2012 Olympics - Will Manchester see an impact for Stag and Hen Weekends?

So for those of you that have been living in a bubble for the last year or so the Olympics the centre piece of world sport comes to the United Kingdom and in particular London in 2012. The games are scheduled to last a couple of weeks between the 27th July – 12th August 2012. The question is what impact will that have on stags and hens planning to book time in Manchester for their last nights and weekends of freedom next year?

Well although slightly early still the team at Stag and Hen Manchester have been looking at things and thought you all might appreciate a blog on the subject so here we go.

Do any Olympic Sports happen in Manchester?

Despite being well renowned as being the home of British cycling and other sports like Squash the only sport scheduled to happen in Manchester during the Olympics is what the city is most famous for and that is Football.

Football will be a major feature of the Olympic programme at London 2012. Beginning with group matches and ending with a knockout phase, the competition will offer all the drama that fans have come to expect from major international tournaments. There will be two medal events at London 2012, one for men’s teams and one for women.

As the Olympic football tournaments are scheduled to happen at 6 stadiums around the country the whole of the two tournaments will not happen at Old Trafford in Manchester but there are 7 days during the Olympics where football will happen at the home of Manchester United.

They are as follows:-

Thursday 26th July 2012 – 5-9.45pm

Sunday 29th July 2012 – 12-4.45pm

Tuesday 31st July 2012 – 5.15pm – 7.15pm

Wednesday 1st August 2012 – 5-7pm

Saturday 4th August 2012 – 12-2pm

Monday 6th August 2012 – 7.45pm - 9.45pm

Tuesday 7th August 2012 – 7.45pm - 9.45pm

These games will cause an increase in visitors to the city as the stadium can hold 75,000 people but we are already working with our partners hotels and apartment providers in Manchester to nullify any impact on those stags and hens looking at a Manchester Stag Party or Manchester Hen Party on the two weekends where there is a game being played.

Interesting Facts on Olympic Football

- Football was introduced as a medal sport at the 1908 Olympic Games.

- Great Britain won the first gold medal

- The sport has featured at every Olympic Games since, with the exception of Los Angeles 1932

- Keep an eye out for the return of a Great Britain team this year.

- Stag and Hen Manchester is going with tickets to all games at Old Trafford J

Will Manchester See an Increase in Visitors During the Olympics?

All answers to this question point to yes as those visiting London for the games look to explore a country they might not have seen before and with Manchester only a few hours away by train or plane and well known as the UK’s unofficial second city. City centre bosses, hoteliers and ourselves all expect increased demand on the weekends during the games. This means that we will be looking to hold some hotel rooms with you lovely stags and hens in mind.

What Weekends Will See an Effect?

27-29th July 2012

3-5th August 2012

10-12th August 2012

We expect weekends before and after the Games to see an effect but that will be minimal.

Are any teams basing themselves in Manchester?

At time of writing no team is basing themselves in Manchester meaning no impact from an influx of athletes , officials and supporters.

Will there be Olympic Fan Events happening in the city?

Although not scheduled just yet we would strongly suggest that there will be a series of events to mark the Olympics if you are visiting Manchester during the Games and we will release details of those on our Twitter and Facebook pages and via our emailing as soon as we are aware of them.

I am trying to organise a Manchester Stag Weekend or Manchester Hen Weekend during the Olympics – What do I do now?

Our best advice is to put an enquiry in with us now and ask us to hold some hotel rooms for you – Once we have done that you can find out final numbers safe in the knowledge you won’t suffer due to any increased demand for hotel rooms. You can take your time deciding what to do on the day and then pay us a deposit when you are ready to book and are happy with the personal Stag Party or Hen Party proposal Stag and Hen Manchester has sent you.

As the meerkat from compare the market would say – Simples! J

We will continually be assessing the impact the 2012 Olympic Games will have and will update you as we progress further towards the Games themselves. IF you have any questions in the meantime do get in touch!

