Glass Spider comes to the Old Town...
A NEW craft beer and luxury spirits bar has opened in Stockport this week.
The Glass Spider comes from Joseph Patten, who also operates the nearby Cracked Actor blues bar.
Taking over the former site of Vinabod Tapas Bar, Stockport’s short-lived Viking-themed restaurant, The Glass Spider will be a Victorian-style swing bar.
Every detail within has been painstakingly made by hand or salvaged and upgraded for the bar, from the stained glass panels to the antique-style lighting.
The bar has opened its doors at 6 Vernon Street, on the edges of the town’s blossoming Old Town.
Its neighbours will include Bakers Vaults, the Stockport Produce Hall, Project 53, Remedy Bar and Brewhouse, the Angel Inn and the newly-opened Good Rebel.
Normally, The Glass Spider will have capacity for 60 people including standing room - but for now, its capacity will be around 40 to allow for social distancing, with a small amount of seating outdoors.
Beers will come from Siren, Deya and Amundsen, with a signature vanilla and chocolate stout created especially for the bar.
Joe has also created a house gin made with chilli in partnership with local brand Hatters Gin, following the success of The Cracked Actor’s own gin.
Once the kitchen is up and running in a few weeks’ time, it will serve hearty roasts and British food.
Joe said: “It’s been in the works for so long now, because of Covid and lockdown things have been quite delayed.
“It’s been stressful but it’s exciting - and weird - to have opened two bars within a year!
“What I love about it is having two different vibes in one town. I love the loyalty we’ve built at The Cracked Actor, it’s amazing.
“The Cracked Actor was like the blues theatre bar, this is kind of the high-end aristocrat’s swing bar.
“I just wanted to go as high-end as possible with it really and do something different for Stockport.
“Everything’s bespoke, and I’ve used as many local tradespeople as possible.
“Everything brass, gold, black and burgundy - we’ve got handmade Chesterfield oxblood seating, handmade booths from a local joiner, all the stained glass is handmade in Edgeley by Christopher Ward and all the lighting is from Agapanthus.
“The big columns on the bar are literally telegraph poles that have been done up.
“All the tables have been hunted down from various closed-down pubs and painted gold.
“I couldn’t be happier with it. I imagined what I wanted to look like it and it’s exactly that, which is really rare.”
The Glass Spider is now open at 6 Vernon Street - you can follow along on Instagram at @the_glass_spider_