Legendary Manchester pub Mother Mac’s is no longer, making way for the brand new Rat & Pigeon, already thriving in the Euros climate. Mother Mac’s stood the test of time, since first opening as a public house back in the 1870s, having most notably seen a gruesome massacre in 1976, when then-landlord Arthur Bradbury killed his wife, her three children and even the pub’s cleaner.
The pub was always oddly proud of of its macabre history, with a plaque detailing the brutal killings having been long mounted on the wall outside, and newspaper clippings about the murders have been framed inside the pub. It spent 55 years as Mother Mac’s, even with the pub changing hands a few times along the way.
Now, a new era has been heralded as The Rat & Pigeon has officially opened in the Mother Mac’s space, having gutted the interior and made it over inside and out. In an Instagram post, the team said: “The thing is, over the years this building has been slowly rotting behind a veneer of naff refurbishments plastered one on top of the other. We haven’t just picked the scab, we’ve peeled entire layers and took it right back to the bone… and then found the bones were buggered n’all.
“In for a penny, in for a pound. 16 skips, multiple electric shocks and a 8 week stint at the chiropractors later we managed to tear out the crap and provide the old lady with the structural support required to see out the next 150 years.”
The names behind the new boozer have a long history with the local hospitality scene, including through the Crown & Kettle pub, so the old lady is in good hands, having been lovingly restored and now set to be well looked after.
With neighbours including Twenty Twenty Two, Calcio!, and The Green Lab, The Rat & Pigeon is perfect for after work drinks, a pint with friends or a spot to catch all the Euros action, it’s truly blessed with a much-loved and popular area, certain to pull in the punters as it always has.
📍 The Rat & Pigeon, 33 Back Piccadilly, Manchester M1 1HP − we’ll see you there for a pint.