Block & Gasket to reopen before becoming new Irish pub The Trafford Harp

The Block & Gasket in Sale is set to reopen today (Monday 22 June) under new management, before closing again later this summer for a full refit and rebrand.

The School Road pub, which has long been known as one of Sale town centre's main sports bars, will reopen from 6pm today. It follows a recent change in ownership after the venue was put up for sale earlier this year by Stonegate Group, the hospitality company which previously owned the pub.

The temporary closure came as a surprise to many local people, particularly with the World Cup underway and The Block & Gasket well known locally as a place to watch live sport. However, after the World Cup final, the venue is expected to close again for a full refurbishment before reopening under a new name and concept: The Trafford Harp.

The new venue will be an Irish pub, following a trend that has been gathering pace across Greater Manchester in recent years, with a number of new Irish pubs and bars opening across the city region.

For many Sale residents, The Block & Gasket has been a familiar part of the town centre's night-time and match-day scene for years, particularly for football, rugby and other major sporting events. In more recent months, however, parts of the pub had started to look tired, with some customers raising concerns about the condition of the venue, including the toilets. A full refit will therefore be welcome news for those who want to see continued investment in one of Sale's most prominent town centre hospitality spaces.

The planned change also comes at a time of wider movement across Stonegate's Sale venues. Stonegate Group still operates a number of hospitality venues locally, including Slug & Lettuce at Waterside Plaza, The Bulls Head on Cross Street and Temple Inn in Sale Moor.

Slug & Lettuce Sale is expected to close in July, although there are currently no confirmed details about what could take over the Waterside Plaza unit.

In a statement to Life in Sale, a spokesperson for Slug & Lettuce Sale said: “The hospitality sector continues to face significant challenges. After careful consideration, and despite our best efforts, the site is no longer commercially viable and we have taken the difficult decision to close Slug & Lettuce, Sale.

“We would like to thank our hard-working team for their commitment and dedication. We would also like to thank our guests and the local community for their support over the years.”