Gooey, easily one of Manchester’s busiest bakeries and brunch spots, has clapped back at a negative review on TikTok with a refreshingly honest statement.
The local business shot to fame initially with its chunky, gooey cookies, but has since expanded from its hatch to have its very own cafe, famed for its enormous French toasts and its sandwiches made with baked-in-house Shokupan bread.
Generally, Gooey gets an incredibly good rap, with queues that speak for themselves stretching from its doors down High Street.
But one TikToker has shared a less favourable video review of the business, slamming it as ‘one of the most disappointing food experiences I’ve ever had in my life’.
The reviewer in question specialises in finding places you could eat comfortably as a solo diner, and ranked Gooey an overall 8/10 – but slated the food at a 2/10.
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And now Gooey has shared their side of things, defending themselves against the reviewer’s claims that the food is ‘expensive’ and ‘tastes like it could have been made at Greggs’.
“Not everyone is going to like what you do and that is absolutely fair enough,” they wrote in a statement.
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Gooey continued: “We’re not usually in the business of responding to negative reviews.
Gooey clapped back at the review that said its sandwiches were ‘too expensive’
“What has made us respond to this review is how often I’m seeing local businesses like ours targeted on costs.”
The cafe then justified the £10.90 cost for a bacon and egg sandwich, pointing out the bacon is cured in-house and cut thick every day by hand; the bread is also baked in-house daily; even the ketchup and brown sauce are made from scratch.
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“With all that said, yes, we do have to charge more than you would pay for a bacon butty at Greggs.
“Listen, I understand this criticism. I used to get a bacon and egg butty before college for £1.95 from my local butty shop.
“We cannot do that here. We are paying Manchester City Centre rent. We employ a team of chefs, bakers, front of house, and more.
“And we are trying to make the best version of a bacon sandwich that we could.”
Chunky cookies at GooeyThe Gooey French toast that the review claimed was ‘too sweet’
As for the complaints that the French toast is ‘too sweet’, Gooey clapped back: “Yes, our French Toast is sweet. It’s filled with dulce de leche and topped with maple syrup.
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“We personally love it and it’s our most popular item but if you don’t like sweet things, you might not like it!”
Finally, in defence of rising prices across the hospitality industry, they signed off with this brilliant piece of insight.
“Every single independent cafe, restaurant and bar across this country is charging more than they would like to be doing for their dishes.
“In 99.99% of cases, this is not greed, or us being thick, or trying to rip people off. It is simply the only way to survive with the costs we are facing.
“Even then, many of us are struggling to make it work.”
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Anyone fancy meeting at Gooey for a bacon sandwich later then?
Inside Chotto Matte, the glittering new rooftop restaurant with staggering views of Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Chotto Matte has given a glimpse inside its impressive new restaurant space in Manchester today, complete with a huge rooftop terrace and 360º views of the city centre.
Diners will soon be able to sit up here on top of the No.1 St Michael’s, tucking into a menu of premium Nikkei cuisine while overlooking the magnificent Manchester Town Hall, now peeping out from behind its scaffolding.
The new Chotto Matte will debut a brand-new concept, too – Claude’s is a new Mexican-inspired sky bar, serving Mexican nibbles like black bean tostadas, Wagyu beef birria sliders, and grilled chicken quesadillas, as well as a collection of 250+ tequilas and mezcals.
The main Chotto Matte food menu, crafted by group executive chef Jordan Sclare, alongside founder Kurt Zdesar, focuses on Japanese and Peruvian flavours, with five distinct sections – sushi bar, tempura, robata, sautée and pastry.
The space spans 20,000 sq ft across the 10th floor of Gary Neville’s landmark St Michael’s development, and has been decorated with graffiti-inspired interiors and contemporary art installations.
Local artists who have been called in to help include Carla Raads, who has transformed the bathrooms into a glowing UV mural (the rest of the loos are fully mirrored, for even further wow factor).
But the real standout feature is the 348-capacity rooftop terrace, open all year round and with its own dedicated bar as well as a stage for live entertainment.
Back inside there are two private dining rooms, including one with direct access onto the rooftop.
Click or swipe through the gallery to see inside Chotto Matte Manchester
The Chotto Matte restaurant spaceInside Chotto Matte ManchesterThe rooftop spaceCocktails with a viewCocktails with a viewSushi from the Nikkei menuCrispy riceSmall plates from the Nikkei menu at Chotto MatteDishes from the robata grillDishes from the robata grillInside Chotto Matte ManchesterInside Chotto Matte ManchesterA private dining space at Chotto Matte in ManchesterSliders in Claude’sClaude’s cocktails in the Mexican skybarQuesadillasChurrosTacos and margs from Claude’sThe bar area on the rooftop terraceThe bar area on the rooftop terrace
Kurt Zdesar, Founder of Chotto Matte said: “We are so excited to open the doors to Chotto Matte Manchester. We have created a space that combines bold design, immersive art, live music and of course, our signature Nikkei flavours – all elevated by a stunning rooftop location overlooking Manchester.
“From the food to the atmosphere, every detail has been curated to create a destination venue in the heart of the city. We have also introduced our new Mexican concept, Claude’s, to Manchester for the first time offering something truly unique within this venue.
“We have loved working alongside Gary and the Relentless Developments team to create a space that we can all be truly proud of. We can’t wait to open the doors and welcome a new wave of guests to experience Chotto Matte.”
Chotto Matte Manchester officially opens on Friday 10 October.
Beautiful Stockport cocktail bar launched by Blossoms frontman announces closure
Daisy Jackson
Bohemian Arts Club, the stunning cocktail bar launched by Blossoms frontman Tom Ogden, has announced its closure.
The Stockport venue was opened by Tom and his wife Katie back in 2023, taking over a formerly derelict three-storey building on Coopers Brow.
While the ground floor was initially home to Katie’s thriving hair salon, Bohemian Salon, the top two floors were transformed into a vintage, design-led cocktail bar filled with mirror-tiled doors and heart-shaped chairs hand-made by Katie’s mum and dad.
But today, Bohemian Arts Club has announced that the building will enter in a ‘brand-new chapter’ – and that means the closure of the cocktail bar.
Bohemian Salon is in such high demand that they have decided to expand it into the top two floors.
The bar shared: “After an amazing 2½ years, we’re excited to share that the building is about to enter a brand-new chapter! With the salon thriving and in such high demand, Bohemian will be expanding upstairs into the two floors above.
“Although this means the bar will be closing and this brings sadness, we also couldn’t be happier to see the space continue to flourish and evolve. It’s been such a joy to share weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and countless celebrations with you all—we’ll always treasure those memories.
Bohemian Arts Club. Credit: The Manc GroupCocktails at Bohemian Arts Club. Credit: The Manc Group
“Our last service will be Friday 3rd October. For anyone with bookings after this date, we’ll be in touch to cancel—apologies for any inconvenience.
“Thank you so much for your love and support over the last couple of years. Here’s to the next chapter ahead, we can’t wait to show you all the new space!
“Katie, Tom and the team.”
Fans have been sharing their sadness at the news of the bar closure, with one writing: “Gutted about this, you do the best cocktails in Stockport – would love you to open in a new space.”
Another wrote: “Aww we’re gutted the bar is closing! We’re huge Blossoms fans and got engaged at the bar in March 2024 so it will forever be a special place for us. Good luck with the expanding salon!”
And someone else posted: “Noooo my cocktails. Great news for the salon though guys.”
Daisy Jackson -
3rd September 2025 
