Stretford Foodhall, a local favourite that’s been at the heart of an entire town centre’s regeneration, has announced its shocking and sudden closure.
The business, which is part retailer and part food hall, said that it has been a ‘tortuous few years’ and that it will be closing for good next week.
Stretford Foodhall is part of the General Stores group, perhaps best-known for operating Ancoats General Store.
While the bulk of the business has always been about crafting the region’s ‘coolest cornershops’, where you can browse local produce and products alongside your usual essentials, Stretford Foodhall was a new offering entirely.
A huge portion of their site on the edge of Stretford Mall was given over to a dining space, with an ever-rotating selection of local traders taking up residence in the kitchens.
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Stretford Foodhall was quickly award-winning and has often been praised for helping to kick-start the area’s regeneration.
But they have now written that they have ‘no more left in the tank’ and will close for good on Sunday 11 February.
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In a lengthy statement, signed by founder Mital Morar, they wrote that they had had problems from their opening in 2019, when they were ‘too busy with not enough seats’.
Egg & Co was a recent trader at Stretford Foodhall. Credit: The Manc GroupWaffle Kart also had a residency at Stretford Foodhall. Credit: The Manc Group
Stretford Foodhall then said it never properly recovered from the impact of Covid, which struck less than a year after its launch.
Mital’s open letter stated: “We are acutely aware, on this journey of survival, we have let some people down. We apologise unreservedly for this and hope to make right one day.”
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It continued by praising its ‘individual and amazing’ staff, and thanking all the many food traders, pop ups, breweries, and artists who have been part of the journey over the last five years.
Stretford Foodhall’s statement concluded: “As a Manchester born and bred business, local and independent, our confidence and Ikigai (as Masako once taught us) has been knocked. It has been a tortuous few years. But we get up and fight daily. Whilst we are closing, we haven’t given up. We look forward to serving you again one day… for now see us at @generalstores_.”
The news of the closure comes less than a year after the group shut down its Sale Foodhall.
It comes with great sadness and torment that we have decided to close on Sunday 11th February 2024
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Opening in 2019 to much risk and applaud we very quickly had problems! We were too busy, didn’t have enough seats and had to evolve very quickly. A good problem! For all the naysayers, Stretford supported us and we couldn’t have been happier.
We hadn’t even traded one year and along came covid and changed all that. We haven’t ever really recovered. Whilst trading through, winning awards, doing takeaway food and coffee, we evolved as much as we could with what we could post covid. Entering inflation, cost of living crisis and this crazy enduring energy situation… we have no more left in the tank.
We continue to be involved with the GMCA dialogue to support them in lobbying government for change in the hospitality sector. Too many friends are suffering and we stand with you.
We are very concious of our strengths and weaknesses. We are very concious of the current environment and we have tried our best with all the headwinds to make a go of it and keep going for the greater good. We are grateful for the support from our customers, our relationships with food traders and suppliers. We appreciate BRUNTWOOD who helped where they could and we have no doubt the new and final vision will deliver the goods. Sadly, our part in this journey cannot continue.
We are acutely aware, on this journey of survival, we have let some people down. We apologise unreservedly for this and hope to make right one day. As you know, our roots are embedded in retail. We will continue on this journey and navigate this tough environment there.
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This message is written by Mital, as Proprietor. This closure isn’t a reflection of our colleagues in branch, they too have endured a tough ride of uncertainty and changing decisions day to day. We have had to become an operation we don’t aspire to be and this too cannot continue. We Thank You for your service and will support your roles and continuity as best we can. You are all individual and amazing and we wish you only the best for the future.
We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the food traders, creatives, pop ups, breweries, artists and more who have engaged and explored this road with us in Stretford. Our warmest wishes to our business neighbours and community friends who have humbled us with your friendship. We will meet again one day.
As a Manchester born and bred business, local and independent, our confidence and Ikigai (as Masako once taught us) has been knocked. It has been a tortuous few years. But we get up and fight daily. Whilst we are closing, we haven’t given up. We look forward to serving you again one day… for now see us at @generalstores_
Thank You Thank You… Mital & Family
Featured image: Publicity picture
News
Tesco are introducing ‘VAR-style’ self-checkouts in the UK
Danny Jones
Many people think VAR has already gone too far and want it gone from football full stop, and we’re here to tell you that you’re a fool; your hopes are in vain, and the technology is only going to become more common as time goes on. Sorry.
So much so, in fact, that Tesco look are bringing in their own virtual referee into self-checkout systems in shops. You could say the ‘game’s gone…’
Of course, we’re being a bit flippant here, but if you have seen ‘VAR’ and ‘Tesco‘, you’re not seeing things: this is genuinely a thing that is being rolled out here in the UK, with video footage of the supermarket chain’s next self-checkout technology going viral online.
Thought you’d got away with sneaking an extra little something in the bag without paying? Think again.
— UB1UB2 West London (Southall) (@UB1UB2) May 28, 2025
We’ll admit, this was the first time we’d come across the technology, but as it turns out, the updated self-checkout service has been in place for a while.
Similar VAR checkouts have already been installed at other retailers, Sainsbury’s and ASDA, although some reports claim that while stores capture footage of shoppers to check if they’ve scanned all of their items, it is thought that not all of these self-service tills show a playback when an error is detected.
Although this particular speculation has sparked some uproar and debate online, many have quite rightly pointed out that CCTV records your movement in any given shop.
Regardless, it’s fair to say that aside from the obvious memes and people poking fun at the new system, many on social media have shared some pretty strong opinions on the matter.
Not that it matters much – it’s likely this will soon become increasingly the norm, with the likes of Sainsbury’s having already introduced barriers which require customers to scan their receipt in order to leave at branches such as the site on Regent Road Retail Park over in Salford.
As yet, it’s unclear how many of these new self-service tills are in operation and whether they are limited to larger supermarket locations of their Express convenience stores, but don’t be surprised if you come across one.
Put simply, if a barcode isn’t registered before being put on the scale and/or set aside to be packed away, the Tesco till will read: “The last item wasn’t scanned properly. Remove from bagging area and try again.”
Addressing these new VAR-style checkouts in an official statement, a company spokesperson said: “We are always looking at technology to make life easier for our customers.
“We have recently installed a new system at some stores which helps customers using self-service checkouts identify if an item has not been scanned properly, making the checkout process quicker and easier.”
What do you make of the new Tesco and their new VAR self-checkout technology?
Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd February 2024 