Kind Regards

Stag and Hen Manchester Team

Manchester Burger Off Competition at the Printworks

Tuesday 26^th August saw Mike from Stag and Hen Manchester invited down to be a guest judge at “The Printworks Burger Off Competition”. What is that I hear you yell? - well it was a competition amongst the majority of the Printworks tenants for who cooked the best burger and Mike had the hard job of eating 7 Burgers and along with three other judges deciding which was best. This was done to celebrate National Gourmet Burger Week and showcase what this nightlife complex has to offer visitors to Manchester

We are now able to let you stags and hens know the results and whether Mike and the team at Stag and Hen Manchester agree with them. This will mean you will be already well versed on the best places to visit in the Printworks for your evening meal on your Manchester Stag and Hen parties.

Mike’s fellow judges were top chef from the Mark Addy and nominee for chef of the year at Manchester’s Food and Drink festival Robert Owen Brown, Rock Radio’s Paul Anthony and Paul Southworth the Twitter judge (@Paulsfloors).

Passing you across to Mike and he will tell the story of the day!

The afternoon started at Manchester’s Hard Rock Cafe where the first burger up for tasting was the Hard Rock California Burger:-

Now Stag and Hen Manchester already loved the Hard Rock Cafe and its food and this burger was no exception. We love it so much that we can offer the Platinum Menu to stags and hens coming to the city on their Manchester Stag Party or Manchester Hen Party.The burger had an excellent filling of Guacamole, good beef and lashings of cheese with their always excellent chips! (The Platinum Menu doesn’t include this burger though so let us know on enquiring and we can arrange it for you)

Second up and another of our offerings to Manchester bound stags and hens was Henry j Beans and their standard cheeseburger with Monterey Cheese. The secret ingredient that surprised us all though when the chef told us was “Love” and it was obvious that he took an awful lot of care over every dish he sent out from his kitchen.

With Burgers already on our special Stag and Hen Party meal menus and cocktails or jugs of beer included all for as little as £25 per person you are onto a winner if you decide to have your hen party or stag party dinner at Henry J Beans in the Printworks.

Next up as the day continued was a trip to Lloyds No 1 Bar where we sampled their Blue Cheese burger.

With consistently high hygiene ratings you can be rest assured your food is prepared properly and it is certainly packing a punch on taste with its wonderful Blue Cheese sauce but the chips scored quite poorly in our minds so if you like you accompaniments with a good burger you will get better elsewhere in the Printworks.

Following on from Lloyds No 1 Bar was Chiquitos for a bit of a Mexican theme and their Big Texan Cowboy Burger and bottle of Corona went down a treat with me until I got to the Bun of their burger which was massively soggy and needed improving. It was a shame as the whole group including the chef from The Mark Addy was scoring it very highly until then. See if you like the look of it here and oh if you order it doubled up and finish it – it is yours for free perfect for that Manchester Stag night challenge and lining the stomachs before enjoying some more Corona!

Next up on the Burger conveyor belt was a trip to Waxy O Connor’s Irish pub for their burger with cheese, bacon and Ballymaloe relish all the way from Ireland. Expertly presented this was definitely a feast for the eyes but did cause a bit of debate as to the Irish relish on top of the burger. Robert Owen Brown our resident chef judge felt it too sweet for a burger but I thought it was lovely and a great addition. A strong contender for me and as it turned out later the other judges!

Following Waxy’s we went to Old Orleans where we were presented with a number of burgers including a chilli burger and cheeseburger and we all tucked in having had them explained by the onsite chef.

The shame about these was whilst it was clear the chef was passionate and proud about what he offered to guests coming into Old Orleans unfortunately the chain sources it meat poorly and from London which meant the meat quality was poor in comparison to other locally sourced options we had had. However the Sweet Potato Fries are to absolutely die for!

Last up we headed into one of the more recent additions to the huge restaurant portfolio at the Printworks PapaG’s. Here the owner Angelou was probably the most passionate about his restaurant and food and he introduced us to the Big Greek Burger:-

The burger had halloumi, houmous and smoked ham as well as the burger and salad and went alongside some of Papa G’s famous thick cut chips or what I ended up calling half potato chips they were that massive. The smoked ham was a bit overpowering for me but yummy none the less.

Once we had finished and slumped back into our judging chairs we assessed the figures that we had given to the appearance, bun , burger meat, burger additions and overall taste of all the burgers we had tasted and after a little debate we came up with a winner on the day and that was the last burger we had tasted the Papa G’s Big Greek Burger which won by a short distance from Waxy O Connors and Henry J Beans. We still loved the Hard Rock Cafe burger and give it an honourable mention despite other critical words from my fellow judges.

