A gorgeous little cake shop in Manchester city centre has announced its sad closure, five years after launching as a lockdown project to raise money for the NHS.
Loaf, the hot pink cafe on Oxford Road and just across the river in New Bailey in Salford, will shut its doors for good later this month.
Its founder Aiden Ryan has poured his heart out with a heartbreaking statement, describing Loaf’s closure as ‘incredibly tough’.
In his message to followers, which you can read in full below, Aiden detailed everything from rising costs, cashflow issues, and a personal mental breakdown.
“I’m not sharing this for sympathy,” he wrote. “I just think honesty matters.”
In the five years Loaf has operated in Manchester, there have been plenty of highlights, from those days fundraising for the NHS, to opening its doors on Christmas day to those who struggle with loneliness.
And there’ve been commercial successes too, with these pretty miniature loaf cakes making their way onto the shelves in Selfridges.
But now Aiden has said that Loaf will shut for good on 30 April, urging people to pop in for ‘one more mini loaf or just a goodbye hug’.
Loaf’s farewell statement in full
I’ve made the incredibly tough decision to close Loaf MCR.
Loaf began in 2020 as a small lockdown idea to raise money for the NHS—and somehow grew into a bold, pink cake business that lived in a shipping container, then cafés on Oxford St and New Bailey St, and even Selfridges! It was more than I ever dreamed of.
But behind the scenes, it’s been a really hard year. We lost essential funding, faced delayed payments and invoices, battled rising costs, and unexpected hits – including a supplier taking thousands from our account without permission. It led to cashflow issues we couldn’t recover from.
There were delays in paying important bills—things I never imagined would happen (even tips and pension contributions for staff). It was a living nightmare and it weighed heavily on me. At the same time, I was facing big personal challenges, which led to a mental breakdown the middle of last year. I couldn’t function. And when your business needs you 24/7, everything starts falling fast.
A Twister-inspired special at LoafThe Willy Wonka loaf cakes at Loaf
I’m not sharing this for sympathy, I just think honesty matters. Running a business isn’t always big wins and instagram moments—it’s often stress, silence, and sacrifice.
Still, I’m proud. Of the joy we spread. Of the community we built. And of myself—for knowing when to stop and look after mine and my team’s health.
To my loafly team: you were the heart of this. Thank you for everything. To our suppliers, landlords, partners, and customers—thank you for believing in Loaf.
Our final day is April 30th. If you want one more mini loaf or just a goodbye hug, we’d loaf to see you.
As for what’s next… who knows? For now, we rest. Thank you for being part of our story. I’ll carry it with me, always.
25 of the very best burgers in Manchester city centre and the boroughs beyond
Danny Jones
Like any normal human being, we Mancs love a good burger and, luckily for you, Greater Manchester has some of the best burgers you’ll find anywhere in the country – even if we do say so ourselves.
With tonnes of brilliant burger spots dotted all over Manchester city centre and the surrounding region, whether you’re into the high-end offerings at Hawksmoor or the outrageous towers at Almost Famous and Yard and Coop, 0161 has you covered.
There’s even room for some solid chains on this list as well, and while the likes of Maccies and Burger King might not have me the cut, we’re not going to pretend we don’t indulge in the odd big-name brand from time to time; we still consider some to be among the best burgers in and around Manchester.
Manchester is chocked full of an endless list of eateries serving up some of the most impressive patties you’ll quite possibly ever see in your life, and we’re really not exaggerating, so no matter if you’re a meat lover, chicken fanatic, veggie or vegan, there truly is something for everyone to tuck into in our city.
The best burger places Greater Manchester has to offer
1. Almost Famous – Northern Quarter
Almost Famous undoubtedly offers up some of the best burgers in Manchester (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Almost Famous is a name that’s pretty much synonymous with burgers here in Manchester, and as the name would suggest, it’s now so well-known it would be daft not to start off this list with one of the first burger spots that comes to mind.
Fan-favourite burgers include the ‘Unabomber’ double cheeseburger with chorizo, the ‘Awesome HQ’, which has two beef and two chicken patties, as well as our personal favourite: the ‘Butter, Blood and Blue’ with ‘wonderbuttered’ steak and peppercorn sauce.
