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Samuel L. Jackson becomes latest Hollywood celeb to declare love for Bolton in new Warburtons ad

The acting megastar is "mad about the bread"... apparently.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 20th September 2023

Samuel L. Jackson has become the latest Hollywood celebrity to declare his love for Bolton as he stars in the new Warburtons TV advert.

Now, who the heck saw this coming? We’ll bet no one – and you’re likely lying if you claim you did.

The beloved Bolton-born bakery is absolutely no stranger to whipping up viral marketing campaigns featuring unexpected superstars, with acting titans George Clooney, Robert De Niro, and Sylvester Stallone having all fronted the company’s TV ads in the past.

And now, it seems to be Samuel L. Jackson’s turn, by the looks of things, as Warburtons has shared its latest commercial with the world this morning, and the legendary actor appears in the starring role.

The nation’s leading baked goods manufacturer says the new TV advert, which is titled Mad About The Bread, celebrates its “dedication” to making “the best quality loaf” of bread.

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The ad opens in the company‘s home town of Bolton, with Samuel L. Jackson seen taking over Jonathan Warburton’s office dressed in the current chairman’s office attire of blue shirt and orange tie, before he turns to camera and delivers the opening line – “Hi, I’m Jonathan Warburton, chairman of the UK’s largest family bakery.”

What follows next can only be described as an unexpectedly-incredible montage of moments showing Samuel L. Jackson – sorry, we mean ‘Jonathan Warburton’ – going on a quest to prove to a doubting bread-lover why Warburtons‘ legendary Toastie loaf is the best there is on UK shop shelves.

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Samuel L. Jackson is the star of the new Warburtons TV advert / Credit: Warburtons

‘Jonathan’ can be seen furiously-recalling the effort that goes into making the perfect Toastie loaf, that he emphatically declares is “packed full of the bakery’s unique blend of wheat and 147 years of baking expertise”, and is then shown testing the bread for “softness, butter-ability, and bounce-back-ability”, before he finally knocks the door down of Jonathan’s office, only to be met with the real Jonathan Warburton.

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” the actual Warburton comments – and neither could we.

Samuel L. Jackson said it was “a pleasure” to star in the new advert and to meet “the man at the helm of Britain’s biggest family bakery”, adding that it was “an honour” to follow in the footsteps of other famous ‘Bolton alumni’.

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“We had a lot of fun on set, so I hope people enjoy the finished product – the ad AND Toastie Loaf,” Samuel L. Jackson concluded.

The legendary actor is the latest in a long line of the company’s unbelieveable collaborations / Credit: Warburtons

Jonathan Warburton said the new ad is “a real celebration” of the company’s passion. 

“Inviting the big-screen hero of Samuel L. Jackson into the business was a uniquely memorable experience,” he added of the new advert, “And we hope to bring some light-hearted humour to viewers at home.

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“All while reminding the nation that our Toastie truly offers our customers the best of the best.”

Featured Image – Warburtons

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Co-op Live has been named the number one arena in Europe following its debut year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Co-op Live arena best in Europe

Despite a rocky opening month or so, Manchester’s Co-op Live made the ultimate instant recovery and has now been named the number one arena not just in the UK but all of Europe.

Manc music venues being best in class? Sounds about right.

Yes, even despite some obstacles, delays and early hiccups, Co-op Live‘s debut year as a live music and indoor entertainment venue has seen it beat out the likes of the long-established and iconic O2 in London to take the top spot.

The inaugural 12 months of the arena have not only seen it welcome all manner of music legends, as well as live sporting events such as the UFC and WWE, but the arena welcomed more visitors than any other venue across the continent during that time.

co-op live top venue for ticket sales in europe
Credit: Press Shot (supplied)

Hosting 105 events since opening, Co-op Live was officially ranked the number one arena for gross ticket sales in the UK and Europe by Pollstar this week.

Names to have graced the industry-leading stage so far include Liam Gallagher, Stevie Nicks and Take That; Peter Kay, Elbow, Sabrina Carpenter, Paul McCartney, and so many more.

