eStar Mercedes-Benz is the new sponsors of one of The Manc’s original video series Mancs on Tour.
And we’ve been kitted out with a brand-new ride to celebrate it.
With sustainability being a huge focus for many businesses in Manchester right now, and following the latest Green Summit with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, this city is set to become the first in the country to adopt an accelerated carbon reduction plan – with an ambitious view to becoming carbon neutral by 2038 – and is also aiming to become the first city-region to deliver a carbon neutral transport network.
Just like The Manc Group, eStar Mercedes-Benz is keen to further “bolster the importance of sustainability” in Greater Manchester, which is why we’ve joined forces to spread the word and also raise awareness about the company’s electric vehicle range.
eStar is a Mercedes-Benz Van retailer specialising in electric mobility and operating throughout the North West England and North Wales, with a mission to work in partnership with the retail businesses to provide a consultative approach to ensure sustainable growth for now and for the future.
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The company provides customers with anything from a small panel van, up to large, fully-electric people-carriers and HGVs.
eStar Mercedes-Benz has kitted The Manc out with a new branded fully-electric tourer van / Credit: The Manc Group
eStar says its unique position in the industry enables it to serve both the business and lifestyle community, but its services are not just limited to the supply of vehicles, as it’s also dedicated to keeping people moving and operating 24-hour servicing that’s delivered by highly-skilled Mercedes-Benz Technicians.
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eStar has kitted The Manc out with a fully-electric Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer van to inform and inspire the people of Manchester, raise awareness about the importance of sustainability, and most-importantly, to support emission-free travel for our video series that’s fondly-named ‘Mancs On Tour’.
The Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer is an exceptional vehicle that offers “advanced safety, exceptional driver comfort, and unrivalled aftercare” to give drivers that extra peace of mind, and on top of that, the vehicle also produces zero emissions.
This means the vehicle is exempt from congestion and Clean Air Zone charges.
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eStar Mercedes-Benz is keen to further “bolster the importance of sustainability” in Greater Manchester / Credit: The Manc Group
Mancs on Tour is one of our newest original video series, which sees our very-own presenter Joe McGrath and videographer Tim Hoyle take to the road to visit all sorts of sights in and around Greater Manchester, with recent adventures having included a trip to the iconic Blackpool Pleasure Beach, and most-recently, a Halloween-themed immersive tour around a haunted abandoned mill, and plenty of other exciting adventures in the works.
You can also see the van featured in recent and upcoming episodes of our most-popular video series Takeaway Champions, as well as other videos posted across The Manc’s social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
Keep your eyes peeled for more Mancs on Tour content, and of course, be on the look-out for our branded van on the roads around Greater Manchester and beyond.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Business
Morrisons set to close more than 100 brand locations across the country
Danny Jones
UK supermarket company Morrisons is set to close more than 100 specific locations across the UK, including multiple here in Greater Manchester.
Despite still being considered one of the giants of the sector here in Britain, Morrisons is continuing its previously announced ‘restructuring’ by adding a number of other shops to the chopping block.
The chain had already announced that a slate of 50 Morrisons Cafes would be closing earlier this year, but now other brand branches are expected to follow suit.
While their major supermarkets will remain virtually untouched, several Morrisons Daily convenience stores, florists, pharmacies and Market Kitchens, like the busy lunchtime spot on Piccadilly Gardens – but don’t panic: the corner store itself is staying as far as we’re aware.
Fortunately, major mainline Morrisons supermarket locations look to be safe from closing. (Credit: JThomas/Jaggery via Geograph)
Despite insisting the business is in good shape and has a “bright future” ahead, Morrisons‘ chief executive, Rami Baitieh, confirmed that “a minority [of sites] have specific local challenges and in those locations, regrettably, closure and re-allocation of the space is the only sensible option.”
It’s also believed that 35 butchers’ counters and the same number of fishmongers are set to wrap up as part of the shake-up.
You can see the full list of Morrisons Cafes closing down below; thankfully, we Mancs have managed to avoid closures in this particular department.
