Building Up A Head Of Steam....

Another post from Manchester where, with my original plans for the day thwarted, I spend the time roaming the city centre and dodging the showers with the weather turning increasingly wet. In doing so I checked out a new bar, and visited several other familiar and less familiar places along the way....

I'd stayed overnight in Manchester after the previous night's gig and awoke to a bright sunny morning. I got myself up and wandered out of the Travelodge around half past 9 and headed round the corner to Koffee Pot on Oldham Street for some breakfast. It was already quite busy there but I soon got sorted out with a table and shortly afterwards I was tucking into a Scottish breakfast they called the Big Yin, the usual fried breakfast with the addition of haggis, square sausage, and potato scone. Over what was a very filling breakfast washed down with a couple of mugs of Builders Brew tea, I formulated my plans for the rest of the day. 

I fancied going to Stockport, which was long overdue a visit from me as there were several places I hadn't visited in the town, such as the Runaway Brewery taproom and the Sun & Castle which are both in the 2026 Good Beer Guide. Others that I had been in before, such as the Magnet and the Petersgate Tap, needed a re-visit, and Cumbrian brewers Fell have just opened a new bar in the town, their third in Greater Manchester to go along with the one they had in the city centre and the original one in the area out at Chorlton. My original plan was to get the train, as the journey only takes around 10 minutes and the service is frequent, but it seemed that all services today were being substituted by the dreaded Rail Replacement Bus, which was not an option. No worries, I thought, I could catch a 192 service bus which would be free with my bus pass and would allow me the opportunity should I wish to take it of calling in at the excellent Heaton Hops at Heaton Chapel.

I returned to the Travelodge after breakfast, collected my bag, and checked out, and set off walking towards Piccadilly from where the 192 departed. En route, on the corner of Newton Street and Dale Street, I came to a new bar which I had walked past the other week when it was closed. However on this occasion the door was open, so I went up the steps and wandered in for a look. I was in the Head of Steam, which opened at the end of the November, surprisingly the first time the Cameron's-owned chain has had a site in Manchester city centre although there is one in Didsbury. Now I have mixed feelings on the chain, I like some such as the one on Mill Hill in Leeds and the one in Newcastle near the station, but I don't like the big one in Leeds or the one at the Quayside in Newcastle, and I am not particularly keen on the well-established one in Huddersfield. So how was this one?

It's a big space, with a large island bar serving several distinct areas in one of those grand old Victorian buildings that dominate this part of the city centre. As I approached the bar, a heavily tattooed guy appeared behind it and so I asked if they were open even though it was still before 12.. Yes, he said, explaining that once they were in and getting ready for the day, after 11am they would be ready to deal with any customer who wandered in looking for a drink. I assumed this guy was the manager, as he mentioned running the big HoS in Leeds and the Central in Gateshead which the group ran for a while. 

There was a bank of keg fonts in front of me which included beers from Camerons' own keg arm, Tooth & Claw, plus several other breweries. I spotted a beer from Blackjack, Aspin, a 4.5% American Session Pale, which I had almost bought at Mackie Mayor the previous evening. I bought myself a half as I was not planning on staying here for too long, and retreated to one of the corners from where I could keep an eye on proceedings. I looked around: the place was quite light and airy, made possible by the large windows, there were polished wooden floors, and comfortable seating. TV screens were placed around the room, but the sound at least for now came from a pretty cool soundtrack which made for a chilled, laid-back vibe. My beer was very good, clean, refreshing, and flavoursome, and I decided to get another half before I left. I liked the Head of Steam, though it was quiet for most of the time I was there, but I am sure it will become an integral part of the city's bar scene. There are plenty of cask beers on as well, which only I spotted on my way to the loo, and on this showing I would recommend you check it out next time you are in this part of the city.

I wandered around the corner to Piccadilly in search of the 192 bus stop. There seemed to be a lot of police about and there were a few vehicles as well. A van marked Tactical Response Unit was parked in the middle of the road, its flashers on. A group of mean-looking guys were engaged in animated conversation with high-vis clad security staff outside the Piccadilly Tavern, the odd police officer taking an interest in what was going. In the distance I could see a line of police horses and beyond that a crowd waving flags and banners. Something was going on! I found the 192 bus stop, which had quite a few people queueing. A guy from the bus company appeared and explained that owing to a demonstration that was due to take place bus services from here were suspended for the time being. With no indication of how long the delay would be I decided to abandon my plans to go to Stockport, and so I wandered back into the familiar backstreets behind Piccadilly.

