Rigatoni’s has announced the shock closure of its pasta restaurant in Ancoats, saying ‘we have failed not just ourselves, but more importantly our customers and our staff’.
The restaurant used to be known as Sugo Pasta Kitchen, later rebranding to Sud and then on to Rigatoni’s.
At the time of its latest rebrand the restaurant group had four locations around Greater Manchester, but closed its sites in Sale and then at Exhibition food hall.
Ancoats had been Sugo’s second restaurant and was a key part of the neighborhood’s regeneration.
In a statement shared online today, they wrote that the last year had been ‘brutal’ and a ‘massive uphill battle’.
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They wrote that Rigatoni’s had been an attempt to ‘create a more affordable, accessible, but still quality product that could be replicated across many sites’ – but added: “I/we now have to accept that we have failed in this mission.”
Rigatoni’s in Ancoats will close its doors for good on Saturday 25 May.
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As for their final restaurant over in Altrincham, it sounds as though the team will be bringing back in a little bit of the Sugo DNA that made them so loved in Manchester – ‘Pugliese crockery / the small, ever changing and considered menu will be scrawled all over our chalkboard / deliveroo will no longer be a part of what we do’, they wrote.
Rigatoni’s statement in full as they close Ancoats restaurant
I know you all must be sick of the sight of yet another announcement from us, and I can definitely understand why.
The last 12 months (and even going back to covid) have been brutal to say the least. We’ve been on a constant mission to try to make our restaurants sustainable – for us, for our customers, and for our staff, in what has felt like a massive uphill battle, in the midst of conditions that obviously have not been unique to us.
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Rigatoni’s Ancoats is closing for good. Credit: The Manc Group
The latest attempt to do this was in the guise of going all out to create a more affordable, accessible, but still quality product that could be replicated across many sites. I/we now have to accept that we have failed in this mission. The hardest part is that we have failed not just ourselves, but more importantly our customers and our staff, and for this we are truly sorry.
What this means is that unfortunately our Ancoats restaurant will be closing this week, with the last day of service being Saturday the 25th May. We’ve an incredible and talented team of people there, who I know will go on from us to do great things – a huge thank you to them for doing there absolute all in trying to make work whatever we have put before them.
After the journey of the last few years, we’ve really spent time recently considering what the most important values were to us that we held closest when we first started out.
Quite honestly it was simply to create unique, high quality southern Italian inspired dishes, with a small, deeply passionate and committed team, that cannot be found elsewhere. And this is what we want to breathe back into our Altrincham restaurant – to give you a product and a service that you and us can be proud of. We’re not going to be trying to compete with anyone else – we will simply endeavour night and day to be the best possible version of ourselves that we can be, offering a unique experience that will only be found in the walls of our small Altrincham restaurant.
To give you a feel for what I’m talking about – we’ll be bringing back our Pugliese crockery / the small, ever changing and considered menu will be scrawled all over our chalkboard / deliveroo will no longer be a part of what we do / we’ll be committed to the principle of offering nothing ‘standard’. Oh, and our Dad is coming up to help us make this happen!
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We won’t be changing our name (we’ve done this way too many times plus we want to focus all our attention on delivering the above), but I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear that the red will be going! This mission begins in Altrincham from 5pm on Wednesday the 5th June. Until then we will run a normal service.
The new BBQ restaurant beneath a Manchester railway arch where meat is cooked very, VERY slowly
Daisy Jackson
There’s a new BBQ spot beneath a railway arch in Manchester, and it’s cooking its meat very, very slowly.
Sandy’s Smokeshed has just opened in Castlefield, where Sam – and his smoker, Angela – are serving up serious Texas-style BBQ, with queues already stretching out the door.
The idea is simple: take great cuts of meat, cover them generously in seasoning, put them in the smoker and give them all the time they need.
That means beef shin smoked over oak and cherry for 10 hours, eight-hour smoked beef chuck and the Boston Butt, alongside brisket, short ribs, chicken and plenty more.
