£200k revamp for city pub as manager marks 10 years

Alex Allan was appointed as manager of Hydes-brewery-owned pub the Abel Heywood in December 2014.

Looking back on a decade at the pub, Allan told The Morning Advertiser:​ “It’s kind of crazy. It’s flown by. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years, because Covid in the middle broke it up somewhat.

“It’s the longest I’ve ever stayed at a particular place, so I’m happy with it.”

The pub with rooms closed on 15 February to undergo a £200,000 makeover, which will include new booth seating, modernisation of all existing Victorian-style décor, new external signage, lighting, and a revitalisation of bar areas.

It will reopen to the public on 9 March.

The on-site boutique hotel will remain open throughout the renovations.

Speaking of the makeover, Allan said: “It feels like it is a gift, in that, after 10 years here, I’m getting a brand-new pub.”

New look

The Salford-based brewer appointed Allan to head up the team after it originally acquired the premises in 2014.

It transformed the site from a fire-damaged former textile warehouse and invested millions into tis refurbishment. The Abel Heywood opened in the Northern Quarter in 2015.

Allan was responsible for originally ‘scouting’ the rundown building on Turner Street at bringing it to the attention of the management team.

He reflects on the pub’s early days: “There hadn’t been a new pub opened in Manchester for quite a long time, and the locals really took to it for the first few years.

“So we had a fantastic first few years of trading and the hotel did incredibly well.”

But the decade hasn’t been without its challenges. Covid was “obviously quite difficult”, Allan added, but the company’s positioning and reputation has helped it “bounce back a bit quicker than expected”.

With festivals, football games and conferences driving footfall to Manchester city centre, he said the Northern Quarter is as popular as it ever has been, and Manchester busier than he’d ever seen them.

'Immensely proud'

He continued: “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 pub will also bring in a new calendar of live music and events when it reopens.

Hydes Brewery managing director Adam Mayers said: “We’re happy for such an iconic building to receive a major refresh, yet fully retain all the character and history it is renowned for, which is very important to us and our customers. And in the capable hands of Alex and his outstanding team, we look forward to the Abel Heywood re-opening its doors and continuing to be one of the most well-loved and talked about destination pubs in the city centre.”