Draught lines, cask taps and the full grain to glass experience in one place

Manchester indie brewery Track Brewing Co opens the doors to its vibrant new taproom this Friday. The space will give beer drinkers the opportunity to sup a pint so close to the brewing action that they can reach out and touch it. (Care is still advised.)

The 2,000 sq ft taproom situated on the Piccadilly Trading Estate, which has been designed by On The Brink Studios and MikeSian Studio in collaboration with AH Creative, will offer beer fans three lager taps, 17 draught taps, three cask pumps, incorporating 20 lines of the freshest Track beer as well as a rotating cast of guest beers.

I wish you could have seen where we were before. It’s like going from a Fiat Panda to a Mercedes Benz

The space will also be home to a rotating street food residence with Patel’s Pies on duty for the opening weekend. The Indian-inspired pie makers will be dishing out a choice selection including keema (we recommend the lamb), chicken vindaloo and aloo matar pies as well as masala fries and tarka dal and rice. Merch and takeaway beer will also be available at the taproom and the venue is dog friendly.

Wes Anderson Vibes At Track Brewing Co Taproom Close To Piccadilly In Manchester
Subtle Wes Anderson vibes but also really satisfying use of colours

Interiors to match the beer

With space for 80 seated, Track’s new taproom has taken inspiration from American taprooms with the tanks within touching distance in an open-plan layout - rather than the production side of things being behind Perspex or in a separate room. In the seating and bar area, the brewery’s colourful can designs have been channelled into almost Wes Andersonian splashes of colour across the walls and bar.

As well as being an improved taproom, the space will also allow Track to increase its brewing capacity by almost four times as well as improving production. Having Screwfix over the road was helpful. The expansion to a new site corresponds with years of dramatic growth for the brewery which was originally formed by owner Sam Dyson in 2008 who conceived the idea as he was cycling around the world.

The Brand New Brewery Equipment At Track Brew Co Taproom In Manchester Where Drinkers Are Within Touching Distance Of The Tanks
You: an in-focus full pint of beer. Us: a half-supped slightly out of focus beer for a tipsy AR headset experience

The trip allowed Sam to visit taprooms and breweries around the world and upon returning home he gained further experience in London before setting up the original Track brewery in an arch underneath Piccadilly Station.

“I wish you could have seen where we were before. It’s almost hilarious. It’s like going from a Fiat Panda to a Mercedes Benz.” Stefan Melbourne, Head of Sales told us.

The Colourful Interiors Of The Track Brewing Co Taproom In Manchester Which Channels The Creative Can Designs
Colour interiors to match colourfully curated beer, wonderfully on brand

He continued, “All the equipment is top grade. Everything works the way you want it to. Matt [Head Brewer] is really humble, he wouldn’t say it but the beers he produced on that old kit were really special. It was a glorified step-up homebrew kit. Very full-on, very physical. Now everything’s a bit more intuitive and efficient but it’s not totally automated and he’s still in touch with the beer.” 

“The beauty for me is seeing a keg come off the tank and then getting put on the bar and seeing someone enjoying it. Seventh River DIPA over there is four or five hours old.”

A Lamb Keema Pie With Masala Chips And Tarka Dal And Rice From Patels Pies Who Will Be Providing Food For The Opening Weekend Of Track Brew Co Taproom In Manchester
A lamb keema pie and trimmings from a man who is working night and day to make very, very nice pies

Manchester's beer mile reinvigorated

Track will be in good company in its new Taproom with the likes of Cloudwater over the road and Alphabet and Manchester Union Lager around the corner on North Western Street. Escape To Freight Island is less than a ten-minute walk too, adding to the areas growing magnetism as an eating and drinking destination. 

“I don’t think people realise how many breweries there are in Manchester. In a one or two-mile radius, there are about 16 breweries. It’s absolutely mad. That was the same when we were down the road. There are loads of amazing breweries doing different stuff as well.” Stefan says.

Seating Space For 80 At Track Brew Co Taproom Close To Piccadilly In Manchester
Seating space for 80, with plenty of taps, casks, lines and merch

“Bermondsey Beer Mile is amazing but it’s also logistically beautiful because it’s a strip. We’re a bit more dotted around here and we’re not necessarily on the high street.”

Looking to the future, Stefan and the team at Track hope to make the most of their home by collaborating with local food and drinks businesses as well as aiming for a more sustainable future.

The Industrial Estate Exterior Of Track Brewing Co In Manchester In A Unit That Will Soon Hopefully Be Getting An External Sign
A very unassuming exterior with a sign incoming, if you've gone past Screwfix you've gone too far

“I really want to be linked to great businesses, great beer and great food. We’re thinking about our waste products - all our waste produce, grain-wise at the moment, goes to a farmer for him to feed his cattle. We want to get a community garden outside, beds with stuff to grow in.” Stefan says. 

“We’ve got a home now so we’re starting to think about what else we can do with it.”

Track Brewing Co Unit 18, Piccadilly Trading Estate, M1 2NP

The Track Brewing Co Taproom opens on Friday 1 October from 12-10pm.

Read next: A dozen places to eat oysters in Manchester and beyond

Read again: The fresh pints: 10 belting brewery tap rooms in Manchester

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