Manchester microbrewery Runaway has revealed plans to open a new on-site taproom, adding to a growing drinks offering in the Green Quarter.

Based in a railway arch on Dantzic Street, the brewery already opens up for ad hoc tours and brewtap events and used to host the GRUB food fair before its move to Alphabet Brew Co last year.

Now a new mezzanine bar area is set to be built inside, which will be open to beer lovers every weekend with a capacity of around 60 to 100.

“We loved doing things like the GRUB events last year, which went really well, but they are pretty major events and we were turning the brewery upside down to get everybody in,” said co-founder Mark Welsby.

“What we’re hoping to do with this is have a permanent space which we can use initially at weekends, and then potentially any time.”

Runaway’s keg-conditioned core range - Pale Ale, IPA, American Brown Ale and Smoked Porter - will be on the taps alongside seasonal specials such as its Summer Saison, as well as collaboration and guest beers from other breweries across Manchester and beyond.

(Image: Lucas Smith)

“We’re quite a collaborative brewery and the idea is that we can use the space to show off what Manchester has got and also stuff from further afield,” said Mark.

“Going all over the country selling beers and going to beer festivals we meet lots of other brewers and you don’t often see a lot of their beer in Manchester.”

Just last week, London gypsy brewer Beatnikz Republic revealed plans to open a microbrewery and bar a stone’s throw away on Red Bank, while just around the corner on Gould Street, Blackjack hosts regular brewtap events.

As Mark sees it, the more the merrier.

“We’re very positive about it. We definitely see it as a way to bring a few more people down to this part of town,” he said.

“Obviously people will go from place to place to a degree but we’re all doing slightly different things.”

The growing cluster of breweries in the area is also beginning to draw in tourists as well as locals, he has noticed.

“We’ve had people coming from all over the place, particularly attached to when we have away teams from Europe playing here,” he said.

“We often have people wandering into the brewery. There is a different culture around breweries in different parts of the world, particularly people coming from the States and Scandinavia. They are much more used to having breweries you can go to drink.

“We often end up giving them a little impromptu tour. They’re here as visitors in our city and we want to show them a good time.”

The new taproom will give them a permanent venue to do so, which it is hoped will be open by the start of June for the brewery’s third birthday.

The brewery will also be using the new space to host events as part of Manchester Beer Week, which returns for its second year from June 23 to July 2.