A much-loved restaurant in Chorlton has announced its sudden closure, due to ‘insurmountable challenges’.
Amma’s Canteen is a south Indian spot on Barlow Moor Road that’s been wowing fans with its small plates and curries since it opened in 2017.
It also served authentic oothappam, a sort of pizza/crepe hybrid made with rice and lentils then topped with spicy hummus and slow roasted tomato compote.
But in a post shared on its social pages last night, Amma’s Canteen confirmed its immediate and heartbreaking closure.
The family-run eatery has said that the support of its customers has ‘meant the world to us’.
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They cited the rise in product prices and inflation as reasons for the shock closure, saying they can ‘no longer sustain our business’.
Amma’s Canteen also stressed that the decision to close was made with ‘much consideration’ and as a family.
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Their full statement reads: “We regret to announce the closure of Amma’s Canteen. Despite our best efforts, the challenges we’ve faced along this journey have proven insurmountable.
Credit: The Manc GroupCredit: The Manc GroupAmma’s Canteen has announced its closure
“We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support of our loyal customers, but unfortunately, with rising product prices and inflation, we can no longer sustain our business.
“We recognize that this news may disappoint you, but we’ve reached this decision as a family after much consideration.
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“Your support has meant the world to us, and we extend our heartfelt thanks for accompanying us on this journey.”
Amma’s Canteen, which also once starred in an episode of Come Dine With Me: The Professionals, has been flooded with messages of support already.
One person wrote: “So incredibly sorry to hear this, absolutely loved Amma’s and raved about you to everyone. Will miss your insane chicken thoran dosa and chicken 65 so much. Best of luck with the next chapter.”
Another said: “Really sad news this guys. Unfortunately it’s happening to so many businesses at the moment. The government is running them into the ground and doesn’t care.
“Loved your tamarind wings and the lamb biryani was the best I ever tasted. I live 2 mins walk from you and I was proud to have such a fantastic restaurant so close serving special food.
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“I am sure you will be successful in whatever you do next, on Come Dine With me you were the most lovely couple. All the best for the future guys.”
Someone else commented: “So so sorry to hear this- we only got to visit a few times- but you were a firm favourite to us and will be sadly missed by myself and my daughter! Wishing you all the best in the future.”
40-year-old Chinatown restaurant warns ‘we won’t last another decade’ in defiant statement
Daisy Jackson
There are some businesses that feel so much a part of the fabric of Manchester, it’s hard to imagine the city without them.
But a defiant statement from Happy Seasons, a decades-old family-run restaurant in Chinatown, has said that it’s ‘not sure how businesses like ours will survive in this new world’.
They wrote that is ‘feels like everything is stacked against small businesses’ and said ‘we won’t last another 5-10 years’.
Happy Seasons has been a cornerstone of Chinatown for more than 40 years, famed for its roast meats (proudly hung in the windows) and traditional Cantonese dishes.
Everyone who works in the restaurant has been in the trade for more than 20 years, they wrote, adding ‘it’s all they’ve ever known’.
Happy Seasons has said that their type of business – where everything is made fresh, from scratch, daily – is ‘slowly fading’.
They wrote: “Younger generations are slowly stepping away from hospitality. The government continues to increase costs on our industry, while bills, rent, and even basic stock keep rising. Sometimes it feels like everything is stacked against small businesses.”
Roast meats in the windows of Happy SeasonsHappy Seasons has been in Chinatown for more than 40 years
The restaurant added: “We don’t think places like ours will last another decade if things continue the way they are.”
But in their defiant video shared to customers, the Chinese restaurant said: “We’re not going to let that stop us.
“We’re still going to put the hours in. We’re still going to make everything fresh. We’re still not going to cut corners.
“From our sauces and roasted meats to our soy sauce and sweet and sour sauce, so much of what we serve is made from scratch. The time, effort, and cost that go into these everyday dishes are much higher than they used to be.
“Even though it’s costing us more and more to operate, we’re going to do our best to stick around for as long as we can. Because there may come a day when traditional Chinese food, made the old fashioned way, becomes much harder to find here in the UK.
“So let’s make this one hell of a decade. Thank you for all the support over the years. It truly means the world to us.”
It’s since expanded, launching in Sheffield earlier this year – and now Forbici has set its sights on the Trafford Centre.
The Neapolitan pizzeria will be taking over the former Franco Manca site in The Orient, bringing its biga dough and biga crusts with it to its third location.
Pizza dough here is slow-fermented to create a light, risen crust, before being topped with quality ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes and Italian produce.
Forbici will be bringing their Manchester special, the Lancashire Hotpot, to the Trafford Centre – a pizza topped with crisps.
Other signatures include the Provola e Pepe (topped with San Marzano tomato, smoked provola, black pepper and fresh basil), as well as indulgent white-base pizzas such as the Porcini e Tartufo, loaded with Fior di latte, porcini mushrooms, Italian truffle sauce and chives.
Forbici translates as ‘scissors’ in Italian, and pizzas here are always served with scissors rather than a knife and fork – diners are encouraged to snip their dinner into quarters for the ultimate pizza experience.
Toni Dennan at Forbici said: “We don’t believe pizza should ever be ordinary. Forbici is rooted in the traditions of Naples, made with real craft and precision, but it’s also built with the energy, creativity and ambition of the cities and locations we call home.
“Every detail matters to us, from the dough and ingredients to the atmosphere in the pizzeria. Opening at Trafford Centre gives us the opportunity to bring that experience to even more people and show that pizza, when it’s done properly, can still surprise, delight and create a real sense of occasion.”
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said: “We’re delighted to announce that Forbici will be joining us at Trafford Centre, adding to our ever-evolving range of fantastic restaurants.
“As a local success story, we’re thrilled to be championing another Manchester success story, and look forward to sampling some of their delicious pizzas when they open this summer.”
Forbici will open at The Orient at the Trafford Centre this summer.
Daisy Jackson -
22nd April 2024 