So what have we to conclude from my afternoon of judging. Well:-

The quality of food across all the venues at the Printworks is of a very high quality

There is a huge variety of choice of restaurants always willing to accept large groups.

It is is conveniently situated in a nightlife hub for your Manchester Stag and Hen Parties and opposite the Birdcage for you hens

IF you do not opt to visit Henry J Beans or The Hard Rock Cafe we suggest heading to Papa G’s and seeing Angelo for food to remember and fill you up!

For additional information on the Printworks see www.theprintworks.com or simply ask us for details!

And remember we provide free nightife passes to top quality venues in the Printworks if you book your Manchester Stag Weekend or Manchester Hen Weekend with us so it will work perfectly to get some food at the same place!

Resilient Manchester Bounces Back to Stag and Hen Party Central

At the end of a crazy week where the actions of a minority of thugs have made the news and Manchester has hit the headlines as being the centre of trouble on Tuesday evening we wanted to reassure all those looking at Manchester for a stag or hen party that all is back to normal and looking forward to welcoming you into the city.

The Stag and Hen Manchester team have been in touch with all our suppliers this week and in the majority of cases our suppliers have escaped with minor damage as the mindless thugs vented their fury on the city centre's many retailers. Although some shops and areas of Manchester see chipboard up protecting premises and repairing damage from Tuesday night a lot have already either started or even nearly finished repairs . Very soon the riots will be a very distant memory!!!

We headed down to help with the city clean up and with the hundreds of Mancunian volunteers had the streets cleared and cleaned by mid afternoon Wednesday and with organisations such as City Co and the management team at Manchester Piccadilly working exceptionally hard scenes of trouble have reverted back to safe green open spaces where thousands have come to shop, relax and enjoy some Northern hospitality in the city's many bars and restaurants.

We have a number of parties in the city centre this weekend doing a variety of activities from chocolate masterclasses to clay pigeon shooting and comedy evening to high end clubbing in the White Room. We have kept in touch with them all week as unlike other companies who organise parties in Manchester we are in the city and on the ground and they have been very grateful for that. Remember to not always believe what you hear from rumours or see in the press - we are here so ask us!

Our Twitter will constantly update you and our Facebook page is there to help and of course you can pick up the phone at any point if you have any questions at all. We are proud to be part of the I Love MCR campaign started today by the city and its many residents, hoteliers, landlords and retailers and still are hugely proud to specialise in making sure your last night or weekend offreedom is a hugely enjoyable one in our home city of Manchester.

Proud Mancunians aka The Stag and Hen Manchester team!

See how much Mancunians love their city here at a Facebook page dedicated to that very subject!

July – Busy Busy Busy

Yet again our forays into the blogosphere have suffered recently but our very valid excuse has been the invasion of stag and hen parties into Manchester this July which at current account has had twenty three parties booked to happen on one of its 5 weekends. We have already had one of our busiest weekends this year on July 8-10^th and expect an equally as busy weekend later this month between the 29-31^st July as stags and hens react to losing the first two weekends in June to expensive accommodation prices caused by the influx of Take That fans.

So what have all these Manchester stag and hen parties been doing? Interested in what they have been doing and need ideas - well the list of activities in July that have been enjoyed or are still to be enjoyed are below. Email us at info@stagandhenmanchester.co.uk or call 0161 223 0417 to make an enquiry

Hen Wowballs in Manchester

Manchester Salsa Dancing

A night at Belle Vue Dogs for stags

Manchester Burlesque Dancing

Cocktail Masterclass for hens

Hen Segwaying

Manchester Birdcage tickets – VIP and Reserved Seat Tickets

Stag Go Karting

Manchester Assault Course

Manchester Casino Experience for stags

Chocolate Masterclass for hens

Indoor Skydiving

Bollywood Dancing in Manchester

Meal at Henry J Beans

Manchester Cheerleading

Kayaking for Stags

Raft Building for Stags

5* Hen Spa

Hen Photoshoot

Cupcake Decorating Class in Manchester

Last month saw the addition of yet another fun hen daytime activity for your hen parties in Manchester when we introduced Manchester Cupcake Decorating Classes. After another tough round of due diligence the conclusion from me and more importantly Hen consultant extraodinaire Sharon was that a city centre cupcakery located in the popular Spinningfields area not only made the nicest cakes (Yummmm....) but had the best class for all you Manchester bound hens.