I headed up Dale Street and close to where I had been not much earlier at the Head of Steam, I decided to call in at Fell NQ, so even though I hadn't made it to their new bar in Stockport I had made it to their Manchester branch! It was just after 1pm and already quite busy. From the cask options I ordered a pint of Runaway Running Pale, which was a light and easy drinking session pale brewed with Nelson Sauvin and Mosaic hops which I thought had plenty of flavour for a 3.4% beer (NBSS 3.5). More people started to come in and fill the tables of the bar, which seems a lot more welcoming and less austere these days than when Fell took over and indeed when both Squawk and Beatnikz Republic were incumbents. A few people had Irish rugby shirts on and had come in to watch the England-Ireland match which was being shown on a TV screen here. I ordered a half of the 4% Session Pale from Fell from the keg selection as a few cheers erupted from the Irish contingent as their team scored the opening try. The beer was very nice, but I was tempted by a half of another Fell beer, the Cumbrian Dry Stout, a 4.2% nitro stout, which I found particularly enjoyable before I decided to move on somewhere else.

A lively atmosphere at Fell NQ

The morning sunshine had disappeared and it was raining when I stepped outside, quite heavily too. I wasn't quite sure where to go either. I walked along the busy street towards the Arndale Centre, dodging puddles and precariously-placed umbrellas. Across the other side of Church Street I spotted a pub I hadn't been to in years. The Unicorn Hotel is a Craft Union pub with a focus on sports and big brands but for years has been known as a rare Manchester outlet for Draught Bass, a beer afforded reverential status by some in the beer blogging community. With the rain getting heavier, I decided to venture in to what is quite a large, multi-roomed pub. It was busy, all seats taken, and standing room limited. I got through to the bar though and managed to secure a perch by the till. I spotted two handpumps, one with Wainwright and one with the afore-mentioned Bass. Unfortunately both pump clips were turned around! The no-nonsense lady behind the bar who was efficiently serving all and sundry barked what do you want, love? and with no real ale and no interesting kegs on offer I was struggling, but with her clear focus on serving customers before moving on to the next one I felt I had to order something. I looked across at the TV screen where Ireland were building a commanding lead and blurted half of Guinness, which was served promptly and was at a reasonable price. And to be fair there was a friendly atmosphere here with a crowd of mixed ages from roguish lads to lived-in couples, and it was all something of a throwback to the Manchester of years gone by that only a few pubs in the city centre, such as the Hare & Hounds on Shudehill, have managed to retain.

The Unicorn in the rain

I left the Unicorn and continued my walk in the rain via Fopp Records where I stopped for a spot of vinyl-hunting before heading almost next door to Cafe Beermoth. Always a reliable place for beer, a bank of fridges added on the left as you go in since my last visit made the place feel less stark and more intimate than previously. The place was busy too with all the tables and booths opposite the bar taken but luckily I managed to grab a stool at the bar conveniently located beside one of the QR codes that contains the day's beer list. From the available cask beers I went for Fawn, a 4.2% hazy session pale featuring Mosaic hops from Birmingham's GlassHouse brewery, who take their name from the greenhouse where they brewed their first beers! It was a most enjoyable pint which I felt was worthy of a 3.5 on the National Beer Scoring System scale. Next up I fancied a half of something from the keg lines and I was tempted by a 5% West Coast Pale from Cloudwater called Several Rituals I Can't Explain, but it had gone, so I decided to go for a half of Origin, a 6.5% hazy New England Pale from fellow Manchester brewers Track, which had a pillowy softness and fruity notes courtesy of the Galaxy hops in the brew. Another great beer from these guys.

Cafe Beermoth on a previous visit

I had time for one more beer I reckoned before it was time to get the train back home, so I decided I would call in at another old favourite, the City Arms a few minutes walk away on Kennedy Street. It was still raining and when I got there it was no surprise to find, with it being a Saturday as well, that the small pub was pretty busy. I squeezed my way through to the bar but as it was difficult to see what other beers they had on I kept it simple and ordered myself a pint of the house regular cask ale, Odin from Brightside which was pretty decent as it always is here (NBSS 3). I didn't attempt to venture into the room at the back as it was standing room only in the bar, but I did manage to find a spot where I could lean and rest my pint. With a friendly atmosphere amongst the damp coats and dripping umbrellas it was a pleasant location to conclude my latest trip to Manchester.

I headed out into the darkening streets and walked over to St Peter's Square where I had a few minutes to wait for a tram to take me back to Victoria. It duly arrived and shortly afterwards, having decided on this occasion to give the Victoria Tap a miss, I was on the train ready to head back across the Pennines after an enjoyable if somewhat unscheduled few hours in the city centre....

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