Manchester is constantly popping (or should we say hopping) up with independent brewers to get excited about, one of which being, Runaway Brewery. The Manchester favourite, known for brewing by hand in small batches at their Manchester microbrewery, is spreading its wings and has opened a Stockport venue this month.
Switching railway arches on Dantzic Street for a former metal works in Stockport town centre, the brewery’s launch follows a year of planning and refurbishment with Orbit Developments. After a pop-up tap room featuring wood-fired sourdough pizza from Honest Crust in the lead up to Christmas, the brewery has finally opened the doors to its new premises on Astley Street.
Adding to the town’s existing (and exciting) food and drink scene, locals and visitors to Stockport can enjoy plenty of refreshing pints in the sun whilst sitting in the brewery’s courtyard beer garden overlooking the River Mersey. The Runaway Brewery venue also features events space upstairs and a taproom complete with a selection of beers on tap, in cask and from the bottle, which can all be enjoyed with a freshly baked pizza from current food traders Honest Crust.
Despite just being a short walk from the Merseyway shopping centre, the location of Runaway Brewery makes it quite the hidden gem. Boasting natural light that pours through the windows, the brewery’s taproom also features mismatched benches and tables, artworks and a spot of foliage decorating the space.
Visitors can enjoy a range of freshly brewed beers including ten keg lines of Runaway beers as well as some guest beers from brewery friends, plus two new cask lines. You’ll also find ciders, spirits and soft drinks from Steep Soda Co on the drinks menu. Runaway Brewery will also be hosting a series of brewer-led tours lasting 90 minutes, which includes a tutored tasting of four beers direct from the source and cost just £18.
Runaway Brewery’s founder, Mark Welsby said: “We’re all really excited by our move to Stockport and to be shifting Runaway’s focus a little. We hope our move from the inner-city will allow us a bit more time to explore the things that inspire us and our beer. We’re really looking forward to engaging with a new community here in Stockport – especially opportunities to collaborate with other indie food and drink producers!”
With the news that Robinson’s will be leaving their historic town centre brewery after nearly 200 years, Mark said he’s “hopeful that our move can help retain the tradition of brewing in the heart of the town, albeit on a much smaller scale. But we also want to create something contemporary, relevant, and valuable at the same time, keeping one eye on the future of Stockport too.”
For those who want to enjoy freshly brewed beer but from the comfort of your own home, Runaway will also be running a bottle stop with orders of bottles, half cases and barrel-aged beer available direct from the brewery. There is also the option of nationwide home delivery for online orders as well as a pick-up option from the brewery free of charge.
The taproom will be open from Thursdays, 1-10 pm and Friday and Saturday, 1-10.30pm. Brewery tours will be held every Friday at 4pm and the first Saturday of every month at 12.30pm.
Find Runaway Brewery at Crossley House, 9-11 Astley Street, Stockport, SK4 1AW.
