January 2017

The Armitage Club in Little Hulton has closed down.

The Bulls Head in Swinton is expected to re open under the ownership of New River Retail who own several pubs in the area. A refurb is planned for March and it is planned to have one Cask Ale on sale.

The Stocks Hotel,Walkden has been closed for a Refurb

November 2016

Thursday 17th-Sunday 20th Salford Chapel street Ale Festival.

October 2016

The Park Hotel. in Monton closed for a full refurbishment on 30th October and is scheduled to re-open on 14th November.

The Royal Oak. Eccles.

Pub closed on 29th September 2016. It has been sold by Holts Brewery to an as yet unknown owner. It is not yet known what the plans are for this listed building. Any information welcome.

The Crescent Crescent. has been issued an ACV(Asset of Community Value) More details to follow.

August 2016

Community Pub The Pilcrow to open in Sadlers's Yard in the Heart of Manchester's Co-op site by New Century Hall,more details and how you can get involved are available by clicking here The Pilcrow Pub.

March 2016

Licensee of the BRINDLEY ARMS is Anne Hamblett, cask was introduced early February following an approach from the Branch

January 2016

The Pleasant in Blackley has closed (again)

December 2015

The Jolly Miller, Harpurhey, has reopened serving Samuel Smiths keg beer.

November 2015

The RACECOURSE on Littleton Road, Lower Kersal, has reopened serving Samuel Smiths keg beer.

September 2015

The Queens Arms in Patricroft has been made ACV. Read about it here: Is a one legged seat worth preserving?

The NEW OXFORD is having a beer festival 24th-26th September.

April 2015

The PICCADILLY TAP opens on Station Approach, just a few yards from the station entrance. The Tap serves a range of beers from regional breweries.

March 2015

Salford's first true micropub has opened in Cadishead. THE GROCERS stands next to the Plough, Liverpool Road, and reintroduces real ale to Cadishead after a gap of several years. The initial definition of a micropub excluded all keg beer and lager, all spirits, all electronic amusement and all non-live music and food except simple snacks.

January 2015

Robinson's BROWN COW at Winton, Eccles, and Holt's BROADWAY, Weaste, have closed permanently.

December 2014

Hyde's classy new venture the ABEL HEYWOOD, Turner Street, on the the edge of the Northern Quarter opens with 8 handpumps and 15 'boutique' letting rooms.

October 2014

In Irlam, the WHITE HORSE has not been noted selling cask beer for some time. Its two handpumps had been offering Old Peculier and a house badged 'White Horse'. In Eccles the Phoenix-brewed Red Devils is no longer to be found in the DOG & PARTRIDGE, leaving the pub's customers without a cask beer, and in Barton-upon-Irwell the DUTTON ARMS has dropped its only cask ale, John Smith's.

September 2014

SO LITA, Turner Street, Northern Quarter, has started selling cask ales from local micros.

August 2014

The former Staff of Life, at the bottom of Partington Lane in Swinton, re-opened as the COCK AND SWINE, now owned by fast-growing Cheshire pubco AtWill Pubs. Six interesting cask ales from Thwaites and nearby micros, good honest pub meas at lunchtime and early evening.

August 2014

In Dale Street, Manchester city centre a pub closed for several decades has re-opened as ALLOTMENT. Formerly known as the Haunch of Venison, later Nickleby's (Wilson's) four interesting real ales are offered, often from South Lancashire.

June 2014

The SMITHFIELD in Manchester's Swan Street is due to reopen under new ownership, and with a brand new look.

May 2014

Swinton gains another real ale pub. The FOOTBALL in Swinton Hall Road has re-opened after a short period of closure; fully refurbished, it now offers two ales from the Marston's group breweries.

March 2014

The MARK ADDY re-opened, business largely as before. Five cask beers plus one real cider, bar snacks but no restaurant this time.

February 2014

The new-build ALBERT's Restaurant on the East Lancs Road opened. Built on the site of the Stanneylands pub-restaurant near the Worsley Road junction, the first ales on the two handpumps were both from Brightside. These are to be followed by beers from Irwell Works and Outstanding. Almost across the road the STAFF OF LIFE brought its three handpumps back into use. The beers are from the various Marston's group breweries.