Very few frills, just plenty of flavour. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Not just one of the best-named burger places ever, but genuinely one of our favourite arrivals in Manchester city centre of late, Slap and Pickle is a very solid entry on this list.
Serving up their burgers from Manc favourite food hall Society, S&P don’t just offer great choices for the carnivores but some pretty bloody good plant-based options as well.
From classics like the ‘Personal Cheesus’ and ‘Baconator’ to the ‘Double Double Trouble’ (yes, four patties) and the sweet but fiery ‘Smokin’ Bun’, we haven’t tried a single one we didn’t like yet.
3. Honest Burgers – Spinningfields
It doesn’t matter how big they get, Honest Burgers will always be one of the best in the UK, in our opinion (Credit: The Manc)
While this rapidly growing chain may be a very quick answer whenever someone asks you to think of somewhere to grab a good burger, it’s for a very good reason: franchise or not, they’re still very, very good, and anyone pretending otherwise is just lying.
Honest Burgers have found a real home here among the people of Manchester, so much so that they even created their own Mancunian special: a beef burger with smoked bacon, cheddar, Honey Rum BBQ Sauce, oh-so-crispy shoestring fries, yellow pepper mayo, tomato, lettuce and onion.
That’s a bit of us, alright, and it isn’t just the fresh patties made by their own in-house butchery, those DAMN rosemary-salted chips have us smacking our lips and crawling back every single time.
In at number four is Cane and Grain, not only because they really know what they’re doing when it comes to burgers, but because they are one of the best value offerings you’ll find in all of Manchester city centre.
The classic ‘Stuff in Bread’ section of the menu boasts the likes of mouthwatering bacon cheeseburgers, chicken burgers, as well as vegan options and regular rotating specials to keep everyone happy.
But what sets this place apart from others in the current cost-of-living crisis is that you can grab most of these and more, along with fries and a drink for a tenner come dinner (ugh, ‘lunch’) time. Ridiculously good food for the price you’re paying and a great night out if you end up staying there for hours on end.
5. Yard & Coop – NQ
We still have days when we dream about that Great Kathmandu special — bring it back!
If it’s a chicken burger you’re after, then you can’t beat another NQ staple in Yard and Coop. A local institution for many years now, this absolute mecca of all things chicken, unsurprisingly, is just as good at sandwiching said chicken between bread as well.
Home to cult classics like the ‘I Don’t Like Spam’ (we do) and, of course, the aptly named and even more ridiculously-sized ‘Massive Cock’ — which has now been reworked as a spicy offering — we have never left this place without feeling like we haven’t been absolutely stuffed. Why are you laughing?…
Never mind, just shut up and get your mouth around a load of cock and tasty buns.
We will literally NEVER get tired of eating at Brewski, and while we’ll scran everything from their burritos and deep dish pizza to their succulent ribs and devilish desserts, their burgers really are the stuff of legend too.
Name another place that does Korean fried chicken burgers with salt and pepper chips and an extra tub of katsu curry sauce for you to drizzle all over the gaff, or giant smash burgers with garlic parmesan fries and lashings of peppercorn sauce — we’ll wait.
Better still, this place’s menu is always changing, which means two things: you’ll never get bored of the food and, regardless of whether it’s new or not, we can guarantee it’ll be banging.
7. Archie’s – Oxford Rd, Arndale, Piccadilly Station, Trafford Centre and Palazzo
We’re dipping our toes back into burger chains and comfortably one of Manchester’s most famous: the pretty pink neon-tinted cholesterol party that is Archie’s. Still, at least you can now burn off those calories in a roller rink…
Started here in 0161 back in 2010, Archie’s has gone on to be one of the biggest takeaway names in the UK and, despite how big they’ve gotten, they still cook up some of the best burgers you’ll find in Manchester — and plenty of them, too, boasting several sites, including a cool subway-style venue.
Be it their very strong breakfast menu, classic burgers like ‘The Superstar’ and ‘The Daddy’, or their take on the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, there’s a reason people keep coming back to their ever-expanding menu: it’s absolutely mint.
