A few personal observations on the food and drink options taken during my 1st visit to the Etihad (Brugge)

[mexico1970]

Or Scottish?

That would explain the "Grumpy" too ;-)

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

£8 for a pint? £6 more like and Guinness is ok in the ground.

There’s not a decent pint of Guinness to be had in Manchester, let alone the stadium.

Take that from a Dubliner ;-)

 

[Big Joe Corrigan]

Not sure football is for everyone.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

That would explain the "Grumpy" too ;-)

Steady!!

 

[BrianW]

I wouldn't go to a football ground - or the likes of Mary D's - for a good pint. Any more than I'd go into the Hare and Hounds to see a football match.

Unless you're going in the expensive areas for an 'executive experience' I wouldn't bother with the food either, unless I was starving.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

Most City fans drink in the Northern Quarter or Ancoats before and after matches were there is a fantastic selection of great bars and eating places. The idea of eating and drinking in the stadium is absurd. That’s for the tourists.

One of the first things, in fact the first thing I did at City Matters was to propose some improvements to the food and beverage offering at the stadium. This was based on my experience at an MLB game in Pittsburgh, where they had craft beers and local restaurants providing food options inside the stadium. These were pricey (just under £20 for a burger, fries and a pint of beer) but the burger was restaurant quality (I'd eaten in one of their restaurants a couple of days earlier) and the beer was cold and good.

Fortunately City listened, which is why we have a range of stalls outside the stadium including Hip Hop Chip Shop, HM Pasties, Bundobust and others. We did use to have a better range of beers for a while but the Asahi contract put a stop to that. Funnily enough, takings rocketed, with City saying they'd doubled.

When we started discussing the North Stand extension, we suggested a covered fanzone, which we're getting. Both Danny Wilson and I agreed that the objective should be to make the stadium a pre-match venue of choice for fans. I've been to the ground early on a match day a few times and have been amazed at the numbers there over 2 hours before kick off. If the will is there it can be done.

 

[Man-chester copperpot]

Before match: Pint in Mary D's.

Estrella.
Expensive, Flat, warm and served in a cardboard tumbler.

Was expecting a match day experience (bouncers, ready pours, etc,) but wasn't expecting such a scruffy and industrial setting.
Not a place I'd be looking to go to unless desperate. Must be awful on a normal night.
Disappointed.

Stadium: (pre match)
Pints: Can't remember the name lol.
Very expensive. £8?, Plastic pot, cold.
Staff slow and clumsy. Was ok. Much better than MD's but one would hope so for the price.

Stadium (half time)
Pie: Steak, 6£. Warmish.
Enjoyed the pie. It was decent quality but it wasn't hot enough and had a rubbery, microwaved texture. Bit odd.
Didn't expect to have enough time for a pie and pint at half time but somehow managed it.

Mary D's (after match).
Fool me once....

Pint: Estrella.
Perhaps the worst pint of pish I've ever had the misfortune to pay for.
Couldn't drink it. I'm still shuddering at the thought that it was the slips.
On this alone, I'll never go in there again. I've had duff pints before but this was something else. Awful.

Chippy (Next door to Mary's).

Sausage supper. Can't remember the price but not expensive.

Highlight of the night. Great place, funny staff and a lovely service and great food. Clearly they don't dumb down on match days. No wonder there were queues both before and after. Recommended.

Next time, I'll skip the pub. Really disappointed with that.

(Great night in total though ).

Ppfftttt you went into Mary D’s and didn’t get on the Nosebang?
What happened to the saying “when in Rome”
No wonder the beer tasted like shite

 

[mexico1970]

One of the first things, in fact the first thing I did at City Matters was to propose some improvements to the food and beverage offering at the stadium. This was based on my experience at an MLB game in Pittsburgh, where they had craft beers and local restaurants providing food options inside the stadium. These were pricey (just under £20 for a burger, fries and a pint of beer) but the burger was restaurant quality (I'd eaten in one of their restaurants a couple of days earlier) and the beer was cold and good.

Fortunately City listened, which is why we have a range of stalls outside the stadium including Hip Hop Chip Shop, HM Pasties, Bundobust and others. We did use to have a better range of beers for a while but the Asahi contract put a stop to that. Funnily enough, takings rocketed, with City saying they'd doubled.

When we started discussing the North Stand extension, we suggested a covered fanzone, which we're getting. Both Danny Wilson and I agreed that the objective should be to make the stadium a pre-match venue of choice for fans. I've been to the ground early on a match day a few times and have been amazed at the numbers there over 2 hours before kick off. If the will is there it can be done.

More chippies and more cheap beer that's served faster should have said it all mate.

 

[threespires]

Before match: Pint in Mary D's.

Estrella.
Expensive, Flat, warm and served in a cardboard tumbler.

Was expecting a match day experience (bouncers, ready pours, etc,) but wasn't expecting such a scruffy and industrial setting.
Not a place I'd be looking to go to unless desperate. Must be awful on a normal night.
Disappointed.

Stadium: (pre match)
Pints: Can't remember the name lol.
Very expensive. £8?, Plastic pot, cold.
Staff slow and clumsy. Was ok. Much better than MD's but one would hope so for the price.

Stadium (half time)
Pie: Steak, 6£. Warmish.
Enjoyed the pie. It was decent quality but it wasn't hot enough and had a rubbery, microwaved texture. Bit odd.
Didn't expect to have enough time for a pie and pint at half time but somehow managed it.

Mary D's (after match).
Fool me once....

