Craft beer and freedom: why Hongkongers settled in Altrincham and Sale

A wave of trendy bars and restaurants serving authentic Hong Kong street food, craft beer and bubble tea are enriching Altrincham and Sale. But close behind is a story of persecution.

By Kevin Gopal

In naming her pub the Harcourt, Priscilla So has neatly summed up the mix of politics and ambition that has brought so many Hongkongers to Altrincham and Sale in the last three years.

Harcourt Road in Hong Kong was the centre of 2014’s Umbrella Movement, when protesters demanded more transparent elections after Beijing demanded to screen ca…