A new campaign is being launched to stop no-shows at restaurants – which cost the hospitality sector a devastating £16bn per year.
Statistics show that 25 per cent of people who book tables online do not turn up for their reservations.
The new #NOMORENOSHOWS campaign, launching on Thursday (July 16) has been designed to halt this from happening as restaurants and bars struggle to get back on their feet.
Hospitality has had to make numerous sacrifices to reopen in the current climate, cutting capacity to ensure social distancing measures and serving limited menus with fewer staff.
According to hospitality recruitment consultancy, Sixty Eight People, just a small number of no shows may now be the difference between business success or failure.
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Antonia Lallement from Gusto Italian has joined forces with this organisation to unveil the #NOMORENOSHOWS campaign in Greater Manchester; aiming to spread awareness and change behaviour.
Abi Dunn, founder of Sixty Eight People, explained: “Our beloved hospitality industry is fighting for its life after the catastrophic events of the last three months. We are slowly getting back on our feet but let’s be blunt – with already reduced capacity we simply won’t survive if the current level of no shows continue.
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“British people tend to feel embarrassed about cancelling. We want to say it’s OK to cancel, in fact you’re helping us out! In no other area of business is it acceptable to renege on a contract in this way. We have to change the way people behave and the notion that no shows are acceptable.
“Greater Manchester is a metropolis of bars, dining, coffee hang outs, gastronomic delights and nights to remember. Please help them all stay open!”
The movement starts with a social media ‘thunderclap’ on Thursday 16 July at 10am and hopes to reach as many potential customers across the region as possible – making the process of cancelling tables in advance “as natural as leaving a tip for good service.”
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Hospitality leaders, operators and employees will be posting the #NOMORENOSHOWS tile on Instagram, calling on their own network of customers, family and friends to share the image, too.
The #NOMORENOSHOWS encourages customers to embrace a simple philosophy:
The campaign has already gained support from the region’s hospitality leaders, including CEO of Northern Restaurant & Bar Manchester, Thom Hetherington.
Thom said: “A ‘one-size fits all’ approach of deposits or similar won’t work for every restaurant, and the brilliance of this campaign is that it isn’t prescriptive, it leaves spaces for individual operators to put their own processes in place.
“‘No showing’ has to become socially and morally unacceptable behaviour amongst diners everywhere. It damages businesses and can cost peoples’ jobs, and no one should want to have that on their conscience.
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“With a large but close-knit hospitality industry, including some very powerful voices, I think Manchester is perfectly placed to lead the charge with a campaign for no more no shows.”
Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester is also behind the campaign.
“We already know how tight margins are with restaurants, but sadly over the last couple of weeks, many operators are reporting no shows on bookings,” he commented.
“With the sector already on it’s knees, we need to support the industry and help wherever we can.
“If you want to cancel your booking, that’s totally fine, but please let the restaurant know, the earlier the better, so that they can rebook your table.”
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Recent viral tweets from well-known Manchester operators have also emphasised the need for action.
Anyone wishing to show their support for the sector and receive the tile and message ahead of Thursday should email [email protected] or DM any of Sixty Eight People on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
The Manc is helping local businesses and venues get back on their feet after lockdown with our #BuzzingToBeBack campaign – offering as much support and exposure for Manchester hospitality as possible.
Read more about what we’re doing for the industry here.
Eats
The two best bakeries in Greater Manchester, according to the Good Food Guide
Daisy Jackson
The Good Food Guide has released its list of the top bakeries across the UK – and two in Greater Manchester have made the cut.
The prestigious guide has been travelling across the nation testing out the joy of British bakeries, from pastries to loaves to biscuits.
50 bakeries around the UK have been selected, ‘from a makeshift industrial unit in Devon to a radically remote destination in the Scottish Highlands and a must-visit spot in Mid Wales’.
Greater Manchester, as we know, has no shortage of great bakeries, whether it’s queueing for ages for an artisan pastry at La Chouquette, the ever-changing specials at Half Dozen Other in the Green Quarter, or delicious bakes and breads at Companio.
The Good Food Guide has said that the nation is going through something of a ‘modern baking boom’ and selected two spots locally that are doing it better than anyone else.
The first is Pollen, a legendary bakery which started life under a railway arch near Manchester Piccadilly, where people would queue all morning for a cruffin (at the time, this was revolutionary).
The team have now gone on to open a sunny waterside cafe at Ancoats Marina, and another in the leafy Kampus neighbourhood.
Pollen in AncoatsPollen in AncoatsPollen at KampusPollen at KampusCredit: The Manc Group
The Good Food Guide praised Pollen for its ‘quality viennoiserie and sourdough loaves’.
The Good Food Guide says of Pollen: “Since the aroma of fresh croissants first wafted from the ovens of the original bakery in Ancoats, Pollen has established something of a cult status in Manchester for its quality viennoiserie and sourdough loaves.
“A second, larger outpost at the Kampus development in the Piccadilly area is a serene, putty-hued space looking onto a lush courtyard garden where you can linger over a lunch of BBQ mushrooms on toast with celeriac and salsa verde or Jerusalem artichoke soup with herb butter.
“The counter also advertises a handsome selection of sweet treats: our surprisingly delicate matcha cheesecake was a sure sign of the pastry team’s skills.”
Long Boi’s Bakehouse in Levenshulme. Credit: The Manc Group
The second of the bakeries in Greater Manchester to catch the eye of the Good Food Guide is the brilliant Long Bois over in Levenshulme, a sunny, colourful little bakery which first rocketed to fame for its homemade pop tarts.
The guide said: “A small team of all-female bakers turns out a satisfyingly creative selection of sweet and savoury bakes – perhaps a pandan lamington (a take on the coconut-drenched Aussie classic) or an ‘everything bagel’ croissant stuffed with dill, spring onion and cream cheese – while classic cakes and pastries are presented with equal doses of flavour and flourish.
“With a tiny production kitchen, bread comes from the also-excellent Holy Grain Sourdough in Manchester city centre. Like any self-respecting neighbourhood bakery, they sell out quickly – so get there early.”
Where’s your favourite bakery in Greater Manchester?
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as naughty
Danny Jones
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked that finally landed in Manchester this month – or, more accurately, the massive lines that followed.
Well, what if we told you were about to do the same all over again very soon?
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Credit: Get Baked (via Instagram)
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES! Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar’, people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Our friends over at The Hoot weren’t lying when they said this place was going to make a big splash when it landed in 0161 – and no, we won’t be telling you how much we’ve spent there already.
As for the Pistachio Bertha, Get Baked has confirmed that although there will only be a limited amount of portions up for grabs, it will be available both in person and to order online.
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
We’re also glad to hear she is on the mend following a recent health scare; we hope she eats as many slices of Pistachio Bertha as possible to celebrate. Big love and stay healthy – The Manc x
The Manc -
14th July 2020 