In Eccles the DOG & PARTRIDGE returned to selling real ale after a gap of over two decades. This time the ale is Red Devil from Phoenix of Heywood.

In Manchester City Centre, an unusual opening was TWENTY TWENTYTWO. It's in a basement, entrance in Back Lever Street just behind Mother Mac's. The ale here is from Brightside; limited opening hours, take a look at Whatpub for details.

Another pub back from the dead is the BLACK LION in Chapel Street, Salford. Having been closed for much of the winter, the opening offer was from Robinson's and Timmy Taylor's.

Going the other way, the SMITHFIELD in Swan Street closed.

December 2013

Right at the end of the year came the closure of the MARK ADDY, Salford's only riverside pub. Its wide range of interesting beers will be missed. Two new pubs opened at Salford Quays. The DOCKYARD is opposite the tram terminus, by the BBC buildings and CRAFTBREW is opposite the Lowry Theatre, by the entrance to the Shopping Centre. The Dockyard sells five real ales and one cider, and Craftbrew adds two further real ales to the scene. LIME next door still sells two ale from Caledonian. A little distance away, the QUAY HOUSE (Beefeater) stopped selling cask ales. Its three handpumps are now unused.

In Worsley, the OLD HALL re-opened under the new ownership of Brunning & Price. Five ales and a cider are always available.

October 2013

Meet the Brewers nights. The excellent little MALT DOG in Monton is holding two presentations, on Tuesday 1st and Thursday 3rd, both from 1930. Be audacious, loquacious and bibulous. Anyway, enjoy the beer.

September 2013

Already a great area for real ale drinkers, Worsley is about to get even better. The OLD HALL, Worsley has flirted with cask beer in recent years - last noted offering Timmy Taylor's Landlord - and has now closed for refurbishment. New operators are Chester-based Brunning & Price, known in this area for the Wharf at Castlefield. The Old Hall is due to re-open before Chistmas, and we look forward to an extensive range of cask-conditioned ales.

Want to know where Salford's cheapest real ale is to be found? We think it's in the BRITANNIA, Bolton Road, Pendlebury. A pint of well-kept and presented John Smith's Cask Bitter is just £2.10. If you've only come across the much more widely available keg version, do give this one a try. Incidentally, the brewery, in Tadcaster, is now owned by Heineken, and is its only cask-conditioned product. Its near neighbour and rival in that town, Sam Smith's Brewery, also produces just the one cask beer; in Pendlebury, the Brit's nearest rival across the road is Sam Smith's Windmill. Here the OBB is cheaper than the JS in the Brit, but nowadays only the keg version is sold in the Windmill. Shame on you, 'traditional' Sam; well down, multi-national Heineken.

Incidentally, the most expensive cask ales we know of in Salford are just half a mile further up the Bolton Road. The ROBIN HOOD, by the M60 junction, charges a whopping £3.44 a pint for its ever-changing cask offer; recently on the bar were Landlord, Wainwright and Adnams. All well cellar-conditioned, but far too cold. How about saving on the cost of the chilling, and knocking a bit off the price, Robin?

August 2013

After several years of closure, the LOWER TURK'S HEAD, opposite Shude Hill Bus Station and tram stop, has re-opened in time for the August Bank Holiday weekend. Now fitted out with six handpumps, all the real ale had sold out within a couple of days, so our reporter was unable to sample, or even tell us what we'd missed! Normal service has since been restored.

June 2013

Another plus for Monton; Lees Brewery have re-opened the BLUE BELL at the bottom of Rocky Lane with a fine offering of four cask ales and a hugely improved atmosphere. Manager Martin Hughes is comitted to maintaining the high standards shown over the opening weekend, and looks certain to succeed.

News from Manchester City Centre: is long-time GBG entry the JOLLY ANGLER (Ducie Street) now selling a guest beer in addition to its regular Hyde's Original Bitter. Curently on offer is Venetian Red from the Beer Studio, Hyde's new base in Salford. At £2.80 this is excellent value for a 4.7% beer.

The PICCADILLY - a GBG '13 entry - has reopened after refurishment. Still selling a wide range of cask ales, manager Andy has introduced a loyalty card which, when full, offers a 50p per pint reduction; cheekily, 'Spoons Camra vounchers are also honoured at the