YOU’D think with Indy Man Beer Con (October 6-9) on the horizon Jonny Heyes and Paul Jones (above) wouldn’t be so immersed in a side project, but then The Pilcrow handmade community pub is something special.
Jonny is the brains behind Port Street Beer House, Common, Beagle and benchmark UK craft beer showcase IMBC while Paul is co-founder of Cloudwater Brew Co, highest profile of Manchester’s new wave breweries and a regular sponsor at IMBC. The pair have joined forces to create All Our Yesterdays to run the pub that has been lovingly crafted into being over the past 10 months in Sadler’s Yard, ‘centrepiece social space’ of the Co-op’s ambitious £800m NOMA development.
So the launch on Friday, September 23, was very much a handover of the (hand-crafted naturally) baton from the craftsmen to the craft ale men. As landlords NOMA tweeted: “It's the end of an era but the start of a whole new chapter for @ThePilcrowPub. Be Proud Manchester. You did good.”
Taste of Manchester was there to test if the operation works as a real pub – “that combination of good company and great beer” in Paul Jones’ words. The portents are good. Three handpulls and 14 keg pumps dispense a roll call of some of the best craft ales around – on the opening night the likes of Buxton, Burning Sky, Mikkeler, Vocation, Wild Beer, Track and, of course, Cloudwater, whose distinctive 6.5 per cent Vic’s Secret IPA (£6.50) stole the show for us with an honourable mention for their lighter in body and price Session IPA Simcoe Mosaic (£4).
The list is premium stuff at premium prices but comparable with the altogether less well-stocked and welcoming Beer House 200 yards away in Victoria Station. The Pilcrow is definitely the place to hole out in after missing a train. Probably it’s an excuse to miss one, whether you choose the handsome wooden interior or the ample outdoor area. On the opening night street food whizzes Honest Crust and Hip Hop Chip Shop were in situ;
Jonny says the regular food offering is likely to be simpler snacks; these are early days.
That was evident on arrival when head maker Joe Hartley (above) and creative colleagues Ben Young and Jess Higham joined the bar staff to smooth out remaining rough edges to a project built entirely by volunteers, led by a line-up of skilled practitioners. This has been a labour of love and Taste of Manchester is proud to have supported them every step of the way.
Now their time is up. They hope to continue the creative workshops spawned by Pilcrow in a building across the Yard. It has been a revelation to see traditional skills often overlooked in modern society – from basket weaving to beer pump handle making –passed on, connecting the local community with the space.
A projection shows the artisans at work and a cutesy collection of artefacts is scattered around the place. Outside in the yard is an art exhibition There’s no other hostelry quite like it. Let’s drink to that.
Pilcrow Pub, Sadler's Yard, off Redfern St/Hanover St, Manchester M60 0AB. @ThePilcrowPub
IndyManBeerCon, Victoria Baths, Hathersage Rd, Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester M13 0FE.
A handful of tickets remain for the Thursday and the Sunday sessions, but booking is advised. Visit website to find out more and for all the latest info: @indymanbeercon
