If anywhere showcases the startling changes that have taken place around Greater Manchester over the last three decades, it’s MediaCityUK. Salford Quays’ younger neighbour has transformed itself into one of Europe’s most successful creative campuses, hosting national giants, independents and start-ups across TV, film and digital media. And the 8,000 or so people who work in this 200-acre site need to eat and drink. Thankfully, then, one of the region’s best craft beer producers is on hand to make sure nobody needs to go thirsty or hungry.
Centrally located for Metrolink services, waterfront views and the BBC and ITV’s northern English headquarters, Seven Bro7hers Media City forms part of Central Bay, where independent restaurants, kitchens, markets and music events take place across 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including a dedicated children’s recreation area. A gateway brewery into the world of craft beer established by seven siblings whose grandfathers used to work on the docklands that once dominated this part of town, the bar-cum-eatery is all about drinks without the exclusivity and pretence that can sometimes come with specialist tipples.
Favourites include the Easy IPA and classic Pilsner, but other options are plentiful, too. Honeycomb, Watermelon, Passion Fruit and Session are among the lines you’ll find, all of which reflect the company ethos. Moving beyond the bar, dishes from the kitchen focus on kebab flatbreads, burgers and hotdogs, with a good range of vegan and vegetarian options available, so choose from jerk or seitan chicken, depending on your diet, with Salt & Pepper Steak Kebab and Halloumi Kebab on the other half of the menu. Sides-wise, think Duck Spring Rolls, Currywurst, Mozzarella Sticks, and, of course, Fries, Nachos and onion rings. All this comes in a spacious, wood-lined contemporary bar that perfectly fits the no-nonsense attitude of the business itself.