Pint: Estrella.
Perhaps the worst pint of pish I've ever had the misfortune to pay for.
Couldn't drink it. I'm still shuddering at the thought that it was the slips.
On this alone, I'll never go in there again. I've had duff pints before but this was something else. Awful.

Chippy (Next door to Mary's).

Sausage supper. Can't remember the price but not expensive.

Highlight of the night. Great place, funny staff and a lovely service and great food. Clearly they don't dumb down on match days. No wonder there were queues both before and after. Recommended.

Next time, I'll skip the pub. Really disappointed with that.

(Great night in total though ).

If only you'd let people know of your plans in advance they could have given you the password to get into Mary D's secret craft beer club down in the cellar.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

One of the first things, in fact the first thing I did at City Matters was to propose some improvements to the food and beverage offering at the stadium. This was based on my experience at an MLB game in Pittsburgh, where they had craft beers and local restaurants providing food options inside the stadium. These were pricey (just under £20 for a burger, fries and a pint of beer) but the burger was restaurant quality (I'd eaten in one of their restaurants a couple of days earlier) and the beer was cold and good.

Fortunately City listened, which is why we have a range of stalls outside the stadium including Hip Hop Chip Shop, HM Pasties, Bundobust and others. We did use to have a better range of beers for a while but the Asahi contract put a stop to that. Funnily enough, takings rocketed, with City saying they'd doubled.

When we started discussing the North Stand extension, we suggested a covered fanzone, which we're getting. Both Danny Wilson and I agreed that the objective should be to make the stadium a pre-match venue of choice for fans. I've been to the ground early on a match day a few times and have been amazed at the numbers there over 2 hours before kick off. If the will is there it can be done.

Great post and comments.

I'd add that even if they were in place during my visit, I would have likely missed them due to (in my experience) very poor signage.

In my defence, the lad I was with was on one but I didn't do my research properly before visiting and rushing around put me in a spin.

I struggled to find out where my block was and how to get there. Dibble was nice enough to tell me which entrance to go to but without that info, I'd have been doing laps.

Probably something one gets quickly enough and perhaps regulars won't understand the confusion but to me, signage and directions were dire.

If there is a food court put up in the future, the club needs to make sure it's well advertised and signposted.

 

[Blue Smarties]

You don’t go to Mary D’s for the beer. I’ll only tend to go there before a particularly big game for the atmosphere (and even then it’s begrudgingly). Drinking in town before and after is the smart choice.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

If only you'd let people know of your plans in advance they could have given you the password to get into Mary D's secret craft beer club down in the cellar.

I managed to find myself in the vault at the back after taking a miss turn after a piss.

Looked gnarly.

 

[give it to gordon]

Last time we went (Southampton) had a few pints in the townley, when in the Etihad I'm sure we paid 6quid a pint ! My lad bought some 'posh' garlic chips, they were OK, the garlic dripped over his top and alot of the garlic sauce dripped through the cardboard container making the floor a slipping hazard. Think we will stick to chippies by Mary D's next time.

 

[frothy]

One of the bars? :-)

Thought they were the same price whatever Level you are on? Just over £6 on level 3

 

[yeseye]

I managed to find myself in the vault at the back after taking a miss turn after a piss.

Looked gnarly.

I assume the vault wasn’t adequately signed to your satisfaction?
You’d get lost in a phone box ffs!

 

[frothy]

Or Scottish?

My Daughter has lived in Scotland for Quite a few years now, and when she comes home to visit and we say shall we have Chippy for tea she says to the grandkids do you want Fish Supper or Sausage supper and i always say to them there's no such thing in Manchester

 

[mexico1970]

My Daughter has lived in Scotland for Quite a few years now, and when she comes home to visit and we say shall we have Chippy for tea she says to the grandkids do you want Fish Supper or Sausage supper and i always say to them there's no such thing in Manchester

Would they be having that on a barm a muffin or a stottie?

 

[Eccles Blue]

One of the first things, in fact the first thing I did at City Matters was to propose some improvements to the food and beverage offering at the stadium. This was based on my experience at an MLB game in Pittsburgh, where they had craft beers and local restaurants providing food options inside the stadium. These were pricey (just under £20 for a burger, fries and a pint of beer) but the burger was restaurant quality (I'd eaten in one of their restaurants a couple of days earlier) and the beer was cold and good.

Fortunately City listened, which is why we have a range of stalls outside the stadium including Hip Hop Chip Shop, HM Pasties, Bundobust and others. We did use to have a better range of beers for a while but the Asahi contract put a stop to that. Funnily enough, takings rocketed, with City saying they'd doubled.

When we started discussing the North Stand extension, we suggested a covered fanzone, which we're getting. Both Danny Wilson and I agreed that the objective should be to make the stadium a pre-match venue of choice for fans. I've been to the ground early on a match day a few times and have been amazed at the numbers there over 2 hours before kick off. If the will is there it can be done.

I remember, before City Matters started, being invited to an event with Jamie Oliver presenting food for us to discuss and maybe recommend.

That was a good event… and they had Meat and Potato pies!
So is it your fault PB that M & P pies disappeared?? ;-)

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

There’s not a decent pint of Guinness to be had in Manchester, let alone the stadium.

Take that from a Dubliner ;-)

Mulligans and The Rising Sun

 

[urban genie]

Mary Ds is shite, Townley would have been better beer wise. Though town is 15-20 mins walk away if Cask first/last port of call so there is really no need to drink near the ground.