City Centre
Snappy Runners
AJ Handley-Rowe -
16th June 2022
AJ Handley-Rowe -
16th June 2022 City Centre
Manchester’s The Grosvenor pub set to host huge England fan zone with Fireball for 2026 World Cup
Danny Jones
With the 2026 World Cup fast approaching, there’ll obviously be tonnes of places showing the game, but there’s only one place that’s promising big screens, ball pits, pool tables, ping pong, a ‘peep show’ and plenty more right from the off: The Grosvenor.
It doesn’t hurt that they’re teaming up with beloved booze brand Fireball to spice things up.
We hope the goals come easily for England this tournament, but we can assure the drinks will be free-flowing regardless, over at The Grosvenor on Oxford Road Corridor here in Manchester city centre.
Located just on the corner of (you guessed it) Grosvenor St and the busy Oxford Rd stretch, they’re already getting geared up for tournament time…
Teaming up with the famous cinnamon whisky liqueur, the popular student and matchday spot is set to be busier than ever for this year’s World Cup.
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We’ve watched a few Manchester derbies and other big games here in the past, so we can personally vouch for the vibes.
As for what they have in store for the North American edition of FIFA’s biggest competition and the ultimate celebration of the beautiful game, besides numerous England flags hanging from the walls and that beautiful ceiling, there’ll be plenty of music, England anthems, giveaways and top-tier atmosphere.
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In addition to lots of chanting from yourselves, no doubt, there’ll be DJ sets and merch up for grabs, as well as lots of big wigs, St George’s glasses and foam hands floating around the room.
Of course, there will also be wall-to-wall coverage of the games across their many screens around the venue, not least of all the big box sitting pride of place above the bar itself.
With two large floors and more intimate seating options upstairs, there are plenty of ways to watch Thomas Tuchel’s team fly the flag.
Kicking off with the Three Lions’ opening clash against Croatia on Wednesday, 17 June, the venue will be transformed into a sea of red and white, and guests will also be treated to a completely FREE shot of Fireball every single time England score.
Don’t mind if we do.
Naturally, with stuff like this on offer, fans are encouraged to grab their tickets for the fixtures as early as possible so as not to miss out.
In their words AND ours, “From the first whistle to the final anthem, The Grosvenor is set to become one of Manchester’s home ends for the World Cup.”
You can reserve your tickets from just £3 for The Grosvenor Fireball Fanzone – along with plenty of cheap pints and affordable food and drink packages – right HERE.
(Don’t say, don’t say it, don’t say it) It’s coming home…
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For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — The Grosvenor (supplied)/The Manc Group
City Centre
The very best ice cream and frozen yoghurt places around Greater Manchester
Danny Jones
We know it’s not often sunny out in these parts to enjoy the proper summery joy of lapping up lots of ice cream, but there are still bloody wonderful places to get it here in Greater Manchester – and we know some of the best.
Of course, it always hits different when the sun does come out.
It doesn’t matter if you prefer it chock-full of chocolate chips and coffee, mouth-frothingly fruity sweet, you’re in your pistachio phase or cannot get past the raspberry ripple, there are plenty of places to get whatever you’re after.
Be it Manchester city centre or beyond, we do ice cream pretty darn well for a place that basically rains for two-thirds of the year.
15 top ice cream, soft serve and fro-yo places around Manchester
In no particular order, by the way, because we already hate playing favourites and all those serve our infinitely sweet tooth are created equal.
1. Grandpa Greene’s – Oldham
First up, there are few other fitting enough places to start than the Diggle Lock’s legendary Grandpa Greene’s, which serves not just some of the best desserts we’ve EVER had but stunning, homemade ice-cream that we here at The Manc have even helped make in the past.
In fact, this place has been such a hit in the area that they’ve gone on to open their own bistro and, unsurprisingly, it’s proved just as impressive and popular.
