A number of local businesses in Greater Manchester are coming forward in support of Marcus Rashford by offering to provide food for children going hungry this half term.
Independent cafes, pubs and restaurants in Manchester city centre, Didsbury, Bolton, Wigan, Urmston and more are among the Greater Manchester businesses volunteering to lend a hand in an act of kindness sweeping the nation as we speak.
It comes following a bid to extend the free school meals voucher scheme over the school holidays until Easter 2021 which was rejected by the Prime Minister’s spokesperson, and then subsequently defeated after 322 Conservative MPs controversially voted against the extension in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
The devastating outcome of this vote also arrived ahead of October half term, and shortly before Greater Manchester entered into Tier 3 restrictions under the government’s new three tier coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions scheme after a saga which saw Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham “fight for a fairer deal” for communities in the region.
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But luckily, local businesses are here to help out.
The Wythenshawe-born footballer took to Twitter yesterday evening to express his how “blown away” he is to see so many businesses across the country contribute. He said: “Blown away by news of local businesses stepping up to fill the voucher scheme deficit during the October half term.
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“Selflessness, kindness, togetherness, this is the England I know.”
Blown away by news of local businesses stepping up to fill the voucher scheme deficit during the October half term. Selflessness, kindness, togetherness, this is the England I know 🏴
Add #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY to your tweets so I can track them. I will share as many as I can ♥️
Heaton Park Golf Course in Prestwhich, and Shelly B’s Cafe in Royton, Oldham are also offering packed meals for families to collect, Lords of Middleton butchers are offering a “meat voucher scheme”, and Heath St Fish & Chips in Golborne will be providing any child “in need” with a free chips and sausage, and will be donating fruit to add to the meals too.
The Mess Cafe and Message Community Grocery in Wythenshawe is offering a ‘pay with a post-it’ scheme, SANSAN in Prestwich is donating 10% of its profits this weekend to Fare Share Greater Manchester, Hunters Estate Agents in Leigh will be preparing lunch boxes with a sandwich, crisps, fruit and a drink for parents to collect, McDonalds UK is working with FareShare to “provide one million meals to families in need”, and kids can even eat free at M&S Cafe’s across the region this half term too.
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Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has also partnered with Coop to “provide 1,000 food vouchers across the city-region to young people who may need access to a meal during half-term”.
🗣️Greater Manchester is joining @coopuk and @MarcusRashford to provide 1,000 food vouchers across the city-region to young people who may need access to a meal during half-term
📣The voucher provides free access to a meal deal offer in local Co-op stores #wereallinthistogether
Some local councils in Greater Manchester – Manchester City Council, Salford City Council, Oldham Council, Rochdale Borough Council, Wigan Council, and Bury Council – have also stepped up to help, with others likely to follow.
NEWS: Thousands of children will receive free school meals during the half-term holiday as part of an initiative funded by the council. Read the full story here: https://t.co/Y2SAlyQYa2 👏 pic.twitter.com/CmAbJ0rC9r
We have no doubt that other businesses right across the ten Greater Manchester boroughs and neighbouring towns are likely to contribute support to this initiative, so if you are in need a helping hand this half term and as the winter draws in, please do not feel ashamed to reach out to those local to your area.
Or if you are struggling to find somewhere near to you that is offering its services, then do not hesitate to get in touch with us here at The Manc and we will be more than happy to help point you in the right direction.
Our DMs are always open, and we are here to listen.
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A number of participating businesses are also welcoming contributions from the public to help provide this service to as many children across the local communities as possible, so if you would like to make a donation, you are encouraged to reach out and see if there’s any way that you can be of support.
Contributions can also be made to food poverty relief charity Fareshare UK – the organisation that Marcus Rashford has partnered with for the ongoing the #endchildfoodpoverty campaign – via its website here.
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Times are turbulent, but real community spirit has never been stronger than it is at this moment.
To see the people of this region come together to support one another when it’s most needed perfectly illustrates what it means to be Mancunian.
This is what makes Greater Manchester so great.
We’re in this together.
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Some of the best St. Patrick’s Day deals, offers and specials in Manchester city centre this year
Danny Jones
St Patrick’s Day 2026 is nearly upon us, and we can’t wait to drink a river of Guinness, sing old Irish classics, dance a jig and be generally merry.
It’s a good job we know exactly where to make the most of the festivities then, isn’t it?
The best Paddy’s Day deals and offers around Manchester | 2026
1. Cheap Guinness and brilliant, beefy pies at The Black Friar – Salford
First up on our list this year, the beautiful Black Friar pub and bistro over on the edge of Salford is doing £4.50 Guinness for St. Patrick’s Day 2026 – one of the best prices you’ll find in town these days.
But that’s not all: they’re also doing a special Guinness and Beef Pie special, which you can grab with a pint of the good stuff for £17, plus £15 bottles of wine, as well as beers and cocktails for just a fiver. You can book a table HERE.
2. St Patrick’s Day specials at Hello Oriental – Oxford Road
More of a fun little one-off rather than a deal or discount, per se, but when we saw that even pan-Asian food hall Hello Oriental was getting involved with Paddy’s Day, we couldn’t ignore it.
