Earlier this month, Sacha Lord announced that he would be putting £2,500 behind the bar of one pub in the city region this May bank holiday weekend – and now the pub has been revealed. The Warehouse Project and Parklife founder and former Night Time Economy Advisor for Greater Manchester, has previously run similar offers, paying for people’s meals and beverages at a chippy in Blackley and at The Thirsty Korean restaurant in Chorlton, with hundreds claiming the free food and drink.
In a social media post, Sacha Lord said his biggest concern for the hospitality industry was the loss of community pubs, following tax company Ryan’s analysis, which found that 366 pubs were demolished or converted for other uses in 2025. The number of pubs has fallen from 38,989 to 38,623, with over 2,000 disappearing over the past five years.
Off the back of this statistic, the Night Time Industries Association chair called on people to nominate a pub in Greater Manchester where he would foot some of the bill on Sunday, 3rd May at 4pm. Yesterday (April 29), Sacha Lord revealed the chosen pub as The Ape and Apple on John Dalton Street in Manchester city centre.
The Ape and Apple was recently given a new lease of life by Ryan McDermott and his wife, Megan, who are behind the smashed burger spot, That Burger Place. The pub kitchen is now serving the brand’s much-loved burgers, which pair perfectly with a pint. Lord said the Joseph Holt pub came out on top for receiving the most tags on his post, and that he has been “hearing really good things” about The Ape and Apple.
How to claim a free pint from The Ape and Apple in Manchester
Sacha Lord confirmed The Ape and Apple as the Greater Manchester pub that will have £2,500 put behind the bar on the bank holiday Sunday (May 3). When announcing the pub reveal on Instagram stories, Lord said, “This Sunday, 4 o’clock, I’ll be putting my card behind the bar. Two and a half thousand, just go and enjoy yourselves.”
And there’s no catch. The industry campaigner said all he wanted to do was “spread a little bit of cheer.”