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Emily Sergeant -
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12th March 2020 What's On
Sacha Lord set to back local hospitality again with money behind the bar of Manchester pub
Danny Jones
Local figure Sacha Lord is once again looking to help support Greater Manchester’s food and drink scene once again this spring by putting a total of £2.5k behind the bar of one lucky pub.
Well, let’s be honest, we’re about to be the real lucky ones.
It’s far from the first time that the Night Time Economy Advisor has done this, having previously put sizeable sums towards shared tabs on a few occasions over the last few years.
Lining up his next handout for this coming early May bank holiday (perfect timing), it’s going to be a super and potentially very sloppy Sunday…
Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester.
— Sacha Lord (@Sacha_Lord) April 16, 2026
Bank Holiday Sunday 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.
Support your local pub. pic.twitter.com/EP7I0BKQTd
Sharing the video above online earlier this week, the 54-year-old simply wrote, “Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester. Bank Holiday Sunday, 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
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The message is as straightforward as ever: “Support your local pub.”
Now obviously, the fact that people can reply with their go-to boozers and help influence the decision is one thing – something that has certainly always created an attraction each time he’s done this – but it’s also just a good way of marketing these watering holes to begin with.
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Whether or not someone’s favourite public house tucked away in one of the 10 boroughs, or their bar of choice here in Manchester city centre, ends up being selected or not, it’s obviously great publicity having their names plastered on a notable social media account.
This is especially so when you see how much the post itself ends up being reshared and the overall exposure Lord ultimately lends them via creating such a big crowd discussion.
Confirming the chosen pub in a subsequent post, he said: “I asked you to choose a pub you wanted me to support. This Sunday, 4pm, I’ll be turning up at The Ape and Apple on John Dalton St, Manchester, and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
Here’s hoping we get proper beer garden weather over that long weekend – especially with that lovely refurbished outdoor terrace space up on the first floor of the Joseph Holt watering hole.
It’s also worth noting that the further support stunts like this have helped garner support for other regional businesses – in particular, indies that are battling the cost of living crisis and so many other challenges within the sector – has proved crucial for some places to stay open to begin with.
A good example is the Thirsty Korean, who teamed up with the Altrincham-born entrepreneur to cover hundreds of bills back in 2023, and has now been able to expand into a larger venue down the road from their original Chorlton location.
The obstacles facing the hospitality industry remain varied and numerous, but gestures like this can go a long way to helping prop up those who need it.
Which ones are you calling your favourites these days?
Read more:
- A huge new Irish bar has opened in Manchester city centre (yes, another one)
- The 13 best bakeries in Greater Manchester, for bread, pastries, cakes and more
- One of Manchester’s most popular brunch spots is opening its second location
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Sacha Lord/The Manc Group/The Manc Eats
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Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with FREE tacos and frozen margaritas at House of Social
Danny Jones
Manchester, get ready for a fine ol’ springtime fiesta, as city centre food hall, bar, and meeting place, House of Social, is hosting a special Cinco de Mayo celebration with tonnes of free tacos and frozen margaritas up for grabs.
Well, one of their wonderful in-house vendors will be sorting the scran and margs, but either way, you don’t want to miss this one.
Teaming up with local ‘Mexicali’ kitchen, OK Taqueria, the popular First Street neighbourhood hangout will be slinging lip-smacking cocktails, fresh tortillas packed with the good stuff, and serving up good vibes throughout the day.
We will warn you – the freebies will only be available for a limited time, but we still know where we’ll be for this year’s Hispanic holiday.
They made things pretty simple for Cinco de Mayo 2026; as the post read, they’re giving away “FREE build your own tacos from 12-2pm, along with a healthy supply of frozen margs this Tuesday 5 May, quipping: “Is it even a Tuesday without a free taco?”
And yes, if it’s only just clicked, the name does just mean the fifth day of May (honestly, it took us until our late teens to realise this).
Clarifying that the offer is strictly first-come, first-served – and once they run out, they are out – there’s not much else to tell you, really.
Just take their advice: “Get in early, get involved, get FED”.
OK Taqueria is one of five fabulous indie traders currently located inside House of Social (HoS), including the likes of Mughli, Choi Wan, Burger and Beyond, and Dough Religion, who recently gave us that viral and rather large chicken Caesar wrap.
Yes, it is as hefty and delicious as it looks.
But back to OK Taqueria, their fusion of smoky Mexican street snacks and the Californian food truck culture speaks for itself, and we can’t wait to fill our faces come lunchtime on 5 May, 2026.
Whilst you’re here, if you haven’t visited HoS yourself yet, you really need to tick it off your list; with a great selection of food and drinks, multiple floors and a lovely terrace with numerous benches, coverings and even outdoor heaters, it’s perfect for this time of year.
Don’t even get us started on summer…
Read more:
- Drake-backed Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in the Trafford Centre
- Manchester Museum debuts new FREE ‘Human Natures’ exhibition
- Brilliant Salford Greek restaurant receives glowing national review
For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.
Featured Images — Press shot (supplied)/The Manc Eats
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