Davis, Head of Stag and Hen at Chillisauce,”but Manchester keeps delivering nights out that groups tell us beat their expectations.

“There are also those only-in-Manchester touches too, like catching a match at Old Trafford or the Etihad on the same trip.

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“Groups describe the locals as up for a laugh and the whole city as ‘built for a stag weekend,’ with a huge number of them already planning to go back, which is the real test of a great destination.”

Other northern destinations on the top 10 list include Newcastle, Leeds, and Liverpool.

Featured Image – Bernard Borno (via Wikimedia Commons)

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