2. Midnight Brownie Club – Ashton-under-Lyne
Heading over to Tameside now, Midnight Brownie Club is one to indulge at any time if you ask us, especially if you treat yourself to one of their sumptuous sundaes, which you can top with everything from kunafa, Lotus Biscoff crumble, raspberry ripple and more.
You can go wrong with those fudgey little chocolate squares, of course, and they obviously do lots of different stuff besides just ice cream and their namesake brownies, so our own recommendation is that you give it a try sooner rather than later.
@the.manc Think Matilda crunch cakes, old school cakes and custard, rasperry ripple sundaes and brownie-stuffed doughnuts. 🤤 All which you can enjoy from the comfort of your car, find @Midnight Brownie Club at their new spot in Ashton, OL6 6UG 🍰 #manchester #ashton #desserts #drivethru #manchesterfood ♬ original sound – The Manc
3. Milk Maids – Bolton
From Oldham over to the borough of Bolton, and native favourite, Milk Maids, whose award-winning dairy farming expertise has seen them garner an iconic status among locals, and it’s no wonder.
We’ve been on to this place in Over Hulton for ages, but now they’re approaching a decade of serving their oh-so-sweet scoops, we can’t pretend to take even the remotest bit of credit. Their reputation precedes them and is about as long-standing as their lines.
4. Hello Oriental – Oxford Road Corridor
This one might come as a surprise, but if you’re in the market for some really good soft serve, subterranean pan-Asian food hall Hello Oriental just so happens to have it on offer.
Available in tubs or even served on top of a cute little animal-shaped waffle cone hybrids (there’s even a little chocolate surprise inside), they’re not just smooth and silky, they’re also adorable.
5. Big Licks – Printworks
In at number four is arguably the ice cream and dessert parlour with the very best name in Manchester, and that’s Big Licks, which recently relocated from Liverpool Road over in Castlefield to Printworks. Now positioned in a much more central location, it’s no surprise that the spot has seen an increase in queuing.
You’ll find pretty much every combo you could ask for here; they also do some pretty banging burgers if you fancy eating both tea and afters here. We’re big fans of their ice cream sandwiches, as well.
6. Macari’s – Stockport
As a native Stopfordian myself, my grandma only ever called dessert a ‘sweet’ or ‘pudding’, regardless of what it was, but regardless of what you call it around your way/in your family, we have a Stopfordian ice cream spot that you need to visit.
Macari’s Gelateria opened up over in Heaton Moor back in 2023, and it’s quickly grown a passionate cult following – ourselves included. From their punchy and/or fruity flavours, to the super soft texture that their perfectly flaky wafers just about hold up to, it’s pretty perfect. Remember the name.
7. Lazy Sundae – Manchester Arndale
We’re past the halfway mark now, and if you’re not already feeling a bit sluggish after this sugary feast for your eyes, you almost certainly will after looking at the super indulgent Lazy Sundae, who do everything from bubble tea and creative Korean desserts to standard ice cream cones.
But make no mistake, there’s nothing plain or basic about this place: it’s remained one of the best places for ice cream in Manchester, and while we may have said goodbye to their OG spot in NQ back in January 2025, the Arndale parlour now serves as the perfect flagship location.
@the.manc Lazy Sundae has arrived at the Arndale #manchester #lazysundae ♬ Synchronize – Milky Chance
8. Black Milk – NQ
Sticking with the city centre and whipping our way back to NQ (pun very much intended), we’ve got the brilliant Black Milk up next, who we confess most regularly visit for a proper good milkshake, but they do shine when it comes to pretty much anything sugary, to be honest.
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Ice cream-wise, you can’t go wrong with their cookies and cream sundae, and their special St. Patrick’s Guinness gelato is still one of the most unique desserts we’ve ever had. Speaking of gelato…
9. Gelato Creamery® – Sale and Ardwick
Heading out to Trafford now, and the ever-growing foodie scene in Sale, their increasingly well-known Gelato Creamery® store has been making waves for some time now, and by waves, we mean perfectly swirled scoops of ice cream’s somewhat healthier but still just as tasty Italian cousin.