8. Burgerism – Salford, Freight Island, Gatley and Denton
From a burger joint that has already been fully franchised to one so good it is well and truly on its way, Burgerism genuinely might be one of the very best all-around burger places in Manchester and Britain, for our money.
Starting out in Salford, there are now sites in Gatley and Denton, and they even offer a special delivery service around Manchester city centre from their purpose-built delivery-only kitchen over in Ardwick.
We could bang on and on about how much we love this place, but we’d be here all day; we reckon being officially voted one of the best in the country will do for now.
Next up is one that we’re always baffled that more people don’t know about it. We ordered one time on a drunken night in with mates and thought it was amazing, but had to go back to sober to confirm it was as good as we remembered: it was.
Situated not far from the Trafford Bar tram stop, MLK Burgers‘ frontage alone stands out from most of the stuff around it as a place that puts thought into its food and its presentation — a first impression that is quickly confirmed the second you take a bite.
From their no-nonsense ‘Classic Angus’ and popular ‘Anday Wala’ with a juicy shami kebab and omelette filling, to their signature MLK Burger with Black Angus beef, turkey bacon, a Nashville chicken fillet, hash browns and cheese, this lot push the boundary on burger combos and always deliver a good product.
10. The Bun and Bones Club – Stockport
Yes, that’s a waffle burger…These folks love mixing things up (Credit: The Bun & Bones Club via Instagram)
This is another spot that doesn’t get talked about enough, but thankfully, we have a couple of people in the office who know a thing or two about Stockport and can gladly vouch for Bun and Bones being not only some of the best burgers in the town but also one of the best burger places in Greater Manchester.
Known for ever-changing and highly experimental weekly specials, B&B over in Hazel Grove isn’t just a staple in the SK fast food scene, but they even won Best Takeaway in the North West back in 2021, which came as anything but a shock at the time.
Since then, their success has even helped them spawn sister spot Dough and Bones, but they’ll forever be known as the kings of unique and clever burger creations. They’ve put everything from steak and ale pie filling and crispy potato cakes, to pulled treacle ham, toffee apple chutney, Asian roast pork belly, homemade schnitzel and more on their burgers — and that was in the space of a month!
Venturing even further out into Greater Manchester in search of the best burger places, we’ll confess that we hadn’t tried much-loved local eatery Smashville Burger UK until very recently, but it’s safe to say we’ve been sleeping far too long on this one.
Having recently opened a second site in Bolton following the rave reviews from their first over in Oldham, the name is getting bigger and bigger, but the unique selling point of this brand is that it started out… in a petrol station.
That’s right, building on the gas station food culture that is so commonplace in America, Smashville made its name by serving as somewhat of a drive-thru whilst still slinging some of the most authentic smash burgers you’ll find anywhere in the region. They do more than that, too, but we say start simple.
A burger’s dozen! That’s the right phrase, right? But on a serious note, there aren’t many places that take lifting the humble cheeseburger into a gourmet dining experience like the Hawksmoor.
Literally world famous for their meat-crafting expertise, it’s no surprise that Deansgate‘s culinary cornerstone is really, really good at crafting the highest quality beef into perfect little patties and slapping them between perfectly baked brioche buns.
Having collaborated with everyone from Burgerism here in Manchester to the very best food brands all throughout the nation, the Hawksmoor burger is a perfect example of it taking great skill to not just do the classics really well, but to master them and raise the bar extremely high.
This list is feeling very red meat-heavy at the moment, so let’s take a look at one of the very best places to get a chicken burger anywhere in Greater Manchester: Bird of Prey.
When this place first opened, we remember how mad the queues were and it didn’t take long for us to figure out why. BoP, as it’s affectionately known to us these days, are self-confessed ‘chicken freaks’ and we’re happy to say we share their foodie affliction.
Tucked just off the Oxford Road Corridor on one of Manchester’s newest city squares, the ‘PFK’, ‘smokestack’ and ‘the halloumi one’ are still some of our go-to choices when we fancy a cheeky treat for lunch or a treat on the way home from the pub.
Back over in the Northern Quarter and another square known as Stevenson (we don’t know why we’re talking like Lord of the Rings), we were taken aback to find that relatively new addition Public isn’t just one of our favourite bars right now, but does an absolutely CLASS smash burger.
