Craft beer fan opens new city-style bar

Stevan quit his job at a recruitment company to found the new bar, located in a former solicitors’ premises on Gerard Street.

The place has a contemporary but rustic vibe, with plenty of metal and timber in the interior design, and reflects some of the various places Stevan’s passion for beer has taken him.

Stevan, 33, said: “I love craft beer and thought why not set up a bar. I started to pick up interest going to bars round here and beer festivals. I’m also a football fan and have been to Germany to watch Borussia Dortmund a few times and the beer over there is absolutely fantastic.

“We’ve also got a baby on the way and I wanted to do something I could pass down eventually. Hopefully we will build a little business for ourselves.

“I want to bring something a bit edgy to Ashton that has a modern twist. I’m a massive fan of going into Manchester trying out the little independent places and I want to bring something like that local. It probably wouldn’t be out of place somewhere like Manchester.

“Emma and I went to Brussels for New Year and it is also like the kind of places you get in Belgium. It’s modern rustic, if that makes sense.

“Our colour scheme is orange and teal, which we got from a beer we particularly liked there, called Delta IPA.”

Stevan and Emma’s entry into the world of craft beer has not exactly been plain sailing, with the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown forcing all hospitality venues to shut and then to comply with social distancing and other health requirements in order to re-open.

However, the initial impression made by The H Taphouse in its first few days of business seems to have been a positive one.

Stevan said: “I signed the lease on a Friday 13, which I should have known was a bad omen. Two days later the prime minister started to put the country into lockdown and that Friday all the pubs closed.

“We’ve managed to set something up with all the social distancing and hand sanitiser in place.

“Everybody who came in on our first weekend loved it and we’ve had recommendations already online. Considering we’ve never done this before it was a massive success.”

The H Taphouse has a contemporary feel with steel and timber chairs and tables, some high seats and exposed brickwork.

There is also a large mural hand-painted by friend of Stevan and Emma and pictures by a Haydock tattoo artist.

The bar has 13 keg beers on, with the rotation expected to include local breweries alongside independent producers from across the country.

The fridges also have an array of bottles and cans from the craft brewing scene ranging from sours to stouts and including high-profile names such as Cloudwater and Verdant.

The bar also has a range of wines, vodkas, gins and other options for customers not particularly keen on beer.

To find out more search for The H Taphouse on Facebook.