Ross Kemp goes behind the bar at one of Manchester's most iconic pubs

TV hardman Ross Kemp landed himself a new role in Manchester - heading behind the bar at one of the city's most iconic boozers.

Ross, who famously played EastEnders tough guy Grant Mitchell, headed for a Friday night shift at The Salisbury, the famed 19th century pub that sits in a nook next to the railway arches at Oxford Road train station.

To the surprise of locals, Ross put in a shift behind the bar at the pub, pulling pints and chatting with revellers. The resason for his visit was to film a new series "Ross Behind Bars" with the Manchester episode going live today.

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While Ross poured plenty of pints as Queen Vic landlord Grant in the hit BBC soap, he was keen to replicate a perfect pint in real life. The new series is in association with Heineken and its new SmartDispense® technology in pubs.

The Manchester film has gone live this morning on Heineken's website. In it, Ross is seen heading down the alleyway on Wakefield Street to get to the tile-clad pub.

As he walks, he says: "It's 6pm on a Friday night and Manchester is gearing up for the weekend. To truly get under the skin of the Great British pub I've got myself a job at The Salisbury.

"Apparently the weekend shift is all about speed, so shall we?" he says before heading inside the boozer.

He is then seeing chatting with The Salisbury's long-serving landlord Matt who says he's been at the pub now for nearly 20 years.

He says to him: "It's a very fine pub you've got here." Matt asks how he's feeling about the shift and Ross admits: "I'm quite nervous actually".

He asks: "Can I pour the perfect pint?" before he is seen getting the full info on the new Heineken system installed at the pub works.

He chats with pub-goers, and also speaks to a woman who had previously been a barmaid for 50 years about the importance of local pubs to the community.

The Salisbury is known as a music pub due to its proximity to music venues like The Ritz and Gorilla in the city centre, and sits in a district known as "Little Ireland", once one of the poorest slums in Manchester.

Once Ross had finished his night at the pub, with the bar being cleaned down for the night, he says: "Well that was a shift, and I've earned myself a beer."

Heineken say the new series with Ross is aiming to shine a light on its new SmartDispense® technology and how it "helps pubs deliver punters a quality pint every time". It delves into the benefits it says the system brings to a landlord, by reducing their costs and improving the quality and consistency of beer and cider that they serve.

He has filmed at three pubs as part of the series, starting with The Old Crown Inn in Birmingham.

In announcing the series, Ross said: "I’ve been on many missions but this one is very close to my heart and home. A good pint is one of life’s little luxuries.

"A moment to yourself to relax and unwind at the end of a long day or week… so a sub par pint simply won’t do. We’ve all been there where you’ve tasted a pint that isn’t quite up to scratch so when I heard there was technology that could help pubs deliver a consistent, quality pint every time, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.”

Will Rice, On-Trade Director, at Heineken UK said: "The pint is at the heart of the British pub experience – it’s that moment where a perfect pour, a clean branded glass, and just the right amount of fizz come together.

"With Heineken SmartDispense®, we're on a mission to ensure every pint is perfection, changing the game, ensuring every sip is as perfect as the last. We wanted to lift the lid on the tech behind these perfect pints and who better to help us than one of Britain’s most famous landlords."