While they have a great little selection of perfectly portioned bites to go with your reasonably priced cocktails and happy hour beers, if you include the chicken sando in the list of ‘burgers’, you’ve got two very good entries on this list – and perfectly packaged in a handy little sleeve, might we add.
As mentioned, they do lots of other stuff well too, but we distinctly remember sitting around a table on opening day and marvelling at how simple and satisfying those burgers were. Give it a try.
15. What’s Your Beef – Salford Quays, Sale and Stretford
WHAT a feast this was.So many different options vying for the top spot.Ridiculously good – our fave has always been the spicy ‘Freebird’ with a side of those ridiculously good duck fries. (Credit: The Manc)
We can’t keep prattling on about the simple pleasures of a proper good beef burger without talking about one of the GOATs, and What’s Your Beef is certainly up there.
After enjoying a spell at Calcio! on Dale Street, WYB has now truly hit its stride at Kargo MKT inside Salford Quay’s newest food and drink trader destination, Central Bay.
In case you need an idea of just how good these guys are at what they do, their ‘Stateside Deluxe’ made it into the top five best burgers at The National Burger Awards back in 2019, and they’ve been building a stellar reputation ever since.
Whilst we’re on the subject of food markets, any local knows that the Arndale Market has some of the best food spots you’ll find anywhere in the city and, as it just so happens, one of those spots serves up some seriously good burgers.
It’s easy to find Dunkin’ Burgers: all you need to do is follow the massive queue that wraps around the indoor market — funnily enough, it’s right next door to the other massive queue for Viet Shack.
We’ve tried this menu from start to finish multiple times over now, but we’ve found anything quite as delicious as ‘The Manc’ burger (for obvious reasons): a breakfast butty-style burger with two beef patties, bacon, sausage, a fried egg, cheese and sauce to be dunked in a pot of gravy. Perfection.
17. Shakedown – Withington, Wythenshawe and Cheadle Hulme
We’re getting towards the business end now, and once again branching further out into various parts of the region: three, to be specific, and the one thing they all have in common is the almighty Shakedown.
Discovered during a takeaway night while at a mate’s house, we’ll admit we’ve never heard of this place up until that point, but since then we’ve ordered from here a few times and it’s come to feel like a bit of underdog on the Manc burger scene; a cult favourite to those who know it but no way near as reputed as it should be.
Known for sumptuous shakes, sides, crispy quesadillas and some fat ol’ burgers, be it ‘The Super Beefed Up!’, ‘The Zesty Chicken Burger’ or even the grilled cheese toastie, they’re all solid options and turn up just as paper and foil and they do there in the brick-and-mortar — which isn’t always the case.
18. That Burger Place – Swinton and Walkden
Number 18 is another one that perhaps, because of its location(s), doesn’t get anywhere near enough respect as it deserves; That Burger Place is a California-inspired spot, and while we’ve never known exactly what that means beyond having lettuce, tomato and onion, we’ve not been disappointed yet.
Undergoing a bit of a rebrand back in March following their years of success, TBP has also opened up a ‘dark kitchen’/delivery outpost over in Ardwick which helps them keep up with the increasing demand for their ‘Golden State Smash’, ‘Miami Heat’ and ‘California Dreaming’ (a National Burger Awards finalist, by the way). They even do loyalty cards where you can grab a free burger after eight visits.
They’re also pretty good at a special or two, including a very enticing ‘Bad Santa’ burger with rosemary chicken, stuffing, cranberry BBQ sauce and ‘bacon rain’ — again, we don’t know what that is, but it has bacon in it, so it can only be good. Either way, you should do yourself a favour and try this place
BAD SANTA 🎅🏻😈
Our Christmas special burger is here! Available from our Walkden & Salford stores🎄
Double Smashed Beef | American Cheese | Rosemary Chicken | Smashed Sage & Onion Stuffing | Bacon Rain | Festive Mayo | Cranberry BBQ Sauce & served on a seeded bun. pic.twitter.com/m425yPsEK8
For the penultimate stop on our burger-based tour of Greater Manchester, we thought we’d pick out an affordable, uni-friendly pair of accessible eateries which do exactly what they say on the tin: deliver solid burgers, often in a box. There’s a place for those stumbling home fast-food takeaway vibes, and we can definitely make room for this one.