So what happens in a cupcake decorating class in Manchester? Is it boring tutoring on how to bake cakes is it just sprinkling hundreds and thousands on ready made cakes? Nope put simply it is a session packed full of sugary goodness, buttercream madness and most importantly cupcake decorating tips. Bridesmaids beware though if you do to good a job though you may be asked to provide some of your own creations on the wedding day! (our advice if you are asked is have a quiet word with the friendly staff who can bake, decorate and deliver to your wedding if need be)

Your Manchester Cupcake decorating class will start with a luxury DIY hot chocolate as you settle in to the cupcakery and you meet the friendly staff before you are split up into two groups with one heading back in to the bakery to get their lesson on making the perfect buttercream icing whilst one starts practicing their buttercream icing piping techniques on sheets of paper provided. Then both groups switch before everyone returns to the front of the cupcakery to continue their practice before you are each given six newly created cupcakes for you to create your final designs on to take away with you back to your apartment or hotel.

You can be as creative as you want and as rude and cheeky as you wish – your cupcakes your final design is the rule we and the staff abide by. Nikki and her hens we the first group to go and enjoy our cupcake decorating class in Manchester before their Manchester hen night out and you can check out all their photos at our Facebook Page.

Cupcake Decorating Classes are available from £35 per person and can accommodate groups of up to 16 hens per two hour session for more information check out the cupcake decorating class page on our website www.stagandhenmanchester.co.uk .

Manchester SkyLounge

Thinking of coming on a Hen Weekend in Manchester got your hen activities sorted, your accommodation sorted and your night out planned but struggling for that perfect Hen party meal? Well the latest hidden gem we bring to all you Manchester bound hens is the Sky Lounge.

The Manchester Sky Lounge, situated a top of a boutique 4* hotel eleven floors up is yours to use exclusively for groups of 8 – 40 hens for an evening meal . No hire fee is needed you simply pay for the cost of your three course meal. Imagine it your own dining room with floor to ceiling windows across three sides of the room giving panoramic views of the ever changing Manchester Skyline.

Situated just off Piccadilly Gardens right in the centre of Manchester it is walkable from all our city centre hotels and under fifteen minutes walk away from the popular hen night out venues at the Printworks and Deansgate Locks area of nightlife.

We love it not least because it’s dining in your own restaurant with all the positives and none of the negatives.

There is no need to worry about being cramped in, no shouting to make yourselves heard, no waiting for your table, no other hen parties and no mass cooked uncared for food

Instead the Manchester Sky Lounge gives you a floor all to your groups with your own toilets and bar, the choice of having either no background music or having music at a level where people can still hear each other, exceptional food on a menu using only fresh seasonal ingredients and panoramic views of the lit up Manchester Skyline and not the back of the heads on the people next to you.

Most definitely one of our favourite places for the Stag and Hen Manchester team to eat when heading out on the town. Our example menu for the Manchester Sky Lounge is yours for only £35 per hen:-

STARTERS

Chef’s Choice Soup of the Day (v)

Chicken Liver Parfait, red onion marmalade

Marinated Mackerel, ham hock potato cake, horseradish and beetroot salad

MAINS

Chicken Breast stuffed with sun-blushed tomato and herb, boulangère potato, chicken jus

Pan-fried Sea Bream with Potato Sarladaise, pak choi, lime and chilli dressing

Red pepper, Shallot and Goats Cheese Tart, rocket pesto (v)

DESSERTS

Bittersweet Chocolate Tart, orange compote

Glazed lemon tart, raspberry sorbet

Selection of Local Cheeses, homemade chutney and oat cakes

Manchester - Best City To Live in The UK - Why Not Visit?

For the second year in a row our fantastic city has come top of all UK cities in a list compiled by the Economic Intelligence Unit of the best places to live. And hey if its great to live in we think it is even more awesome to visit for a Manchester Stag Night or Manchester Hen Party. We might be biased a bit but hey its difficult to argue with the logic.

