Eats

Shoppers fume as Lipton Ice Tea axes ‘best’ flavour

What. On. Earth.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 19th March 2025

Another day, another heartbreaking discontinued brand – and this time it’s Lipton Ice Tea letting us down.

The popular soft drink company announced yesterday that one of its best-selling flavours, which many fans argue is its best flavour full stop, will soon cease to exist.

There are a lot of unhappy ice tea fans out there today…

Lipton Ice Tea broke the news yesterday that its Peach flavoured drink is being discontinued, and gave absolutely no logical reasoning for it.

The summer staple, perfect poolside drink, hangover cure, sweet and fruity fix in a bottle, is leaving our fridges.

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They wrote in a post titled ‘Rest in Peach’: “You may have heard that our iconic Peach Lipton Ice Tea flavour is getting discontinued. We know – it hurts (sorry if we’ve ruined your go-to afternoon chill bev).”

Lipton Ice Tea then continued: “But don’t worry, the rest of your faves are still here to keep you refreshed.

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“And who knows? Maybe one day, Peach will make a legendary comeback. We appreciate your understanding during this period of adjustment and apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

@_adammoore

💔 #fyp #lipton #peachicedtea

♬ original sound – ʚĭɞ

One gutted fan commented: “how tf does a company discontinue arguably it’s best seller.”

Another said: “This is like Coca Cola discontinuing Coke.”

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Someone else wrote: “PLEASE tell me this is a joke don’t play with my emotions like this xxx”

And one person said: “Please rethink this decision im going to throw up.”

On TikTok, someone said: “With Lipton Peach Iced Tea gone, a part of me feels lost. It was a comforting escape in this hectic world, and now every empty shelf reminds me of the void it’s left behind.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

New Almost Famous owners praised for ‘honest’ statement about burger joint

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson New Almost Famous owners praised for 'honest' statement about burger joint

The new owners of Almost Famous have released a lengthy statement addressing the legendary burger joint’s shock closure and sudden reopening.

The statement touches on everything from hiring back old teams to reopening those remaining venues that didn’t survive the takeover.

And this ‘transparent and honest communication’ has earned them a wave of praise from fans, who say it’s a ‘breath of fresh air’.

In their statement shared a week after reopening Almost Famous, D2 – the company behind PINS Social Club bowling bar in Liverpool – addressed plenty of the rumours and noise surrounding the high-profile closure.

“No, it wasn’t a publicity stunt,” they stressed, adding: “It wasn’t a pre-planned takeover – we saw the news at the same time everyone else and acted quickly.”

Addressing the staff who were made redundant when former Almost Famous operator Beautiful Drinks shut the brand down, D2 assured followers that they have ‘hired as many of the old team as we could’.

And as for their outstanding wages, they added: “We moved heaven and earth to get them a pay check in February as we knew they hadn’t been paid since December.

New Almost Famous owners praised for 'honest' statement about burger joint
New Almost Famous owners praised for 'honest' statement about burger joint
Food at Almost Famous since D2’s takeover of the legendary burger brand. Credit: The Manc Group

“It was really important to be able to reopen the venues quickly – we wanted to get staff back into their jobs and keep the existing suppliers -otherwise it wouldn’t have been the same brand we all loved, would it?

“If we hadn’t been able to reopen at the speed that we did – then the existing teams would have had to look at new jobs and we’d have risked losing brilliant people. If you don’t believe us ask them.”

When D2 took over Almost Famous, they had initially toyed with the idea of having it as the food operator in its PINS Social Club, but instead swiftly reopened the restaurants in the Northern Quarter and in Liverpool – though its Leeds and Great Northern sites never got back to slinging burgers.

On that, they said: “Leeds – we’ve not forgotten you. Ideally we’d have all four sites reopen now but the lease agreements were more complicated for Leeds and Great Northern. We had to prioritise the sites we knew we’d be able to save and we’re hoping that we’ll be able to look for new sites soon.”

Since sharing their statement on Instagram, Almost Famous has been flooded with praise from customers for their honest take.

One person wrote: “Great to read such an open and transparent statement about everything, especially regarding the old staff, and their pay, the staff at the NQ have always been one of the reasons I’ve kept visiting anytime I’m up in Manchester.

“I’m looking forward to making a visit at the end of the month when I’m up in the city for an overnight stay.”

Another commented: “This is awesome! I love how upfront and honest you have been with all of this. Taking the OG team back too – more businesses need to take this lead! Good luck with your amazing future, I’ll be bobbing in to get my AF fix ASAP.”

And someone else said: “This is honestly such a positive sign. The fact you’re being completely transparent is a breath of fresh air – I had no idea the previous owners hadn’t paid their staff. I really hope the Leeds branch opens again.”

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Featured image: The Manc Group

Eats

Manchester’s Joy Division-inspired bar has shut down, to be replaced with ramen restaurant

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Manchester's Joy Division-inspired bar Disorder has shut down, to be replaced with ramen restaurant Maki and Ramen

A bar in the heart of Manchester that was inspired by the legendary Joy Division has quietly closed its doors, and its spot in the Northern Quarter already snapped up by a new operator.

Disorder opened in 2023 on High Street, taking over the former Walrus bar and turning it into a restaurant and bar inspired by one of the city’s most famous bands, with decor including a mural of Ian Curtis himself, painted by the legendary local street artist Akse-P19.

Disorder has now quietly closed its doors, with its social media pages falling silent.

But the site itself won’t stay quiet for long – a new application has already been lodged for a popular ramen and sushi spot to move in.

Maki and Ramen have submitted plans to open another of its Japanese restaurants here in the Northern Quarter, pretty much down the street from their existing, and very busy, York Street.

The brand started life in Edinburgh, before opening more restaurants across Glasgow, Leeds, and arriving in Manchester in 2023.

Founder Teddy Lee spent time studying the art of both ramen and sushi making in the heart of Tokyo to hone the menu at Maki and Ramen.

Maki and Ramen is taking the former Disorder site in the Northern Quarter
Maki and Ramen is taking the former Disorder site in the Northern Quarter. Credit: The Manc Group

Now you’ll find sushi, side plates and other mains, including classic tonkotsu ramen, steak tataki and salmon miso.

The interior of the existing restaurant is filled with pink cherry blossoms, and the walls are adorned with post-it notes that customers sign and leave well-wishes on.

Disorder had been serving an Asian fusion menu, which features items like Japanese sandos, loaded skewers, and tostadas, but was best-known for its live events down in its basement.

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Featured image: The Manc Group

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