Pub & Club News

Congratulations to Stretford Sip Club which has won City Life Magazine's Best Bar award.

The win follows on from being named Trafford & Hulme CAMRA Pub Of The Season for Autumn 2014 and then the branch's Best Newcomer for 2014.

Read all about the award here:

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/sip-club-wins-citylife-awards-8393771

The ever improving Real Ale scene in Flixton has been boosted by the addition of two pubs that were, for a long time, “Cask Ale Deserts”.

The arrival, just over 12 months ago, of Vicky & Brian O’Keefe as the new management team at The Garrick’s Head on Moorside Road (virtually opposite Trafford General Hospital) has really helped in getting real ale established in the pub and the quality of the beers served has already resulted in it being awarded the Cask Marque.

Three handpumps now grace the single long bar, and recent offerings have included Wells Bombardier, Sharp’s Doombar, Wychwood Hobgoblin and beers from Thwaites and Young’s.

The beers are proving popular with both their regular and new customers.  

Already well known locally for its live music and its screening of live sports, The Garrick is now gaining itself a well deserved reputation for its choice and quality of cask ale.

From The Garrick, a short stroll down to the other end of Brook Road brings you to Flixton Road and to the Bird i’th Hand.

The Rope & Anchor on Paddock Lane in Dunham Massey has just gained Cask Marque accreditation for their real ales.

The JW Lees house is best known as a dining venue but has been making a major effort to improve the quality of their ale offering which has culminated in the Cask Marque. They have joined a growing number of Lees pubs which offer 50p off a pint of cask ale every Monday.

They also have a presence on both twitter (@Rope_anchor) and facebook (facebook.com/RopeAndAnchor) where they post news of changes to their beers & menu as well as special events at the pub.

There are new tenants at Holt's Volunteer Hotel in Sale. Former hosts Jim & Tracy Roberts left the Cross Street pub at the end of September and have been replaced by Debby & Eddie Scott.

The couple have a long association with Sale having moved to the area from the North East of England 26 years ago and are really pleased to be back in the area they view as home. They have been in the pub trade for many years with an impressive list of pubs behind them - Stretford's Melville, The Kingsway in Levenshulme to name just two.

They have moved to Sale from another Holt's pub, The Grafton Arms in the shadow of Manchester Royal Infirmary. The couple don't have plans to make significant changes to the pub - the Thursday night quiz will remain as will Saturday's disco & karaoke - and their long experience should make sure that the ale remains in the same excellent condition.

Altrincham's Orange Tree re-opened on October 8th. As reported previously, the pub has been taken over by Chris Clish who has overseen the  revival of Chorlton's Beech Inn. Chris has gone into partnership with Gabrielle Burns-Smith, formerly his manager at The Beech Inn and  her partner James Dainty to take the lease of the Enterprise Inns pub. The pub has undergone an extensive refurbishment lasting two  months and is now a much smarter affair than it was previously.

Externally the rather garish orange colour scheme has been replaced with a much more subdued green while internally the is a mix of  stripped brick walls and plain grey plaster. On entering the pub, seven handpumps flank the corner of the bar in front of you. Five  dispense real ale with two given over to cider. Three regular ales are Landlord, Copper Dragon Golden Pippin Thwaites Wainwright while when the branch's Altrincham Market social called on October 17th, the guests were Dorset's Otter Amber & Rudgate Ruby Mild. Gabby told us that their is an eighth  line installed but they are physically struggling to fit the pump in. She also told us that while none was available on our visit, they  will be aiming to have at least one local brew available - beers from Mobberley Fine Ales have been going well and they also had  Beartown in the cellar.

Chorlton-cum-Hardy now has an incredible 25 pubs & bars serving real ale. The latest addition to the area is The Shak which opened in October on the same part of the Wilbraham Road strip as Mono & The Bar. The Shak is a first venture into the bar world for manager &  co-owner Francesca Duffy who has opened the bar with two sleeping partners having come back to the UK after a period living in Dubai.

The bar has been fitted out in a modern style with the walls a mixture of neutral grey / green and stripped wood cladding and panels. A  giant print of a forest scene adorns the wall to the right of the entrance. The bar is to the rear of the raised area which forms the  left hand side of the bar. Although initially opening with two handpumps, a third was added after the success of ale sale on the opening weekend in October.