They have a more central pod at Jacuna Kitchen over in Ardwick on the outskirts of the city centre, but really do recommend visiting their shop on School Road for a lesson on what proper good gelato should taste like.
10. All Things Nice – Marple
Another Stopfordian stop on this ice cream tour comes in the form of All Things Nice, who couldn’t be more appropriately named if they tried – both when it comes to the scran and the service.
Over in the hilly village of Marple, this lovely little cafe on Market Street is known for all manner of bakes, brunch plates, pastries, and a fair few sweet treats, including their ice cream, which is just about as delicious as everything else on the menu. No surprise here.
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11. Wazuzhi – Chinatown
Here’s another one that might surprise people: yes, the affordable Manchester city centre favourite and Chinatown staple formerly known as Wasabi isn’t just great at the savoury side of things; they also have some lovely desserts, too.
Specifically, they do ‘shaved ice’ cups, which come in a variety of flavours, many of which are super fruity and fresh, but we do heartily reccommend coming for the sushi first and this for afters.
12. MAST – Central
Since we’re mixing things up a bit, now it’s time to throw some ‘fro-yo’ into the conversation, and if you haven’t tried MAST over on King Street West – that little backstreet just off Deansgate and around the corner from Crazy Pedros – you’re really to correct that oversight.
There’s something about this one that feels like a proper treat whilst also balancing that sugar content, thanks to the healthier ice cream alternative, as you still get that fix from toppings like Smarties, crushed Oreos, classic candy lovehearts and tonnes more. Pretty as a picture.
13. Frurt – Various
Sticking with the frozen yoghurt theme, it’d be foolish to overlook the kings of the local game, as this may be a franchise, but it started right here back in 2010 with husband-and-wife team, Syed and Shaza Hassan, and they’ve only got bigger and better, still offering healthy, dairy and gluten-free cups.
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You can find them in the following locations: the city centre (a pair of them), Stockport, Sale, on Bury New Road, Bolton, Oldham, not to mention soon the Trafford Centre and beyond Greater Manchester.
14. Get Baked – NQ
The penultimate blood sugar pincher is the famous Get Baked, which barely even turned the key to unlock the doors before they had a crowd waiting outside the shop window of their first permanent Manchester location.
Whether you’re three for big cookies, the famous Matilda-inspired ‘Bertha’ cake or their free-flowing soft-serve that is easier to drink than water – we know we have a problem, we’re working on it – you won’t be disappointed, no matter how long you wait.
15. Baby Mayhem – Ancoats
Last but certainly not least of the latest newcomers to the Manc dessert scene, and while it may not be strictly just an ice cream parlour, it is one of the best places for anyone who is powerless to resist their cravings for things fresh, cold, filled, fried and covered in sugar.
Baby Mayhem is where ice cream and doughnuts collide in one superior pudding. How does a ‘donut ice cream sandwich’ sound? Incredible? We thought so… It’s popped in the old Lazy Tony’s Lasagneria site and is already following in its footsteps of filling locals’ bellies to the max.
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That should just about do you for now, and if this list wasn’t sickly enough, don’t you worry…
You best believe we’ll be going around all around Greater Manchester in search of more ice cream and the best places that do it whenever the sun is out.
So, just keep your eyes peeled for when we inevitably update this one, because there’s always room for one more scoop.
Well, speaking of…
Honourable mention
Take issue with this if you want, but any place that offers a free ice cream sandwich on your birthday deserves to be on the list if you ask us, so here’s our nod to the wonderful Nell’s.
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Available in dulce de leche, cherry pie, cookie dough and, of course, that birthday cake flavour – not to mention various one-off specials through the year – nothing quite compares to a slice and one of these sweet little frozen sandos.
Enjoy!
Read more:
- The best deals and offers in Manchester city centre for the 2025 graduation season
- Review | Northcote: Lancashire’s Michelin-starred gem doing fine dining the northern way
- The very best and booziest bottomless brunch Manchester has to offer
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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