I've run Northern Quarter landmark for 10 years that TV crews and celebs like Shaun Ryder and Courteeners love

The general manager of a landmark Manchester city centre pub and boutique hotel is marking a decade in the job.

Alex Allan has helped establish the Abel Heywood as a Northern Quarter landmark - turning it from fire-damaged former textile warehouse and into the eye-catching and popular place it is today. 

The Hydes brewery-owned pub is now undergoing another refurb having shut on February 25. The Salford company is spending £200,000 on a full interior refurbishment including new booth seating, modernisation of all existing Victorian-style decor, new external signage, lighting, and a revitalisation of the bar areas. It reopens to the public on March 9. 

Alex, who has worked for Hydes for 14 years having run a previous establishment in the city, was responsible for originally ‘scouting’ the rundown building on Turner Street and bringing it to the attention of the management team, who were looking for suitable pub premises to acquire and invest in. Housekeeper, Jackie Gardner, has also been at the Abel Heywood since the day it opened. 

The past decade has seen the Abel Heywood go from strength to strength, becoming one of the first premium dining pubs to provide boutique hotel accommodation in Manchester, which is remaining open during the refurb.  

Alex said: “I’ve put my heart and soul into The Abel Heywood and loved every single minute of the journey so far. I’ve navigated some challenging periods such as Covid and the subsequent lockdowns, plus the ongoing cost of living crisis, but it remains a hugely popular venue for drinkers in the city centre alongside day trippers and visitors to Manchester who want somewhere quirky yet cool to stay overnight.  

“I’m immensely proud that the Abel Heywood has become such an integral part of what the Northern Quarter is all about. It’s great for the local economy and brings in lots of business to this part of the city. Hydes have been great to work with throughout, backing me and the team to give the Abel Heywood an unmistakable identity all of its own, yet it’s still very much a Hydes pub with quality ales and food available every day. We’re very much looking forward to the makeover to give it the subtle refinements and modernisation that it deserves.”

The Abel Heywood is no stranger to life in the limelight. It was used as a pub backdrop in the hit nineties BBC television series ‘Cutting It’, has appeared on numerous programmes since and counts celebrities such as Christopher Eccleston, Shaun Ryder, Dave Spikey and the Courteeners amongst its list of famous patrons. The upstairs bar is occasionally used as a green room for nearby filming productions and has welcomed stars including Alison Steadman and Robson Green.  

Managing director of Hydes Brewery, Adam Mayers said: “Alex is a first-rate manager and has done an outstanding job at The Abel Heywood. His energy and commitment is second to none, and we completely support his vision and direction. The passionate and committed team will ensure continued success when it reopens post-refurbishment.”