Morrisons Cafe Locations closing
Bradford Thornbury
Paisley Falside Road
London Queensbury
Portsmouth
Great Park
Banchory North, Deeside Road
Failsworth, Poplar Street
Blackburn, Railway Road
Leeds, Swinnow Road
London, Wood Green
Kirkham, Poulton Street
Lutterworth, Bitteswell Road
Stirchley
Leeds, Horsforth
London, Erith
Crowborough
Bellshill, John Street
Dumbarton, Glasgow Road
East Kilbride, Lindsayfield
East Kilbride, Stewartfield
Glasgow, Newlands
Largs, Irvine Road
Troon, Academy Street
Wishaw, Kirk Road
Newcastle, UT Cowgate
Northampton, Kettering Road
Bromsgrove, Buntsford Industrial Park
Solihull, Warwick Road
Brecon, Free Street
Caernarfon, North Road
Hadleigh
London, Harrow, Hatch End
High Wycombe, Temple End
Leighton Buzzard, Lake Street
London, Stratford
Sidcup, Westwood Lane
Welwyn, Garden City, Black Fan Road
Warminster, Weymouth Street
Oxted, Station Yard
Reigate, Bell Street
Borehamwood
Weybridge, Monument Hill
Bathgate
Erskine, Bridgewater Shopping Centre
Gorleston, Blackwell Road
Connah’s Quay
Mansfield, Woodhouse
Elland
Gloucester, Metz Way
Watford, Ascot Road
Littlehampton, Wick
Helensburgh
Sadly, it seems that plenty of people saw this coming, with early reports of the off-license/corner shop-esque Daily shops following soon after cafes were confirmed to be closing back in March.
Morrisons closing 52 cafes, 17 convenience stores, and potentially 365 people redundant
Just before new NI tax laws kick in from next month
Retail is 10% of total UK employment, a notoriously low margin business
This is where Greater Manchester comes in, as a handful of florists and Market Kitchens in the region are to join the wider collection of closures by the end of the year.
Featured Images — Rodhullandemu (via Wikimedia Commons)
Business
Pizza Hut releases list of 68 branches set to close – including several in Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Pizza Hut has published its list of 68 restaurants that are set to close their doors, and includes several in Greater Manchester.
In case you missed the announcement earlier this week, Pizza Hut confirmed that it had entered into administration, and DC London Pie – the firm running the once-popular chain’s restaurants in the UK – had appointed administrators from corporate finance firm, FTI.
Since its start, Pizza Hut has always been known and loved for its family-friendly dining, particularly its popular pizza buffet, salad bar, and ice cream machine.
But business in the UK has been struggling for the chain for a while, and it had previously gone into administration less than a year ago, but that was when DC London Pie stepped in and saved the chain’s restaurants from insolvency.
Now though, some 1,210 people are due to be made redundant as 68 Pizza Hut restaurants close down.
Pizza Hut has released its list of 68 branches set to close their doors / Credit: Alan Hardman (via Unsplash)
Branches in Bolton, Tameside, Oldham, and Rochdale are among the locations in Greater Manchester set to close their doors, as well as several others in the North West like Liverpool, Preston, and Lancaster, and even major capital cities like Edinburgh and Cardiff.
11 delivery outlets are also set to close, which do not have indoor dining seating – however none of these are in Greater Manchester.
Luckily, a total of 64 branches have been saved as part of a rescue deal by American hospitality giant Yum! Brands, which owns the global Pizza Hut business.
Yum! Brands said it had bought the UK restaurant operation in a pre-pack administration deal, and the rescue has secured the future of 1,276 workers.
Full list of Pizza Hut locations set to close
Ashton-under-Lyne
Beckton
Bolton
Bournemouth
Bradford, Vicar Lane
Brighton, Marina
Bristol
Cardiff
Carlisle
Chatham
Clacton
Cortonwood
Crawley
Cribbs Causeway
Croydon
Dudley
Dundee
Durham City
Eastbourne
Edinburgh
Edinburgh, Fountain Park
Edinburgh, Kinnaird Park
Enfield
Falkirk
Feltham
Finchley, Lido
Great Yarmouth
Greenwich
Grimsby
Hartlepool
Hayes
Hereford
Huddersfield
Hull
Inverness
Kettering
Kidderminster
Lancaster
Leeds, Colton Mill
Leeds, Kirkstall Road
Leeds, White Rose
Liverpool
Llanelli
Lowestoft
Manchester Fort
Middlesbrough
Norwich
Oldham
Poole, Tower Park
Portsmouth
Preston
Reading Gate
Rhyl
Rochdale
Romford
Russell Square, London
Scunthorpe
Shrewsbury
Silverlink
Solihull
St Helens
Stratford-upon-Avon
Thanet
Truro
Urmston
Wellingborough
Wigan
Yeovil
A spokesperson for Pizza Hut UK said it was ‘pleased’ to secure the continuation of 64 sites to safeguard its guest experience and protect the associated jobs.
“Approximately 2,259 team members will transfer to the new Yum! equity business under UK TUPE legislation, including above-restaurant leaders and support teams,” the spokesperson said in a statement on Monday.
Nicolas Burquier, who is the Managing Director of Pizza Hut Europe and Canada, called Monday’s agreement a ‘targeted acquisition’, Sky News reports.
Emily Sergeant -
10th November 2021 
