Altrincham restaurant Damò has paid a truly touching but heartbreaking tribute to one of their dearest customers, Haroon Choudry, after learning of his tragic passing last week.
The Italian eatery is a highly-rated spot that is adored among the Alty community and it seems there’s just as much affection being poured out following the recent death of one of their regulars.
Announcing the news on social media, Damò said that they recently learned of the news that their familiar and popular local face, not to mention beyond loyal patron Haroon had sadly passed away following a sudden heart attack.
He was just 56. This really is a tear-jerker but it’s nevertheless beautiful to read.
Entitling the post simply, ‘GOODBYE H’, the emotional farewell message begins, “Never in my life did I think I’d be writing this…
After explaining that someone walked into the restaurant on Saturday morning to inform them of the awful news, co-owner Amro Faisal went on to add: “I didn’t understand. How? He was just here the day before, and the day before that. He was always here.”
Confessing that it made a busy weekend service more difficult, he revealed how a call with his wife was particularly moving as she simply repeated, “He loved you so much, guys! He loved you so much!” – a moment they have described as unforgettable as it was moving.
As they detailed at length, ‘H’ would visit Damò at least three to four times a week, enjoying “his usual single espresso with a glass of water—he didn’t even have to ask; it just came with my coffee.”
“We’d sit, chat, laugh… sometimes I’d forget I was even working”, Amro continued. “He was passionate about cars, especially vintage cars.
“Some days, we’d just sit at the bar table, watching outside on Ashley Road, talking about cars and engines. He could go on for hours, completely in his element, sharing stories and knowledge.”
It’s clear Haroon was just as big a part of the Damò family as the staff. (Credit: DAMO Altrincham via Facebook)
Equally beloved by friends, family and other regulars, he often ate with his wife and two daughters – of which he was always “so proud” – or best mates Bob and Darren, and was constantly singing the restaurant’s praises to everyone he knew. Put simply, they summed him up as a “lovely person.”
The restaurant opened back in the summer of 2023 and has quickly grown a loyal following in the Trafford market town, but none more so than Haroon. Fast forward to February 2025 and members of the Damò team sadly found themselves at the well-respected local GP’s funeral. Just awful.
Still struggling to find the words, the restaurant said: “And now he’s gone. Just like that […] Still in shock. Still heartbroken. He wasn’t just a customer, not even just a regular—he was our Friend. And he left too soon. We had so many things still to do, so many more coffees to share.
The lasting image is one of him last Wednesday evening, 13 February, eating their Tagliatelle Duck Ragu dish. They signed off the post the only way they knew how, adding, “Rest easy, Haroon. You’ll be missed more than words can say.
You only have to look in the comments beneath any of their social posts to see how much he meant to others either, with one person writing: “Like many others, I was very fortunate to know H for more than 20 years and make many great ‘car’ memories with him.
“Softly spoken, with a dry wit, a devoted and very proud husband, Dad, son and great friend, he’ll be deeply missed by so many.”
Our thoughts go out to Haroon’s friends, family and everyone’s lives he touched. Rest in peace.
Inside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Hotel Chocolat has today opened the doors to its first Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester, serving up shakes, hot chocolates, sundaes, and loads more.
Part cafe, part retail space, inside you’ll find everything from molten chocolate fountains to a full range of chocolate boxes, bars and hot chocolate powders.
The popular chocolatier has stores up and down the UK selling its ethically-sourced sweet treats, hitting a new level of fame with its Velvetiser, an invention that creates velvety smooth hot drinks at the touch of a button.
They’ve been so popular, Hotel Chocolat is now opening Velvetiser Cafes across the UK – and Manchester is next.
There are exclusive-to-Manchester-sundaes in store, each one inspired by their most popular chocolates, like a Billionaire’s Shortbread and an Eton Mess.
You can also grab yourself a hot choc shake, with loads of flavours, milks and toppings to choose from.
Hotel Chocolat’s new Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterThe chocolate boxes at Hotel ChocolatInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterMix-and-match hot chocolate selection boxesInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterExclusive-to-Manchester ice cream sundaesCroissant with a molten chocolate potInside the Velvetiser Cafe in ManchesterInside the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe in Manchester
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe also has pastries, which you can order with a side of melted chocolate for dipping and drizzling.
As part of the experience inside, there’s a wall of hot chocolate sachets, which you can mix and match to build your own selection box.
And all along the way there’ll be samples, and loads to learn about the chocolate industry.
The Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser Cafe has officially opened its doors today on Cross Street in Manchester city centre, just next to the new Joe & The Juice.
The old fire station in Salford that’s now home to a bakery, brewery and bar
Daisy Jackson
A former fire station in Salford has been turned into a bustling base for some of the North West’s finest baking and brewing talents.
The Old Fire Station, right beside the University of Salford, is now operating as a bakery, brewery, bar, cafe and restaurant.
That means pastries, bread, pizzas and even beers are made within a few feet of where you’ll be eating and drinking them.
The space is beautiful, still boasting those gigantic red fire station doors and the traditional ceramic tiles that would have been here when the space was still home to fire engines instead of bread mixers.
Around half of the pastries coming out of the bakery, headed up by Erick Molero Delgado (his CV includes top bakeries across the USA and Europe), are completely vegan – not that you can tell from looking at their glossy, laminated layers and extravagant fillings.
We’re talking perfectly cubed laminated brioche with sweet maple flavours, mini pizzettes with olives and tomatoes dotted inside a pastry wall, and striped pain suisse stuffed with nuts and chocolate.
Then there are the not-very-vegan-at-all pastries, like a spandaeur, which is like a croissant and pastel de nata hybrid, and thick slices of Basque cheesecake.
There are new signature ‘Salford bagels’ too developed by assistant head baker Scott Shannon, which are a fusion of North American, German and Jewish styles, fermented for up to 48 hours with a crisp outer shell and a chewy centre.
A spandaeur pastry and a pain suisseHeirloom tomato bruschetta on sourdoughThe bakery line-upThe ‘Salford Bagel’ with smoked salmon
We had ours stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers and raved about it all the way home.
Erick says: “Our new menu is a true labour of love by the whole team – from early ideas and experiments right through to the final bake.
“If someone has an idea, we run with it. That creative freedom is priceless. It keeps the work exciting, and it means our customers have the opportunity to get something fresh every time they visit.”
As for the beers, they’re all made on site too – on the opposite side of The Old Fire Station is Lark Hill Brewery, headed up by Jack Dixon, who’s able to experiment and explore new flavours in this top-spec microbrewery.
Jack Dixon in the Lark Hill BreweryLaminated briocheThe Old Fire Station bakers at work
There are experimental beers, sometimes made in collaboration with researchers at the University, as well as true-to-style classics like a New England Pale Ale and the Lark Helles, a fresh take on a classic German lager.
Jack said: “Having the autonomy to design and brew what I want, without limits, is rare and exciting,.
“It means every beer we pour here has a story and a personality. We’re proud to bring something new to Salford’s craft scene.”
This summer, they’re launching New York-style pizzas, made on slow-fermented, hand-stretched pizza dough.
And very little goes to waste here – the trimmed-off croissant pastry is now being turned into their own croissant loaf, which they’re whipping into French toast for the brunch menu.
Everything at The Old Fire Station is crafted with talent and love, and you can really taste it.
Danny Jones -
20th February 2025 
