Hulme’s The Old Abbey Taphouse has been named Community Pub of the Year by the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA). The party pub was voted best in category by CAMRA’s Trafford & Hulme branch.
The Old Abbey Taphouse is a social enterprise functioning as a pub, music venue, catering kitchen, radio station, work space and youth training centre. Above all though, the STEAM Hubs and Pubs CIC-run pub has been designed to be a safe space for the community to come together.
Commenting on the award, co-director Rachele Evaroa said: “We’re always going to work for the community regardless of any awards, but I’m really proud of what everyone has done here. I mean it’s amazing that CAMRA has acknowledged what we’ve done, they've been working with us for years.
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“It also helps us to raise awareness about what we do here, because a lot of people see us as a late night venue but they may not know about all the community work that we do as well.”
The taphouse is the last remaining building on what was the Greenheys Estate, and its beer garden is on what was formerly the Victorian Road. The pub was also the site where Len Johnson overturned the Colour Bar in 1952.
During the pandemic, Rachele and the team also ran a Taphouse TV Dinners initiative that saw the pub deliver close to 3,000 dinners to people who were struggling in the local community. The community hub, which is also known as a vibrant late-night spot, regularly hosts live music, pub quizzes and communal food events.
Every Thursday, there's a open mic and resident club night, followed by live music from local DJs, bands, guest labels and curators on Friday and Saturday nights. And this Saturday, The Old Abbey Taphouse will be hosting Nossa! Carnival, a special event bringing together Brazilian food and drink, Samba, Capoeira, face-painting and DJs.
In presenting the award, Tim Field said: “Ever since the takeover by the STEAM hubs and pubs community interest company, the branch has been impressed with the progress made at the Old Abbey Taphouse and how it has reached out to a range of communities including local people, the university, musicians, performers, and, of course, real ale drinkers. It has also highlighted links with past communities such as the former residents of Greenheys and has celebrated the boxer Len Johnson who openly challenged the race bar in the late 1940’s.
“Most impressive of all, however, has been the pub’s involvement in the provision of regular ‘pay as you can’ meals for local people delivered by volunteers; a service started during the dark days of the Covid pandemic and now continuing as people try to deal with cost-of-living issues. All involved in this array of community activity can be extremely proud of these achievements and the local CAMRA branch is delighted to present the pub with this award.”
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