From being paid a salary to play Animal Crossing, to bagging yourself £300 by just watching Netflix in your pyjamas, and so much more, there’s been some pretty unique job opportunities cropping up over the over this past year as a result of lockdown, but for those who are partial to a tipple of two, 2021 is set to bring one of the most exciting prospects of all.
Thanks to popular gin retailer The Local Gin Company, you can now apply for the ‘dream job’ of becoming a gin taster in the new year.
Do you love a gin and tonic?
Would you like to regularly receive gin samples to test on behalf of The Local Gin Company?
ADVERTISEMENT
Well then this certainly could be a role of interest to you, but don’t go actually quitting your day job though as this isn’t quite a proper career. Basically, the creatively-named company is simply recruiting people to taste test its booze, with the payment being all the free gin you will receive.
Unfortunately, you can’t pay your bills with gin, so you’ll just have to treat this role as a side-gig.
ADVERTISEMENT
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQ7d0Vl__v/
There are plenty of vacancies available right across the country though, with the company looking for two tasters from each of the following areas: London, the South East, the South West, the East of England, the Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East, and the North West.
The chosen applicants will receive regular samples of the company’s various gin and pink gin offerings, and will be asked to provide “honest feedback” in return.
This feedback will be used to determine which gins are included in its premium subscription gin boxes.
ADVERTISEMENT
According to the job description, the ideal candidates for the role “must enjoy drinking gin served with tonic water” and be “passionate about supporting local, as all our gins are regionally made”.
And of course, you have to be over 18 to land the role.
If this like it might be up your street, the deadline for applications is 31st December 2020, and you can find out more information and apply via The Local Gin Company website here.
Trending
Sportsbet.io Tour Championship 2026: Manchester welcomes some of snooker’s best
Danny Jones
This Monday marks the start of the World Snooker Tour’s 2026 Sportsbet.io Tour Championship, which is back in Manchester once again– and there are some big names on show.
Returning to our city for a third consecutive time, this year’s Tour Championships began at 1pm, with the likes of world number one Judd Trump playing some of the opening frames against Northern Ireland’s Mark Allen, along with Barry Hawkins taking on 2026 World Open winner, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.
These are just the first two opening fixtures in what is set to be an eventful week-long tournament that will span a total of 19 matches, concluding in the final on Sunday, 5 April.
Hosted once again over at Manchester Central, this elite field of in-form players is basically only missing Ronnie O’Sullivan, who the aforementioned Thai tour start beat in last week’s final.
Only the top 12 players from this season’s highly competitive rankings earned a place in the draw, so all pretty much all the greats and the next generation are shooting for the title.
Defending champions John Higgins – a four-time world champion – will be breaking off against Mark Williams on Tuesday, 31 March.
Meanwhile, other names on the schedule of play include World Champion Zhao Xintong, Mark Selby (who Higgins beat in Manchester last year), Shaun Murphy, Neil Robertson and Mark Allen.
Put simply, this isn’t just another big sporting event landing in our city centre, but a showcase of some of the very best talent in the discipline.
With tickets starting from just £25, these games are also some of the most affordable premium sports you can enjoy in central Manchester.
Better still, it’s also worth noting that the official Fanzone over in the foyer of the venue is open to all, even without a ticket.
There’s completely free coaching for players of all ages, interactive games, and even the chance to try a proper full-sized professional table – a perfect day out for the Easter school holidays.
The event itself is being aired on Channel 5, but if you’re interested in going along to see the action up close and personal, you can grab your seats right HERE.
Featured Images — Press shot (supplied via Manchester Central)/The Manc Group
Trending
The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
Emily Sergeant -
18th December 2020 
