For 159 years, Robinson’s Bakery in Failsworth – known as the home of the Manchester tart – has been run by the same family.
First established in 1864 the business has survived two World Wars, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a quarter million pound energy bill at the start of the cost of living crisis.
It’s a properly Mancunian, family-run business and has been for over a century, but now its owners are ready to retire, and so they’ve put the business up for sale, marking the end of an era.
For decades, Robinson’s has widely been considered the best place to get a Manchester tart – comprised of a shortcrust pastry shell spread with raspberry jam and custard filling, topped with flakes of coconut and a Maraschino cherry.
Ever since the traditional pudding’s inception, Mancunians in the know have flocked to Robinson’s for the goodies. Now, though, that all looks like it could change, despite the business being “busier than ever.”
In recent years, the business has been run mostly by David Robinson and his daughter, Grace, but over the weekend the family took to social media to tell their followers the ‘time had come’ to put the bakery up for sale.
Image: Robinson’s Bakery
Image: Robinson’s Bakery
Explaining that it ‘is the right decision for us as a family’, Emma wrote that “Mum and Dad are ready to retire”, before adding, “and the chance of a lifetime has come my way.”
Reassuring fans of their bakery that they “will be here, doing exactly what we do best, for as long as it takes to find the right new people to guide our fabulous team into the future”, the post made it clear that they won’t be rushing out of the door before finding suitable owners to take over the treasured bakery.
The family also emphasised the importance that the bakery’s new owner wanted to be a part of their ‘amazing community’ in Failsworth.
The full post read: “Well the time has come for us put our bakery up for sale.
“As crazy as this is, as we are busier than ever, it is the right decision for us as a family. Mum and Dad are ready to retire and the chance of a lifetime has come my way.
“Don’t worry, we will be here, doing exactly what we do best, for as long as it takes to find the right new people to guide our fabulous team in to the future and be part of our amazing community here in Failsworth.
“If this is you, or you know someone it would be perfect for please get in touch!
“Grace, Emma, Sue and David x”
Featured image – Robinson’s Bakery
Eats
Inside Soots, the tiny new pasta restaurant in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
There’s another success story coming out of Altrincham Market – pasta kitchen Soots has gone and opened its very own restaurant in the Northern Quarter.
Owners and co-founders Ellie Proudfoot and Ruth Duarte have taken the leap to their very own bricks and mortar site on Tib Street, where they can serve up their handmade fresh pasta in their own restaurant space.
Named after their cocker spaniel Soots, the restaurant opens officially tomorrow.
The pair had hoped that Altrincham Market would be a launchpad to them eventually opening their first restaurant – and it’s worked brilliantly.
Inside Soots, it’s a cosy space with amazing green arches along the walls and a huge window that opens out onto this iconic Northern Quarter street.
Soots will again have a fully plant-based menu, broken down into snacks, small plates, pasta and puddings.
Everything is plant-basedEverything is plant-basedThe menu at SootsFresh, handmade pastaSmall plates
Expect heritage tomatoes with stracciatella and basil oil, butternut squash and chilli arancini, and a beautiful dish of marinated beetroot.
As for the pasta, there’ll be rigatoni with browned butter and confit tomatoes, sundried tomato-filled girella, and a lovely basil pesto spaghetti (a firm favourite from their Altrincham Market days).
And it wouldn’t be a pasta kitchen without a tiramisu on the dessert menu, along with lemon and olive oil ice cream, and white chocolate mousse.
Soots Pasta has been the first solo venture for Ellie, who used to work as a private chef as well as at restaurants around the region.
She’s taken her background – which includes culinary school in France – to create this modern European menu that takes inspiration from Italy.
What’s not immediately obvious, on reading the menu or eating it, is that everything on the Soots Pasta menu is entirely vegan – and they have gluten-free pasta available on request.
Soots Pasta is on Tib Street and officially opens on Saturday 9 Augst.
A mobile Manc cocktail bar is rolling into a thriving new Greater Mancheser neighbourhood
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has plenty of up-and-coming areas both here in the city centre and out in the boroughs, and one of those – Middlewood Locks over in Salford – is about to be treated to its own mobile cocktail bar.
You’ve got to love a Manc-born and bred independent business.
The canalside New Makers Yards apartments on Middlewood Locks are some of the most desirable new homes and flats you’ll find on the outskirts of the city, but with their on-site Seven Brothers pub sadly closing earlier this year, it is lacking one key thing: somewhere to drink.
However, with Cocktail Cartel MCR rolling into town for National Rum Day, residents can get a taste of, hopefully, what’s more to come.
Cocktail Cartel is a brand new, completely independent mobile bar that’s already starting to take the events industry by storm.
Serving unique and innovative creations (including plenty involving Captain Jack’s go-to tipple), they’ll be slinging cocktails to the New Makers Yards natives along the stunning and ever-thriving Middlewood Locks this month.
Created by Katie and Erik, who have been working in Manchester’s hospitality scene for nearly 20 years combined, these two have a passion for supporting fellow local indies and bringing amazing drinks to the table wherever the opportunity presents itself.
From their ‘Grown Up Coke Float’, which has all the punch of a classic Long Island Iced Tea only with a scoop of toffee ice cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles thrown in there, to a Pedro Pascal-inspired tequila numbers (yes, really), they have a lot of fun behind that bar.
Better still, most of their spirits are coming from local legends, Spirit of Manchester, and for this particular upcoming event, it wouldn’t be right to host National Rum Day in 0161’s second city without a gorgeous bit of Salford Rum.
But it doesn’t stop at just cocktails; the Cartel will also be pouring pints from nearby Track Brewery among various other regional favourites.
Once again, they’ll be popping up at New Makers Yard on Saturday, 16 August from noon onwards, promising rum, cocktails, beer, wine, cider and softies – so let’s just hope we get plenty of sun for it.
Keep an eye on their socials for how you might be able to grab some freebies also…
If you visited the most recent edition of Middlewood Locks Fest, you know this place is buzzing when the weather hits just right and the drinks are flowing. See you there.
Georgina Pellant -
24th July 2023 
