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A great Manchester food tour should leave you feeling wonderfully well fed, as well as grateful for the experience of some local culture, cuisine and a chance to see a few sights.
This is especially true for the Tale of Two Cities Tour, which takes in so much of central Manchester and Salford.
However, we would never suggest that the conclusion of the tour would be the end of the fun in town. Instead, it will be just the beginning! There are always lots of things to do in Manchester and this is especially true in certain parts of the city.
The Medieval Quarter of the city centre is a great area, partly because a great food tour will always end up right in the heart of the city, and few parts could be more iconic than this one.
It features some of Manchester’s oldest buildings, such as the Cathedral and Chetham’s School of Music. This provides a taste of culture and history.
Modern buildings nearby include the National Football Museum. But that is not the only sporting attraction in the vicinity. Not far away, tucked away at the back of the historic Corn Exchange and just across from Manchester Cathedral, is the Sixes Social Cricket bar.
This is one of several Sixes bars located across the country and if you haven’t been yet, you will soon see the appeal. You get to play in a net with a simulated scenario in which you have to bat against balls propelled by a bowling machine, which can be sent down at various speeds according to the setting, while you try to score as many runs as you can.
You get a set number of balls to face, so whatever happens, you will be batting for longer than Zak Crawley.
It is a social game by nature, of course, with everyone taking turns batting while others watch and cheer them on (or laugh), and mixing this with trips to the bar, while the TVs inside ensure you can watch some live sport as well.
The good news is that you don’t have to take the game too seriously, so you have a perfect excuse to swing the bat like a reckless bazballer, unlike some cricketers we could mention. And because the balls are not hard, you don’t need lots of passing and a helmet. This is not Perth with a fast bowler sending a hard ball flying past your nose.
Of course, you can still keep the score, so if your competitive juices are flowing faster than England leaked runs to Travis Head, you can try to outscore your friends.
And, if it all goes wrong and your stumps keep getting clattered through ill-judged strokeplay, you won’t have to worry about Sir Geoffrey Boycott giving you a telling off or getting sledged by Aussies.
Who knows, you may even get to hit a few pink balls, unlike the England team ahead of the day-night Test in Brisbane.
Best of all, it can be part of a fantastic night out, with some drinks and friendship, or team bonding if it’s a work trip.
Normally, anyone coming for real cricket action in Manchester would head to Old Trafford, which features England internationals, Lancashire Matches and games featuring Manchester Originals in the Hundred.
But with no chance to either watch or play cricket outdoors in England until April, this could be great fun over the next few months.
Indeed, if the Ashes series continues as badly as it started, this may be the most cricket-related enjoyment you have all winter.
Much as Manchester is world-famous for its football, it has some pretty big cricketing claims to fame too.
Old Trafford is the fourth-oldest Test match ground in the world, having staged such a match before Lord’s (albeit by just a couple of weeks), while there are famous Mancunian players to consider, like Mike Atherton and Archie McLaren.
However, you don’t have to be a huge cricket fan to enjoy Sixes. Even if you wouldn’t know a cricket bat from a vampire bat, you can still enjoy having a go and enjoying some laughter along the way, with plenty of drinks and a cool atmosphere.
Another great thing about Sixes is that its central location means you can move on to more bars afterwards if you wish, with locations like The Printworks within easy walking distance.
Everything in central Manchester is within easy reach and if you need to hop on a tram or train, Victoria Station and various Metrolink Stops are never far away.
🎟️ Book a food tour, sip something spiced, and fall in love with Manchester (and each other) all over again.
📞 07507 706520 | 📩 info@flavoursofmanchester.com
