Newly revamped Revolution on Deansgate Locks makes it the perfect place to party on your stag or hen weekend in Manchester

Revolution Deansgate Locks officially re-opened on Saturday 15 June 2013 after undergoing a six-figure re-vamp and we’re sure the extended vodka-based cocktail menu, new look and music direction will be a welcome addition to any hen party or stag night in Manchester. The bar treated guests to a drinks reception, canapés, entertainment and DJs and some people were even invited to try their very own Manchester cocktail masterclass behind the bar!

The bar will now include an Attic room, Lounge room, Cocktail Terrace and Basement Club. We suspect the Cocktail Terrace will be a popular choice to start off the evening on hen nights! Manchester based live bands will be playing every Friday and there will now be guest DJs added to the mix along with a new Funktion One sound system, dubbed by many as the greatest sound-system on the planet - one for the stag parties! Manchester’s Deansgate Revolution has really taken it up a notch and there will be plenty of choice to keep all of your group entertained, which is a common requirement when there are so many people to consider.

And those on hen weekends in Manchester will be pleased to know that Revolution Deansgate Locks have now introduced their most extensive range of cocktails ever. So if you thought you’d tried them all – think again! If you fancy trying your very own Manchester Cocktail Masterclass at Revolution, we can arrange it for you as party of your package. Just click on the above link we can arrange rest!

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!

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

Stags at the Footy on a Manchester Stag Weekend - The Blue Half of Manchester Reviewed

Saturday September 11^th saw me invited to the latest Premier League football match at the blue half of Manchester’s stadium Eastlands where Manchester City were to take on Blackburn Rovers. Having just recently released Manchester City as an option for the footie keen stags coming to Manchester for their Manchester Stag weekend I felt it necessary to pop along and make sure things were still up to scratch.

I think summing it up as normal off the pitch the club is well set up to accommodate footie mad stags looking to watch some football on a Manchester stag weekend but on the pitch unfortunately at the moment performances aren’t coming up to scratch. Entertaining nonetheless but the results certainly aren’t following despite the influx of playing talent like Balotelli, Milner, Yaya Toure, and David Silva to name but a few.

Stag and Hen Manchester would certainly encourage Manchester City as value for money alone on the performances of Carlos Tevez – Utter Class!

I ended up on the entry level food hospitality package that starts at £85+VAT which was called the Citizens Suite where you get a car park space if needed, programme, pre and post match entertainment with City Legend Gary Owen and guests, three course carvery meal, half time cakes and pay bar all afternoon. Seats for the ticket are East Stand Level 2 on the half way line which made for a fabulous view.

I enjoyed the meal barring a couple of questionable roast potatoes “me being picky really” and had a fat moment when i went for two pieces of the biggest most calorie inducing chocolate fudgecake I had seen in my life. Bar prices weren’t outrageous and 5 pints of lager, two pints of coke and a rum and coke came to £29.60. The seats for the game were spot on and bathed in sunshine and the only real disappointment was the 1-1 final result but you can’t have everything.

For those stags thinking of a visit check out Man City Football and give us a call with any questions as we can run through all the available options from the basic premier seat and programme package to the higher end hospitality packages as with different pricing for different category games and availability varying wildly on occasions it is best to talk to us about what you want and we will find the best option for you.

Not a blue but a red then don’t forget to visit Man Utd Footy aswell for the Manchester United, Manchester Stag Party ticket options.

Mike from Stag and Hen Manchester

Manchester Stag Party Good Times - September 2010

Paul and his stags from Cumbria were the latest group to hit the delights of Manchester on their Manchester Stag Party. In the planning since May with the organising duties split between the best man Rich and the main man himself the groom Paul they eventually settled on 1 nights 3* stag friendly accommodation, “Have a Go” Clay Pigeon Shooting package, two hour private poker session at one of Manchester’s finest casino’s, cocktail wristbands at Illusions Magic Bar and priority entrance tickets to Manchester’s only city centre superclub in the Printworks , Pure Manchester.

Taking each element at once Paul’s group arrived in Manchester via train and thanks to a swift tram ride and short walk to Castlefield in the city centre the group arrived early at the hotel at about 12.30pm. As with most of our bookings they were able to check in early but even if they couldn’t have done they would have been able to store luggage until they could. With twin rooms B&B and free access to the health club it was ideal for their needs. Then bang on 1.30pm our travel firm picked the group up for the short ride to their first activity in some woods out in West Manchester- Clay Pigeon Shooting.

Once at the Clay Pigeon Shooting club in west Manchester in picturesque woods the experienced staff including ex Olympic medallists greeted the group and hand out the necessary equipment before giving the essential safety briefing before it is out to the many traps to start the session. The entry level option for Clay Pigeon Shooting “Have a Go” gives each Stag in Manchester doing Clay Pigeon Shooting 25 shots with full instruction and you needn’t worry because even I with my glasses started to hit the targets a few shots in. With 11 guys the session lasts about 1.5-2hours and as with all our clay pigeon shooting bookings the included transport comes back to pick you back up to take you into the city centre again.

Once back in town a short walk away from the hotel found the lads at one of Manchester’s finest casinos where met by a host the group first of all signed in with their photo ID – (a must for all casino and poker packages) before a dealer,a private table, all the necessary equipment and a free drink all greeted them as they walked in. Paul and his mates decided to have a quick learn to play refresher course before they all kicked into a tournament with £5 per person prize money they had as standard and added another £5 per person on arrival. Paul ended up winning by all accounts and a kitty for the evenings drinks suddenly came into being.

To finish off the evening the lads headed to one of the main areas of nightlife in Manchester the Printworks. Within the Printworks is Manchester’s only city centre superclub Pure where three dancefloors, three bars, a variety of music with a sound and lighting system to rival any out there and Manchester’s finest women awaited them. By all accounts a good night was had or at least the bits they told me left me with that impression.

Like what you hear stags and want your Manchester Stag night, Manchester stag weekend, Manchester Stag Party, Manchester Stag do or even private party to do the same then let us know after all the boys paid only £130 per stag!!

Keep your eyes peeled for more Manchester Stag Party stories from the team at Stag and Hen Manchester