As well as they’re already viral spice bags, they’re also doing a Black Bean Guinness Noodles dish – available with chicken or completely vegan – and we’ll admit we’re very keen to try it for ourselves.
3. Lots of the black stuff at Black Cat Club – Central
No-nonsense here: £5 pints of black gold, £2.50 shots of Baby Guinness, and a special ‘Frozen Fat Frog’ cocktail, which is basically an alcoholic slushie with Blue WKD, Smirnoff Ice and Orange Bacardi Breezer.
They’ve also got a special Irish-themed food menu for the weekend, too, including Guinness-glazed wings, spice bags, which can be enjoyed with crispy chicken and chip shop curry sauce.
Plus, there are always games to be played. (Credit: The Manc)
4. A big St. Patrick’s Day party on Peter Street – Deansgate
Albert’s Schloss remains one of the best nights in town for all seasons, so it’s no surprise that they’re throwing a smashing St. Patrick’s Day bash every year.
This time around, there’ll be ‘Kunst Kabarat’, Celtic comfort foods like pie, Irish boxty and sticky toffee pudding serving out of the Cook Haus, as well as prizes to be won like free merch, drinks tokens and even £100 off your bill. Tickets are available now.
5. Free entry and MUCH more at O’Malleys – Portland Street
At the other end of the spectrum, you could argue that free entry isn’t anything too spectacular, but it’s becoming increasingly common on Paddy’s Day, and luckily, O’Malleys has lots of other stuff going on too – all the way until 4am.
How about merch, ‘Seflie Guinness’ (with you face on) from their ‘Stoutie’ machine, a happy hour running from 3-6pm on 16, 18 and 20 March, with £6 cocktails, £4 selected beers/ciders, £18 house wine and £5 Guinness available? Oh, and they also do bottomless Guinness brunches, too, so yeah – there’s plenty.
6. Guinness pastries, pies and plenty of pints at O’Connell’s – Oxford Road
It may not be the Thirsty Scholar anymore, but what that does mean is they go extra ham over at O’Connell’s at this time of year nowadays – and they’re bringing back an exclusive fan favourite special as well.
As well as the recent and extremely popular beef and Guinness collab with V. Goode Pies returning for the day, they’ve also teamed up with Half Dozen Other to create a Guinness Pain Suisse – yes, really – which will serve as arguably the best pub snacks in the entire city come 17 March 2026.
7. 50% off special Paddy’s Day cocktails at Slug & Lettuce – Piccadilly (only)
Everyone knows the Slug, it doesn’t need any introduction – BUT, they’ll likely be busy all week around Paddy’s Day and do have a banging offer this year.
They’re doing a Paddy’s Apple and Lemonade made with the brand’s fruity Irish whisky, topped with apple juice and lemonade for half price between 16 March and 12 April, when you download the MiXR app ahead of time. Simple as that.
Now, this is by no means a comprehensive list; we just thought we’d put you on to a few good ones we’ve seen in and around the city.
And, of course, if you spot any good St. Patrick’s Day deals in Manchester, do let us know and drop them in the comments for everyone to make the most of.
We hope you enjoy the celebrations, and please drink responsibly.
Before you leave us, you might as well check out some of our favourite Irish pubs and bars in the area for Paddy’s Day 2026…
Manchester has been named one of the UK’s top ‘pub culture’ hotspots
Emily Sergeant
New research has revealed which UK towns and cities are home to the best pub culture, and it’s no surprise that Manchester’s made the cut.
With St Patrick’s Day merely days away at this point and summer also firmly on the horizon, it’s about to be a big time for British pubs and the humble beer garden – but which towns and cities across the UK have the best ‘pub culture’ there is to offer? Where are you guaranteed a top-tier night out or day drinking session?
Well, in a bid to get to the bottom of that, the travel experts over at Big House Experience decided to do some important research.
By analysing thousands of data points across every UK postal town area, researchers created a comprehensive index awarding each location a ‘Pub Culture Score’ out of 100.
And Manchester secured a coveted place in the top five.
Manchester has been named one of the UK’s top ‘pub culture’ hotspots / Credit: Ben Black | Fred Moon (via Unsplash)
Overall, Manchester earned itself a ‘Pub Culture Score’ of 96.1, which is pretty impressive if you ask us, and is certainly an ode to the wide – and ever-growing – variety of watering holes, both new and historic, that we have dotted all over the city.
Other northern cities claiming a spot in the top 10 include Newcastle at six, and Sheffield at seven, while out of top 10 is where you’ll find Ripon and Chester, while other major UK cities like London, Glasgow, and Cardiff are all, unsurprisingly, featured too.
The UK’s Top 10 ‘Pub Culture’ Cities
Bristol – 100
Edinburgh – 99.5
Birmingham – 96.9
Manchester – 96.1
Reading – 94.2
Newcastle – 94
Sheffield – 90.7
Glasgow – 89.3
London – 87.5
Chelmsford – 82.3
When it comes to the number one spot though, that title goes to Bristol, as the West Country city scored full marks thanks to offering a total of 1,211 pubs across the entire postal area – which is the equivalent of almost 25 pubs per 10,000 people.
Following closely behind is the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, with a near-perfect score of 99.5, and Birmingham claims third place with a score of 96.9.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd October 2020 