Commenting on the successful start, Tim Leiweke (CEO and chairman of the Oak View Group behind the venue) said: “Our ambition was to bring the world’s best music arena to one of the world’s greatest music cities and we are thrilled with the reaction from fans and artists alike over this past year.

“Co-op Live’s revolutionary acoustics investment has already attracted some of the world’s biggest artists and events to Manchester, with many more to come.  And our sustainability commitment will ensure we remain responsible contributors to Manchester and the planet for years to come. 

“We believe that amazing venues can transform cities for the better, and Co-op Live has done just that.”

It’s fair to say we’ve had some truly unforgettable nights in there already – and that’s just in the last month alone. Case and point:

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Artists themselves have fallen in love with it as well, with LG himself putting it on a par with one of the most iconic arenas on the planet.

With a continued commitment to achieving ‘Net Zero’ status too, the venue’s carbon reduction technologies, solar panels, heat pumps and rainwater harvesting, not to mention the recently refreshed CityLink walking in partnership with the Climate Pledge, are all things we can be proud of.

Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, went on to add: “We are delighted with the success of Co-op Live’s first year, and to see it taking the top spot off London.

“It shows Manchester is the home of live music in the UK, with Co-op Live bringing so many exclusives from artists like Bruce Springsteen to the city and Oasis playing massive hometown shows this summer – 2025 is going to be one of the biggest ever for our city’s music scene.”

Meanwhile, things are feeling less fortunate at the grassroots end of the spectrum, as the Music Venue Trust is imploring people to get behind a vulnerable Manc music institution.

Music venue charity issues ‘shocked’ statement ahead of impending Manchester closure
We can’t forget about the small-cap venues that get things started.

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

Featured Images — The Manc Group

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25,000 free footballs are being given away across the UK

Danny Jones Danny Jones Barlcays bank giving 1000 free football across the UK

A total of 25,000 free footballs are up for grabs this month as part of a new scheme from Barclays, who are giving them away to mark a special anniversary.

The British multinational universal bank, which boasts over 850 branches and more than 48 million customers worldwide, has been supporting the beautiful game for a quarter of a century now and has been the primary Premier League sponsor since the 2001/02 season.

Approaching 25 years helping fund and promote English football, they’ve come up with a new initiative to celebrate, simply called the ‘Lost Ball Project‘.

We’ve all seen scenes like these before.

barclays free footballs
lost ball project
Credit: Barclays (supplied)

Tapping into the national and generational memory of losing a ball to a pond, up a tree, over a fence or on a roof and so on, Barclays are making up for those heartbreaking little losses – one ball at a time.

Lost Ball will see the bank give away 25k footballs across the UK, with Barclays customers able to claim a free ball for themselves or someone else who has lost theirs.

Already up and running, the scheme is off to a flyer and free footies will be available until Thursday, 22 May, so we wouldn’t wait around.

The bank has played an integral role throughout the British football pyramid for decades now, sponsoring to only the Premier League but also the WSL, Barclays Women’s Championship; the Northern Irish Women’s Football Association, Scottish Women’s Championship and the Scottish Women’s League One

They’ve even put together this emotive, albeit a bit tongue-in-cheek video:

Excellent song choice.

As they put it, the mission of the Lost Ball Project is simple: “Let’s keep the nation playing the beautiful game. Because there’s no football without grassroots football.”

In addition to backing established leagues, they have continued to support the country’s footballing community at large, especially in terms of the women’s game.

For instance, the Barclays Girls’ Football School partnership with The FA has seen the number of participating schools rise from 3,000 in 2019 to 20,000 in 2024, helping more than 2.5 million schoolgirls access football.

Important work done from the ground up.

Credit: Supplied

Barclays’ Group Head of Sponsorship, Tom Corbett, said in a statement: “We are immensely proud of our pioneering work and funding to grassroots football over the past 25 years.

Giving away 25,000 balls to replace our customers’ ‘Lost Balls’ means they will never be without the one thing you need to be able to play the game we’ve supported at Barclays for all these years.”

If you bank with the group, you can find out how to claim your free football HERE.

We quite fancy a kick around now.

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

Featured Images — Barclays (supplied)

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