A LIFELONG Sale resident and warm-up man for seminal Manchester band New Order has opened a wine bar in the town.

Marc Hough, 45, is the owner of Cork of the North, a wine bar and shop located on Northenden Road in Sale.

Marc is already an established name in the wine industry having spent the past three years running his own merchant business, sourcing wines from around the world and building a dedicated client base.

His new venture has seen him transform a former insurance office into a bar, complete with reclaimed cinema seats, intimate booths and vast selection of wine from across the globe.

The bar also serves as a specialist wine merchant with hundreds of specially selected bottles you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in town.

Marc said: “The people of Sale have been crying out for a wine bar.

“Cork of the North gives Sale residents something they have been missing for years. If you like beer there are a lot of places you can go for a craft ale but until now there has been nowhere for lovers of great wine.

“In the past wine lovers have had to travel to Hale or Didsbury to enjoy fantastic wine but we cannot wait to welcome them into their local, dedicated wine bar.”

Marc added: “This new concept allows us to source the very best wines from around the globe and bring them direct to the people of Sale.”

Cork of the North is Marc’s top priority, meaning he stayed in Sale while New Order completed their recent tour of America.

Marc said: “I'm sure I will be playing with New Order again in the future, but for now I'm concentrating my efforts on Cork of the North. It’s a great place with a great atmosphere, and you can be sure you’ll never have a Blue Monday in here.”

Marc spent the past 20 years touring with New Order, the Manchester band famous for hits such as Blue Monday, warming-up crowds at hundreds of shows across the world.