Drive down the A6 in Stockport, a road that by night is lit by the red and green glow of The Plaza in the near distance you’ll come across a spot that’s recently been named one of the UK’s best pubs. Last month, National Geographic named The Magnet on Wellington Road amongst its top 12 best boozers.
It’s been described by customers as “a little treasure” and even as a “hidden gem” – despite sitting on one of the busiest roads in the borough – and has been praised for its “no-frills” approach to its beers, snacks and, crucially, its community. It’s no surprise really, The Magnet, which is run by mother and son Lesley and Lee Watts is beloved by its punters for its impressive beer selection of cask ales and rotating keg options, but it’s also the environment they’ve created that makes it such a beloved spot.
The building itself was built in 1840 and used as a coaching inn due to its proximity to Heaton Norris Station. It eventually fell into disrepair before Lesley and Lee, who had previously worked at The Crown Inn on Heaton Lane took over the building 14 years ago.
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“Back in the day when we came from The Crown Inn, we weren’t nervous at all really, we just thought it would be really good,” reflects Lee. “I know some places that are quite established around us have opened up and are making a success of it, but I am very dubious about opening a place in today’s market.”
It’s a valid point given the alarming rate at which pubs in England and Wales shuttered last year. Figures released in September show that 383 pubs – more than two a day – closed their doors for good in the first six months of 2023. We know many of the reasons for this, the cost-of-living crisis continues to cripple hospitality venues, while VAT sitting at an untenable 20 percent puts our favourite pubs, restaurants, bars and cafes at risk.
Right now, local boozers, community cafes and beloved neighbourhood restaurants are having to decide if they can even open their doors tomorrow. It’s not always a money issue though, in the case of The Golden Hind in Offerton which sadly closed for good last November, it was slightly more indirect, and was the decision of brewer Greene King to put it on the market, an act that sent shockwaves around the local community.
Sitting with some of its regulars a couple of weeks before it closed, I was struck by just how much it meant to the people there, “Save The Golden Hind from closure. It’s not just a pub, it’s our community hub”, read a makeshift sign attached to the railing outside the pub that first opened to punters in 1967.
Adam, who paid for the sign outside the pub, told me at the time: “It just means so much to the community and there’s estates all over Stockport and I see this time and time again, all it does is diminish that much-needed community spirit.
“It feels like a little bit of the community is disappearing. We’ve heard rumours about what it might become and we don’t want that. We don’t need fast food in this community.”
This last part really stuck. I drive past a now boarded up Golden Hind on a daily basis and it truly saddens me to see this one busy and much-loved venue with its lights off. Having visited here, and more recently The Magnet just down the road, it’s made me appreciate just how important pubs are.
In many cases they are the linchpin of communities, serving as a meeting point and place of refuge. As many of those at the Golden Hind told me, for a lot of older customers, going to the pub isn’t just about having a drink, it’s about connecting with others, and for some, it may be the only conversation they have all day.
Flitting in and out of different bars and pubs for my job, I sometimes forget that it’s not just about the latest opening or 2-1 offer, a lot of the more established places serve as hubs, aiding social cohesion and boosting wellbeing at a time when things are particularly tough.
Fortunately for Lee and his mum, they own The Magnet and business is doing well. Dropping in for a quick pint there earlier this week, it’s apparent that they too have built their own community here.
Spread across seven floors, there’s nothing cookie-cutter about how the pair have designed this pub. Full of alcoves and small seating nooks where you can enjoy a solo pint or bigger tables for groups to put the world to rights, it feels snug and welcoming. A wall of mirrors reflects back hundreds of beer mats, covering the walls and beams, while paintings of Stockport and the pub fill the others.
There’s board games, blankets for those heading out to the smoking area and outside the beer garden and a very impressive beer selection with 17 casks and 12 keg, featuring local breweries including Track, Pomona, Blackjack, Steelfish Brewing Co and Alphabet. Way off patch, I go for a pint of Bitburger Premium Pils as Lee mentioned last time we spoke that The Magnet is in the brewery’s Connoisseur Club, making it one of 50 venues to be recognised by them in the UK.
There’s more too. There’s a decent sized beer garden with two terraces for those long summer nights, plus a games room with a pool table, dart boards and a jukebox. Day to day there’s locally-made pork pies, but I grabbed a pack of nuts, and on Fridays they make their stone baked pizzas made at the rear of the pub.
Lee reckons it’s because they keep their prices fair and because of the strong family element, a lot of his relatives work behind the bar or have done so in the past, that attracts punters. There’s no TVs and no darts or pool teams because he wants people to play whenever they want.
“Being run by a family I think helps a lot,” he adds. “My mum is incredible with names, I’m terrible, she knows and I just do the beers. If someone has created a space with their own personal touch, where there’s nothing generic about it, and people talk to you like you’re their mates, I think that’s what makes the difference.
“We’re just an old-school type of pub and there’s not many of them anymore.”
Robert Johnson is a UK-based business writer specializing in finance and entrepreneurship. With an eye for market trends and a keen interest in the corporate world, he offers readers valuable insights into business developments.
