In another gutting bit of Manc hospitality news, local favourite pizza spot PLY has sadly announced that it will be shutting down its long-standing location in the Northern Quarter.
Having grown to become a foodie and nightlife institution over on Lever Street and remaining one of the most popular pizza places in town pretty much since day one, PLY has been a mainstay on the Manchester culinary scene for nearly a decade.
Known for enticing mid-week deals that always welcomed back a regular crowd, great deals and discounts for students that always ensured it had an atmosphere well into the evenings, and serving up consistently delicious pizza and welcoming other independent traders, it’s a tough one to take.
PLY confirmed the gutting news in a lengthy post on their social media pages on Wednesday, 19 June, revealing that this will be the last week for people to visit their original NQ home.
The emotional statement confirming PLY’s closure reads as follows: “With a heavy heart, after nearly 10 years at Stevenson Square, this is our FINAL WEEK.
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“Opening back in March 2015, PLY, originally born as Neapolitan Pizza Joint, dazzled customers with its trendy art and giant Mirror Tiled Pizza Oven. A staple of the Northern Quarter food and drink scene throughout the years. Most recently, with the introduction of Independent food traders including Mickys, Cardinal Rule and Lazy Tony’s.
“Unfortunately, after 10 years, our home at 26 Lever Street is in need of some major TLC and renovations that are sadly out of our hands, which is why the decision to close our venue has been made…
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“We would love to say a huge thank you to our amazing staff, a team we are so proud of and know for sure will all go on to smash it. You truly are all (past and present) Amazing.
“Our wonderful independent traders Mickys, Cardinal Rule and Lazy Tony’s, our fantastic suppliers and contractors, our security team [and] everyone that has run an event at PLY over the years.
PLY Northern Quarter is closing after being a go-to pizza spot for the best part of 10 years. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
“The legend that being is Brian (if you’ve been fortunate to have ever met Brian you will know how much of a rock he is to all of us at PLY), you have all made this a truly wonderful ride, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
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“Most of all, YOU, our fantastic customers and supporters, our regulars and now friends that have joined us for a pint, a birthday or even a wedding reception throughout the years, to you we say thank tou.
“But for now, we hope to see you all over this final week at PLY to say one final farewell. Come drink the place dry on Saturday (there will be big discounts).
As mentioned, the PLY brand as a whole will survive through the remaining locations in King Pins at Manchester Arndale Arndale, Trafford Palazzo, New Century and The Dockyard over at Barons Quay in Northwich, so at least it’s not goodbye completely.
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They also revealed that new tenants are set to move in and transform the space very soon, so the place you spent all those nights scanning slices isn’t gone forever and we eagerly await to see who takes over the reins.
Nevertheless, rest in peace to the original PLY and thanks for the memories.
adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to reward themselves with free Nell’s pizza this weekend, thanks to a collaboration with adidas and JD.
The sportswear giants will be teaming up with one of the city’s top pizza spots to hand out the ultimate post-race reward at Kampus this Sunday.
It’s all to celebrate the launch of the new adidas EVO SL ATRs, a shoe that’s built with running miles in mind.
And there’ll be a chance to grab an exclusive t-shirt too, and have your official marathon finish time branded on-site.
adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal / Credit: Supplied
As well as a free slice of Nell’s famous New York-style pizza and a drink, Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to enter into a range of giveaways, with prizes including the EVO SL ART, adidas merch, and range of other prizes.
And you’ll be recovering with a slice in hand and a live DJ keeping the post-race energy high
All you need to do is show your Manchester Marathon medal at Nell’s at Kampus, to grab your free slice, and check out adidas and JD’s latest drop.
Friends and family are encouraged to join too – after all, all runners know a marathon isn’t possible without that support crew.
There are also a bunch of giveaways and more to look forward to / Credit: Supplied
Pizza slices will be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis, so make sure your sprint to Nell’s is your fastest yet.
Thankfully, the adidas EVO SL’s are built for speed…
adidas x JD x Nell’s – Manchester Marathon event
Taking place on Sunday 19 April, from 12pm to 8pm
Free pizza slice and a drink when you show your Manchester Marathon medal (while stocks last)
Exclusive merch and great prize giveaways from adidas and JD
Plus photo moments, live DJs, and more
Find it at The Bungalow, Kampus, M1 3GL (next to Nell’s)
Sacha Lord set to back local hospitality again with money behind the bar of one Greater Manchester pub
Danny Jones
Local figure Sacha Lord is once again looking to help support Greater Manchester’s food and drink scene once again this spring by putting a total of £2.5k behind the bar of one lucky pub.
Well, let’s be honest, we’re about to be the real lucky ones.
It’s far from the first time that the Night Time Economy Advisor has done this, having previously put sizeable sums towards shared tabs on a few ocassions over the last few years.
Lining up his next handout for this coming early May bank holiday (perfect timing), it’s going to be a super and potentially very sloppy Sunday…
Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester.
Bank Holiday Sunday 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.
Sharing the video above online earlier this week, the 54-year-old simply wrote, “Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester. Bank Holiday Sunday, 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
The message is as straightforward as ever: “Support your local pub.”
Now obviously, the fact that people can reply with their go-to boozers and help influence the decision is one thing – something that has certainly always created an attraction each time he’s done this – but it’s also just a good way of marketing these watering holes to begin with.
Whether or not someone’s favourite public house tucked away in one of the 10 boroughs, or their bar of choice here in Manchester city centre, ends up being selected or not, it’s obviously great publicity having their names plastered on a notable social media account.
This is especially so when you see how much the post itself ends up being reshared and the overall exposure Lord ultimately lends them via creating such a big crowd discussion.
Here’s hoping we get proper beer garden weather over that long weekend.
It’s also worth noting that the further support stunts like this have helped garner support for other regional businesses – in particular, indies that are battling the cost of living crisis and so many other challenges within the sector – has proved crucial for some places to stay open to begin with.
A good example is the Thirsty Korean, who teamed up with the Altrincham-born entrepreneur to cover hundreds of bills back in 2023, and has now been able to expand into a larger venue down the road from their original Chorlton location.
The obstacles facing the hospitality industry remain varied and numerous, but gestures like this can go a long way to helping prop up those who need it.
Danny Jones -
19th June 2024 
