A three storey, 19th century, completely black gothic building might not be what everyone thinks of when they imagine a pub and music venue that is on track to become a Northern Quarter staple. From the team of the Crown and Kettle, one of Manchester’s most beloved pubs (a 1734 grade II listed building, boasting incredible stalactite stone columns), they present their new sister pub, The Rat and Pigeon.
Tucked inconspicuously behind Piccadilly Gardens, it lies on the corner of Back Piccadilly and Little Lever Street. With three floors, comprised of a traditional, ornate pub on the ground, an impressive music venue space labelled the Red Room on the first, and a hireable event space and extension to the pub on the second, it is unsurprising why they are on set to reach the status of the Castle Hotel and Gullivers (both on Oldham Street, NQ).
“If you know, you know”
Visiting on a quiet Monday evening, I got to chat to Sam, the manager. Instead of excessive advertising, Sam wants this place to build its reputation through word of mouth, on an “If you know, you know” basis. However, do not be fooled, they are waiting for you to discover this hidden gem.
Every Wednesday The Rat and Pigeon host a completely free evening including two live bands, followed by a DJ until 1am. Not only that, on Wednesdays all craft beer is £4 a pint. On one Monday a month they also offer a free night of jazz, soul and funk, and occasional free events on the weekends. All students are encouraged to visit and any bands hoping to score a gig may be in luck. Grassroots live music is integral to The Rat and Pigeon, which is why their free evening of music every Wednesday will be a permanent feature, supporting upcoming bands and making live music accessible to all students and young people. As Sam makes completely clear at the beginning of the interview, “Students who come to Manchester should be able to enjoy all of the city”.
The Rat and Pigeon also offer an extensive roster of drinks, predominantly craft beers from local breweries at reasonable prices. As Sam states, “Craft beer is notoriously expensive…and we don’t want to exclude a younger audience.” In addition to the Wednesday evening £4 craft beer deal, on Mondays they offer a £4 Guinness, with one person already claiming it is the best they have ever had outside of Dublin – I guess we will just have to trust them on that. All cask pints are also £4.25 Monday-Friday, 12-5. They offer three different Shindiggers, including Mango Unchained, a Manchester favourite. People can enjoy their drinks on the black tiled ground floor, outside the front on the London-style window ledges or on the top floor, accompanied by the music of an original 1950s juke box.
The history of the place is equally fascinating but undoubtedly macabre. In 1976, Arthur Bradbury, the landlord and manager of the previous pub, the Old Mother Macs, went on an impulsive killing spree after being given notice to quit. Bradbury murdered his wife, daughter, two stepsons and then the cleaner, who happened to walk in during the event. He finally set the pub on fire to destroy any evidence and died by suicide. The issue is, as Sam explains, while the Old Mother Macs remained opened decades after the event, with an outside plaque detailing the event, The Rat and Pigeon do not want to glorify a tragedy that occurred less than 50 years ago and is a potentially sensitive issue for the friends and family of the victims. Despite looking completely different now, some of the original features were kept. Some Old Mother Mac locals were sad to see it replaced by the Rat and Pigeon, and thus by keeping these, it has not erased all of the pub’s history without also exalting it.
However, it was clear that the Old Mother Macs needed a “Brand new lease of life; it needed a new name, a new profile”. Therefore, after closing two years ago, 16 skips and nine months of intense renovation has transformed The Rat and Pigeon into a pub that truly appeals to all. The independent venue is forming a real community, in which everyone is welcome. In terms of music, all bands and music genres are encouraged; they want “To make sure we are serving a large part of the community.”
Whether you fancy a free evening of live music, cheap craft pints, to organise a gig, or simply want to explore a new establishment, go check out The Rat and Pigeon.
The Rat & Pigeon, 33 Back Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1HP
Opening hours: 12-11pm Mon & Tue, 12pm-1am Wed-Fri, 11am-1am Sat, 11am-11pm Sun
