Street food isn’t exactly an unfamiliar concept to most of us at this point – but there’s a new(ish) market taking place every weekend that’s putting Wigan firmly on the map.
Feast at The Mills is a brand new destination for the borough, taking place just across the water from the iconic Wigan Pier.
A courtyard surrounded by industrial heritage, from the ‘boiler house’ to the towering brick chimneys, is now stuffed with street food vendors, shipping container bars, and live music.
It’s the first of its kind for Wigan, and it’s hoped it will act as an incubator for the permanent food hall, currently under development in the neighbouring Mill One building.
Feast at the Mills has brought together a cluster of different traders for its kitchens – there’s Hastie’s Crispy Chicken, Christakis, Dough So Good, and Block Streak Shop operating in the main courtyard, then Velvets and Coffee Lounge positioned in other parts of the development.
A ‘Casino Shed’ stage area, surrounded by colourful streamers, hosts live music every weekend, from local bands and artists to DJs playing a range of Northern Soul, jazz, acoustic and even house music.
There are several (heated) outdoor seating areas, including a secondary courtyard with mismatched chintzy lampshades hanging from the ceiling.
The main indoor space, known as The Ritz, has LED lights draped from its beams, colourful windows, a bar wedged in the corner, a big screen for sport events, and a mix of furniture that includes old theatre seats.
And a smaller indoor snug space comes with a roaring fire and comfortable sofas to have a brew on.
Feast at The Mills in WiganThe Snug at Feast at The Mills in WiganFeast at The Mills in Wigan
Basically – it’s a pretty cool space, which was supposed to close at the end of last year but has stormed back for 2024.
Feast at the Mills has called on independent businesses from across the north west while the wider 17-acre Eckersley Mill complex is redeveloped (it will eventually become a mixture of housing and offices with a rooftop restaurant and a food hall in the plans).
Hastie’s Fried Chicken are famed for their 24-hour brined chicken, which they’re serving as pieces, wings and burgers, like the salt and pepper brioche burger slathered in katsu curry sauce, along with loaded fries.
There’s delicious Greek street food from Christakis, who have a menu of gyros, mezze plates, and halloumi fries, and Neapolitan pizzas from Dough So Good.
Salt and pepper chicken burger from HastiesPhilly cheese steak from Block Steak Shop at Feast at The Mills in Wigan
Block Steak Shop’s menu is filled with meat (unsurprisingly) like Philly cheese steak hoagies, bavette and chips, and burgers, plus deep-fried dauphinoise and loaded chorizo fries.
Speaking back at the time of Feast at The Mills’ launch last autumn, Owen James, of Hastie’s, said: “Being Wigan born and bred, Feast at The Mills is a brilliant opportunity to get on board with an exciting development on the local food scene, and when I heard about it, I knew Hastie’s had to be part of it.”
When it opened, Feast at The Mills set out to be ‘Wigan’s Weekend Destination’, and it’s nailing its own brief.
A long-standing Italian restaurant in Trafford has sadly announced its imminent closure
Danny Jones
Another day, another bit of unfortunate hospitality news, as long-standing Greater Manchester restaurant, Little Italy in Timperley, has announced it is closing permanently very soon.
The Trafford favourite, which has been serving locals for nearly 20 years, has informed regular diners that it will sadly be closing its doors for good, with Little Italy’s final service set for later this month.
Having earned plenty of praise in its time, including being one of the few spots in and around the Altrincham area to have won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2015, before the borough saw its foodie boom begin.
But fast forward a decade, and the Timperley institution is yet another culinary casualty to be confirmed of late, with Little Italy sharing a tear-jerking statement online.
Sharing the tragic news on social media this Friday (5 Sep), the restaurant wrote: “To all our lovely customers, it is with a heavy heart that we share some news with you all. After over 18 years of serving you all in Timperley, we will be closing our doors later this month.
“This has not been an easy decision. Unfortunately, rising costs and a significant increase in rental [costs] have made it impossible to continue in a sustainable way. As much as we love what we do, the reality is that it has become too difficult to maintain under these circumstances.
“Over the coming weeks, we will continue to cook with love and serve with the same passion as always. We would love to see you all and share one more meal, and raise a glass together.”
Safe to say that the post has been met with an outpouring of condolences and support from natives nearby and those who have travelled to enjoy their food.
Little Italy went on to add that they will detail more about their final week of business as soon as possible.
They can’t be accused of not keeping up with times and not trying to promote via social media either, as they small family-run team – headed up by Sam Cauchi, who bought the site back in 2008 – have always given things a go besides the day-to-day operation of the restaurant.
Being one of many saddened customers to respond underneath the announcement, we couldn’t possibly sum up things better than local Vanessa Nice, who said: “Look at all these amazing comments – you certainly made your mark as a home from home for the residents of Timperley.
“The end of an era will always be sad, but sometimes life and families have to move on.”
As for Cauchi and co., they signed off by simply adding: “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support, kindness and friendship over the years. Timperley has been our home, and you have all been our family.
“Love from all the team at Little Italy.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted for the gang and our thoughts are with everyone involved at this difficult time. For now, we can only say thank you to the countless Greater Manchester locations that continue to fall foul in the face of the rising pressures industry-wide. Case and point…
Award-winning chippy in Prestwich announces heartbreaking restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Chips @ No. 8, a chippy in Prestwich that’s lauded as one of the best in the UK, has announced the sad closure of its restaurant.
The award-winning takeaway made some big moves last year, expanding into the unit next door so that they could comfortable double their space downstairs and add a restaurant upstairs.
The restaurant was a brand-new concept for the much-loved Prestwich chippy, serving a seafood-focused menu that wasn’t necessarily all about the fryer.
But sadly, Chips @ No. 8 has announced that the restaurant element of its business, Loft @ No. 8, has closed for good.
They wrote that the economic climate and the huge amount of choice in Prestwich has left them struggling to fill seats in the chippy restaurant.
The good news is that the fish and chip shop itself remains open for business and thriving, and customers will be able to use the former restaurant space to eat their takeaway in.
The bar downstairs also remains open for business for a cheeky pint or glass of wine while you wait for your order.
The Loft @ No. 8 is closing. Credit: The Manc GroupCurry sauce on a Chips @ No 8 chippy tea. Credit: The Manc Group
In a statement, Chips @ No. 8 said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Loft.
“With so many great places to eat in Prestwich, and the economic climate being what it is, we have struggled recently to fill enough seats to continue to make it a financially viable side to our business.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support whilst we were open, the team for their efforts, in particular, Craig, the creator of the delicious food that we had on offer up there.
“Chips @ No.8 remains open as normal and going forward, we are opening up the space upstairs for additional casual seating for the takeaway.
“The bar will remain open so you can still enjoy a pint or a glass of wine with your fish & chips, even if it is out of a box! We hope to see you soon!”
Daisy Jackson -
31st March 2024 
