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Boddingtons: the iconic ’90s beer making a big return to British pubs

After leaving pubs in 2012, the Cream of Manchester is back

Annie McNamee
Written by
Annie McNamee
Contributor, Time Out London and UK
Boddingtons beer, logo
Photograph: Radomir Rezny / Shutterstock.com
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In case you somehow missed it, the ’90s are back in a big way. Oasis are in the middle of a huge reunion tour, Pulp made it back at Glasto, and everyone’s wearing bucket hats again. Now, a retired drink is the latest icon to make a comeback: Boddingtons cask beer, AKA the ‘Cream of Manchester’.

The ale was first brewed in the late 18th century, but rose to fame after an ad campaign dubbing it the ‘Cream of Manchester’ (due to its velvety texture) thrust it, and its home town, into the spotlight. Despite its iconic status, Boddingtons Brewery went bust in 2005, and after a few years of being produced by a third party, the beer was last sold in the UK in 2012.

Until now. JW Lees, the oldest brewer in Manchester, is set to begin creating the drink, licensed by Budweiser. The brand has promised to use traditional methods, although it will be making some adjustments to keep the flavour fresh for modern boozers.

The director of JW Lees, William Lees-Jones, expressed his excitement for the beer’s comeback, explaining that when he joined the industry back in the 90s he was ‘in awe’ of Boddingtons; ‘We are planning to put Boddingtons back where it rightly deserves to be, as one of the leading premium UK cask beers, particularly in our heartland of the North West.’

A representative from Budweiser group said they look forward to ‘combining one of the UK’s most iconic beer brands with one of its most respected brewers’.

If you fancy a pint, you’ll have to make your way up to the northwest when it drops this winter, as the ale won’t be moving too far outside of its home turf right away. If all goes well, however, we could see the Cream of Manchester back in pubs across the country in 2026.

Pubs according to Time Out

In celebration of Boddingtons’ return, why not have a look at some of Time Out’s fave pubs? Here’s our favourite pubs in the UK, our pick of the country’s finest gastropubs, some seriously stunning pubs you might never have heard of, and the best beer gardens in the country.

The best pub in Britain has been crowned at the 2025 Pub and Bar Awards

Brewdog has closed 10 pubs across the UK for good: full list of closures

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