Red Bull

14 Middle Hillgate, Stockport, SK1 3AY

Heaton Hops June’s Pub of the Month is the Red Bull on Hillgate. Neil Martin is a neighbour and regular, and explains why it won.

One of the few traditional pubs left on Hilllgate, the Red Bull was a Bell’s pub before Robinsons acquired that brewery in 1949. Tiles above the bar advise that the Red Bull has welcomed all since the days of George III. The imposing building itself is tucked back slightly from the pavement, and up some steps.

The pub was extended some years ago and now has a number of rooms off the bar, with a wood burner between two of them. On the right is a popular games room. The standard Robinsons beers plus a seasonal ale are available, along with a nice selection of pies and sausage rolls from local favourite Littlewoods.

Sofas in one corner add to the comfy feel, and there are a couple of booths if you want a more private conversation. The beer garden is a suntrap on the all-too-rare sunny days we have here in Stockport. You can find the pub on Facebook: facebook.com/redbullstockport, and on Instagram.

Landlady Emma Plant took over in 2025 and has taken the pub from strength to strength, with a regular Wednesday quiz night and popular music nights which are frequently ‘one in, one out’. There is a good trade from people wanting a drink after work, with many also using it as a launching pad for going further into Stockport. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, and several regulars bring their humans with them.

I was pleased to nominate the Red Bull for Pub of the Month, not just because it’s a great place to go, but also because Emma and her team have made great strides in embedding it in the community: I was only an occasional visitor before, despite living a literal two-minute walk away, but have become a convert. And the two things that really make a pub a pub – consistent beer and easy conversation – are readily supplied. The addition of an interesting range of teas has both attracted some more afternoon customers and been a bit of a talking point.

The pub is a short (uphill) walk from St Petersgate, and the 313 bus drops off close by, near the Sun and Castle.

The Pub of the Month award is sponsored by Stephensons, a local family firm that has been supplying the local pub and catering trade for over 150 years.