Hundreds of people have celebrated the reopening of one of Manchester’s most iconic LGBTQI+ pubs this weekend following a £300k investment.
The popular Goose pub, located on Bloom Street in the Gay Village, has been an iconic part of Manchester’s LGBTQI+ community for several decades.
After the pub closed its doors last month, major works have been underway to totally transform the venue and give it one of its biggest renovations to date.
On Thursday the 11th of April, after weeks of anticipation, the Goose reopened its doors to the public with an epic celebration in true Goose Style.
Publicans Paul Senior and David Thornhill, who have been licensees since 2018, have welcomed the revamp and thanked independent pub company Punch Pubs & Co, – who jointly invested in the pub – for supporting them in keeping one of Manchester’s oldest pubs relevant and part of the LGBTQI+ community.
Thrilled with the many changes, Publican David said: “The transformation of the Goose from what it was to what it is now is unbelievable. Paul and I are delighted with the changes and have been blown away by the compliments and feedback we’ve received.
“The whole purpose of the investment was to give some much-needed TLC to the Goose without losing any of its charm, I think it’s fair to say we’ve nailed it!
“The new-look pub is totally different to before – super bright, modern and spacious but still paired with our iconic Drag Queen entertainment from Manchester’s drag royalty; Misty Chance, Verry Cherry and Missie Jay.”
Amongst the many changes at the Goose, guests will first notice the transformation to the pub’s exterior. Brand-new colour changing signage stands proud on the front of the pub, the new logo has been painted adorning the front wall and a lightbox feature also commands attention from afar.
Inside, the old décor and interior has been given a complete facelift, starting with new flooring throughout, new stage, lights, backdrop and DJ box. The old fireplaces have been removed to create additional space, and a floral wall and giant neon goose has been installed creating a fun backdrop for photo opportunities.
Elsewhere, the two bars have been completely restored and combined creating a modern, stylish area which now features Rainbow Juice, a new draught product and the Goose’s very own lager, where 10p of every pint sold will be donated to local charity The George House Trust.
Joint Publicans Dave and Paul added: “It’s great to be back open after the extensive works and we are very proud. The Goose is such a major part of Manchester’s Gay Village and we have loved seeing everyone return after seven weeks.”
In true Goose style, the celebrations began with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Drag Queen Royalty Misty Chance, kicking off a weekend of jam-packed entertainment.
