Grade II listed building in town centre re-opening as restaurant and bar

The former post office building in Rochdale town centre is set to re-open this weekend as a café, restaurant and bar.

A public soft launch event will take place at 5.30pm on Saturday (17 March)  before the 'Medicine Tap' opens fully on Wednesday 21 March.

The man behind the restoration, John Stoner, who owns the Mighty Medicine Brewery in Whitworth, has spent £300,000 renovating the building, which was built in 1923 by the post service’s main architect, Sir Charles Wilkinson, and features a beautiful Baroque-style façade.

 

 

He said: “We have kept a lot of the original features, like the beautiful wood panelling and the old post boxes. We’ve also invested in vintage-style furniture, like Chesterfield sofas, to give it a cosy feel. It’s a spectacular space and will really add something to the town centre, which is hard to beat aesthetically.

"You have got the Grade I listed Town Hall right across the road and then Town Hall Square and the beautiful Memorial Gardens and the Cenotaph right next door.

“Rochdale is really on the up. The Riverside shopping and leisure development is a big part of the reason I came here. It will massively increase footfall and create a vibrant early evening economy which I see the Medicine Tap being a big part of.”

 

Original features have been kept

 

Leader of the council, Councillor Allen Brett, said: “It’s great to see this spectacular historic building being brought back into use. Creating a vibrant town centre and reviving our early evening economy is a major priority for us and we’re already well on the way to delivering this.”

Paul Ambrose, Rochdale town centre manager, said: “The Medicine Tap will be a fantastic addition to the town centre and I wish John every success in his new venture.”

From Wednesday 21 March the Medicine Tap will be open from 9am to 11pm during the week, with a later finish at weekends.

The coffee shop menu will be served from 9am to 5.30pm for the first month before a full evening menu is launched, with an emphasis on casual dining.

Around 30 different beers will also be available, including eight real ales and 21 craft keg beers, mainly from Belgium and Germany.