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Manchester pubs will pour 307,500 pints of beer down the drain this week due to lockdown

Under lockdown restrictions, all hospitality venues are required to close, with the exemption of takeaway services.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 3rd November 2020
Flickr

Pubs and restaurants across Manchester are rushing to sell off food and drink before Thursday renders them fit only for the bin.

It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed in a televised press conference live to the nation last Saturday evening that a new four-week lockdown for England – which will be voted on in Parliament on Wednesday and is expected to come into force at 00:01 GMT on Thursday 5th November – would be introduced in an attempt to try to curb the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Under lockdown restrictions, all hospitality venues are required to close, with the exemption of takeaway services.

“Many pubs, restaurants, cafes and food outlets are not allowed to trade during lockdown, and they have lots of food and drink in stock that may well end up in landfill if they aren’t sold before Wednesday night”, explains Charlotte Green from Manchester waste company TradeWaste.co.uk.

Some of the larger chain pubs have been selling pints of beer for discounted prices in an effort to clear out stocks and avoid huge waste.

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Manchester’s “Bavarian pleasure palace” Albert’s Schloss is among the venues selling pints for just £1.

Pub chain Wetherspoons had also commented on Monday that “any ales not sold between now and lockdown will have to be thrown away, so it’s better that customers can enjoy it at a great price while the pubs remain open”, and Mitchells & Butlers – one of the largest operators – reported that the first lockdown cost it £11 million in waste caused by extra beer in pubs ready for St Patrick’s Day celebrations, which of course did not happen.

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Charlotte Green continues: “The amount of potential waste caused by a sudden lockdown is staggering and could be as high as 307,500 pints in Manchester alone, however it’s thought that because of the length of notice, and the deals on offer, the wastage could be much less, which would be great news”

The big problem facing Manchester pubs and restaurants now though is that a third of their revenue is generated during the Halloween to New Year rush.

This is an important time for cashflow before heading into the quieter months of January and February.

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And the potential for significant food and drink waste is set to become even worse than it may have originally been due to the government’s national lockdown rules which do not allow pubs, bars and restaurants to sell takeaway alcohol.

“Everything needs to go before Thursday” concludes Green.

“So get down to your local Manchester pub and buy a pint, or order some food from your local restaurant, everything you buy this week helps them, and helps save it going down the drain or to landfill”.

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Chester Zoo named best zoo in the UK thanks to more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ ratings

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

It’s official… Chester Zoo has been named to best zoo in the UK for 2024.

Everyone in and around Greater Manchester and the North West is familiar with just how brilliant the UK’s biggest charity zoo is and all the work it contributes towards conservation and protecting endangered species all across the world – but now, it’s got itself a respectable new title to prove it, and it’s all thanks to tens of thousands of positive TripAdvisor reviews.

The world’s biggest travel guidance platform has named Chester Zoo as the best-rated zoo to visit in the UK this year, with more than 11,000 ‘Excellent’ ratings.

Based on millions of online reviews, the new ranking puts the beloved Cheshire-based attraction ahead of the country’s other zoos after earning consistently good feedback from its visitors.

Chester Zoo has been named the best zoo in the UK for 2024 / Credit: Chester Zoo

According to Chester Zoo, the “wonderful news” means that, as a conservation charity, it can continue its work with countries across the world to “help all animals survive and thrive”, as well as provide expert care to the 37,000 animals who currently call the zoo their home.

The zoo has also thanked its visitors for all their continued support each year, as this allows to “keep making a difference”.

“With every admission ticket, membership, animal adoption, or experience purchased, you are contributing to our mission of preventing extinction,” Chester Zoo said in a statement.

Speaking on the coveted new TripAdvisor title, Jamie Chirston, who is the CEO at Chester Zoo, says he’s “over the moon to be named the best zoo in the UK”, adding in a statement that: “It’s an incredible achievement and especially pleasing given it’s based on thousands upon thousands of genuine reviews and opinions.

“It’s a real seal of approval from our visitors, and testament to every single one of our dedicated, hardworking, and talented staff that make our conservation zoo the wonderful place it is.

“Every time someone walks through our gates, not only do they enjoy all kinds of wildlife experiences and a have great day out, but they’re also contributing to the vital conservation work we carry out here and around the world, and that’s why, as a not-for-profit conservation zoo, this top TripAdvisor ranking means such an awful lot to us.