Sam has always been a fan of BBQ, but decided to take things rather more seriously when he bought the enormous smoker now sitting underneath the arch. It’s a serious piece of kit, cooking the meat from all directions and producing the kind of results where everything practically collapses in your hand.
And the location only adds to the atmosphere. While you’re eating, trains rattle overhead, giving the place an appropriately industrial Manchester soundtrack.
Sandy’s Smokeshed is beneath the arches in CastlefieldOwner Sam seasoning his pulled porkJuicy, pull-apart chicken
The BBQ comes with plenty of proper sides, too, including pit beans and slaw, plus garlic BBQ sauce for pouring over the top.
There are also some particularly good sandwiches, made with Holy Grain sourdough from next door and filled with pulled pork, steak, or braised ox shin.
Sandy’s Smokeshed kicked things off last weekend with a free food, BYOB feast, and judging by the queues, word has travelled quickly.
It’s open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am – but only until they sell out.
Vegetarians, look away now. Everyone else, you’ll want to get there early.
‘A very special day’ – Northern Quarter institution The Trof added to Michelin Guide
Daisy Jackson
Just months after relaunching as a classic pub and dining room, Northern Quarter icon The Trof has been added to the prestigious Michelin Guide.
The long-standing Manchester bar has always been a firm favourite locally for after-work drinks, brunches, and Sunday roasts, but underwent something of a transformation back in April.
Now rebranded from simply ‘Trof’ to ‘The Trof’, the pub has a new, refined menu of British pub classics showcasing top local produce, under the steer of Matt Nellany and Jamie Pickles, of Stow fame.
The pair’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed – just months after its relaunch, The Trof has already landed a spot in the Michelin Guide.
The guide described it as a ‘welcoming’ and ‘no-nonsense’ spot that’s perfect for a lot of things, whether it’s a pint downstairs in the bar or a full meal upstairs in the dining room.
The Trof now joins a list of Manchester’s finest restaurants, including Michelin-starred Skof and Mana, Bib Gourmand-rated spots like El Gato Negro and The Sparrows, plus a raft of other brilliant food spots.
Sharing the achievement, The Trof said: “To think that our little pub on the corner of the Northern Quarter has made it in to the Michelin Guide – makes today a very special day!
“This one’s for the whole team. Up The Trof.”
Downstairs in a refurbished The TrofThe Trof’s new dining room
And adding to that, co-owner Matt Nellany told us: “Trof has been a huge part of my life for almost a decade. I worked here as a manager and General Manager before Jamie and I took ownership, so while the venue has evolved, it has always felt incredibly personal to us.
“We’ve always tried to build on the strong foundations that made Trof such an institution, but earlier this year we made the bold decision to take it in a new direction as a heritage pub and dining room.
“It wasn’t a change we made lightly. Trof was already thriving, but we had a clear vision for what it could become and felt compelled to take that next step. While the transformation may have happened over the last few months, the work and ambition behind it have been building for the best part of five years.
“Seeing the response from our guests has been incredibly rewarding and has made the risk worthwhile.
Pie and steak at The Trof in ManchesterA cherry and pistachio Bakewell pudding
“Whether people have joined us for a pint and a scotch egg, dinner in the dining room, or a Sunday roast, the support we’ve received has meant the world to us. It’s a project we’re immensely proud of, and it’s really special to see both long-time regulars and new visitors embracing this next chapter of Trof.”
The Michelin Guide said: “From its name alone, you could guess that there’s a no-nonsense approach to this red-brick pub in the city’s bustling Northern Quarter.
“Run by the same team as Stow, it’s a welcoming spot where the ground-floor pub is ideal for a pint and a snack, while the upstairs dining room is the setting for mightily appealing British dishes that come with full-force flavour.
“Ox cheek pie with mash and an intense beef sauce is typical of the kind of hearty cooking to expect. As the chef-owner is from the Peak District, expect some version of a Bakewell tart on the menu too.”
Daisy Jackson -
20th May 2024 