Manchester came in at 42nd place three higher than last year and well and truly beat London into second as it only came in at 53rd place. So why is the city so great to live in and visit for your Manchester Stag Weekend and Manchester Hen Weekend?

Friendliness of locals

You are going to get nothing but a warm welcome from everyone in Manchester which is famed for its Northern hospitality as this testimonial from a group of hens about the staff at one of our Stag and Hen friendly hotels proves:- "The hotel accommodation was excellent, the staff were friendly, informative and very attentive."

Quantity of Things to Do for Stag and Hen Activities in Manchester

With such a variety of things for locals and stags and hens visiting Manchester to do you are spoilt for choice as what you do on an average weekend. One of only three indoor skydiving centres in the UK, the largest indoor golf centre in the EU, a large winter sports centre and that only names three of many active activities you can do. If you want to relax a little there are plenty of Spa days to relax and unwind in that locals and hens can enjoy alike. Check out this testimonial "GL14 was fabulous; we practically had the full spa to ourselves. The woman who welcomed us really looked after us and made us feel very special. Many of my friends commented on how their treatments were one of the best they have ever had. The lunch was perfect and we were very pleased they allowed us to have our pink bubbly and even kept it chilled for us"

Large Multicultural Nightlife Scene in Manchester

The last thing that makes up out three point theory on why Manchester is so great to live in and visit for your Manchester Stag Party or Manchester Hen Night is the huge nightlife scene the city has to offer. After all as the saying about that all important balance goes

"Work Hard - Play Hard!!"

With a huge amount of venues from the well known British Pub, to a trendy bar, to a city centre superclub spread from the first main nightlife area at Deansgate Locks to the south of the city centre up to the Printworks in the North of the city centre. Make sure you pick up some Manchester nightlife passes if you are heading out locally or on a Manchester Stag Night or Manchester Hen Night

So follow the experts when they say its a good place to live in or visit and then leave the rest up us the local Stag and Hen experts to sort the rest. Hassle Free Stag and Hen Party fun all in teh unofficial capital of the UK Manchester!!!

2011 Chester Racecourse Wedding Fayre

It is that time of year again and after a very successful time meeting all you stags and hens in Chester last year we are heading back to the Racecourse tomorrow for the 2011 Chester Racecourse Wedding Fayre. We had a great time last year and are really excited to see you all tomorrow.

So if you want to chat about your plans for a Manchester Stag Weekend or Manchester Hen Weekend then come across to the stand as we enjoy nothing more than making sure your party is the fun first step on the road to your special wedding day.

Mike and Sharon will be available to give advice to both stags and hens on everything from the type of stag and hen friendly accommodation, to what unique and enjoyable activities Manchester has to offer, to the best night spots to party the night away. A wealth of information all available to you at our stand at the 2011 Chester Racecourse Wedding Fayre.

We have just started to use an exquisite 4* hotel in the centre of Manchester that no other stag and hen organisers can use to make sure you have that added degree of exclusivity and luxury to your Manchester Stag or Manchester Hen party. With plenty of 3*, 4* and 5* hotels and city centre apartments on offer you wont be found wanting for the right accommodation for your group.

Manchester is a vault of hidden stag and hen activity gems with plenty of options you might not have thought of. Want to live on the wild side well why not try out Manchester Indoor Skydiving, a Segway Safari or even some snow activities like Skiing or Snowboarding or if you fancied the more relaxed activities why not try an exquisite 5* hen spa day , a round of golf at the largest indoor golf centre in the EU or a fun cocktail masterclass and those are all just for starters.

Then lastly among all of Manchester’s varied nightspot options and all our nightlife passes on offer - our favourite hen nightspot is the Manchester Birdcage where you can get a good dose of retro cheese indispersed between Las Vegas style drag and showgirl cabaret performances. Look out for information we have at our stand and our special competition for a table at the Birdcage with a glass of bubbly on a Friday night where you can take up to 9 of your friends for a bit of hen party reconnaissance.

Looking Forward to Seeing You at the Chester Racecourse Wedding Fayre Tomorrow

– The Stag and Hen Manchester Team