It’s all thanks to more than 11,000 ‘Excellent’ ratings by visitors on TripAdvisor / Credit: Chester Zoo

“It’s confirmation that we’re getting things right for our visitors, [which is] especially important as, together, we’re preventing extinction and making a real difference for wildlife.”

The UK’s best zoo isn’t the only title Chester Zoo has claimed this month either, as TripAdvisor has also listed it as the eighth-best zoo or aquarium to visit in the whole of Europe too.

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So it double congratulations are in order – and they couldn’t be more well-deserved, right?

Featured Image – Chester Zoo

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Antony labelled ‘classless’ and ’embarrassing’ for celebrations after Man United’s penalty shootout win against Coventry

Danny Jones Danny Jones Antony celebrations controversy FA Cup semi-final Coventry City penalty shootout

Manchester United star Antony has been labelled “classless”, “embarrassing” and plenty worse following his celebrations after the Red Devils’ slim FA Cup semi-final win on penalties against Coventry City.

The Brazilian winger has been a divisive figure ever since he arrived at Old Trafford, with most arguing that the club have seen nowhere enough for his hefty price tag, not to mention that moments like his trademark spinning has served as little more than a meme at Man United‘s expense.

However, it’s his behaviour both on and off the pitch that has also made him an unlikeable figure this season. Being embroiled in an ongoing domestic assault case certainly has only exacerbated his public image but it was his latest viral moment against Coventry that has now irked even more people.

United managed to blow a 3-0 lead against the Championship side on Sunday, allowing the Sky Blues to push them all the way to penalties following a catastrophic 19-minute collapse (by no means the first this year), but it was Antony’s reaction after surviving the shootout that has left people countless arguing.

These are the celebrations Antony is being criticised for as United secured their place in the FA Cup final for the second year in a row.

Several supporters, Reds included, have come out to criticise the celebrations from Antony, who decided to direct his taunts towards the opposition who shone at Wembley from start to finish even after the heartbreaking twist of fate in what was a truly epic comeback.

While there has been plenty of controversy surrounding the game – Coventry’s last-minute penalty to tie the game and what they thought was the winner only for it to be ruled in a ridiculously tight offside, just to name a couple – there can be no question as to it going down as an FA Cup classic.

All that being said, despite the game being a dramatic delight for the neutral, Antony’s ear-cupping after Rasmus Højlund scored the winning penalty has left many with a sour taste in their mouth and his reputation dented even further.

The backlash on social media has been pretty vocal, with the 24-year-old branded as everything from “shameless”, “embarrassing” and “a disgrace” to “everything wrong with modern football”; one person even went so far as to label him “the most hateable player” in the sport. Yep, not a very popular bloke.

There are too many tweets to count when it comes to the debate Antony has sparked.

Although the vast majority have come out to condemn it as needless showboating, perceiving it as unnecessary salt in the wound to those already hurting in the stands, there are some dismissing the celebrations as simply part of the game.

Fan account Stretford Post wrote: “I have no issue with what Antony did, so what, he loves the game and loves to win, it’s emotional and we all let ourselves go sometimes. Accept the man’s personality and stop the agenda.”

That being said, it’s fair to say the chaotic ending to the game gave the bulk of Man United fans in the stadium and watching home much to fully celebrate given the nature of their capitulation and even some of his teammates on the pitch looked reticent to run over to excitedly to Højlund after he scored.

ln fact, both captain Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire – who went straight to commiserate the Coventry players after the final penalty – were quick to acknowledge how fortunate they were to scrape through in the end, simply boiling it down a season-defining statement: “We have to do much better”.

Maguire reiterated that the penalty decision was harsh but that the opposition deserved ‘full credit’.

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Be it naivety or just getting swept in the spirit of a crucial FA Cup final-securing penalty shootout, the celebrations by Antony haven’t gone down well with many fans or pundits.

Former United and fellow winger Lee Sharpe told talkSPORT that while his age may have been a factor, he deemed the reaction “out of order” given how close his team came to bottling it. What did you make of the moment: perfectly acceptable given the circumstances or needless and ’embarrassing’?

It will now be a Manchester derby FA Cup final for the second year running and, one thing’s for sure, Erik ten Hag’s side can’t afford to make that many mistakes against Man City.

You can watch the highlights from the frantic semi-final down below but, the better question is, which half of Manchester is going to leave with their hands on the trophy on 25 May?

It had everything this game.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BBC Sport/@MatthewStanger (via X)

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