Sky-rocketing in popularity thanks to putting in the graft as a late-night favourite in Fallowfield, a.k.a. student central, Burger Box opened up a second store down the road in Longsight not long ago, and now more Mancs are getting a taste; it helps that they serve from two entrances as well.
Located on Stockport and Wilbraham Road, respectively, this place might be the relatively new boy on the block, but staying open until 3am is a huge perk, and the regular footfall alone should assure you of the quality. Also, the loaded boxes with your burger of choice, four wings, fries and a drink are a real value-for-money option in a cost-of-living crisis.
We sadly had to say goodbye to leading veggie and vegan burger spot, The Vurger Co., a little while ago, and while it’s definitely a big loss to Manc plant-based eaters and beyond, what has taken its place is, rather fortunately, an absolute belter.
Landing in Manchester city centre direct from London, Smoke and Pepper impressed us from the moment it opened and didn’t take long to begin queuing out the door, thanks to its varied and flavourful menu that’s reputation clearly preceded it.
In complete honesty, we often just find ourselves ordering chicken tenders from this place sometimes when we’re passing, but in terms of recommendations, we genuinely want you to try the divisive ‘Flying Dutchman’ for yourselves and let us know what you think.
Another one we’re very keen on is the Norwegian new boy, Doug’s, who made their British debut here in 0161 back in 2024 and definitely drew us in with a couple of their concepts – not least of all their ‘Happier Meal’ deal.
For those curious, this isn’t that different from a standard Maccies box meal, only instead of a bonus mass-produced toy, adults can swap their soft drink out for an alcoholic one, and now, they’re even offering a BYOB option.
Above all else, this tasty little smashburger joint is great value, with £1.99 pints from 4-6pm every Wednesday-Sunday, free corkage all day, £1.99 breakfast burgers 11am-12:30pm, AND £1.99 cheeseburgers from open until close on Sundays. What a gaff.
We’re nearing the finish line now; next up is So Famous – not to be confused with Almost Famous – which is based behind the main bustle of Piccadilly, where they’re quietly nailing the patty game.
They’ve featured on our Takeaway Champions (TC) series over on The Manc Eats in the past and proved to be one of our most popular episodes for good reasons: because the burgers are really, really good – not to mention being pretty well-priced too.
You can’t go wrong with whatever you order here, to be honest, but what we will say is that we’re a little obsessed with their onion rings, which seem to achieve that perfect balance of light, crispy, almost Cajun-style batter, whilst still giving you that deep-fried satisfaction.
Credit: The Manc
23. DRIP – Burnage
From one delivery delight to another. Our belt loops are being sufficiently tested now, but before they drop, we urge you to try DRIP, a.k.a. another one of the best takeout burgers in all of Manchester, as far as we’re concerned.
They’ve also featured on TC before, and we’ve ordered them even more often in our own private time (you don’t want to see how piggy that gets), and we only reiterate how much they scratch that same itch of a naughty late-night scran, even if you grab one during the day.
As for what to choose, their Nashville fillet gives Drake’s new and viral Dave’s Hot Chicken a very good run for its money. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which one comes out on top.
Our penultimate pick is one we think is still criminally underrated when it comes to the burger scene in Manchester city centre, maybe because they’re arguably better-known for their ice cream and dessert selection.
Nevertheless, Big Licks – who have relocated to the Printworks from their old Liverpool Road location – do bloody good burgers and big ones, at that. They’re not exactly known for portion control here, and we’re glad, because if we’re eating a burger, we tend not to be thinking about the ol’ waistline.
Again, perhaps another reason they’re not so regularly associated with burgers is that they only have two fixed options on their menu: the smashed Angus beef burger and the buttermilk chicken version, but trust us, that 100% grass-fed meat and the signature ranch sauce on the poultry one are top quality.
25. The Last Stop – Various
And finally, where better to end than at The Last Stop? A fitting place to finish if this rather large list of patties sandwiched between buns hasn’t made you feel overfaced just reading it.
The Stockport-founded burger spot recently closed its OG restaurant over in Heaton Moor ahead of the location being turned into an entirely new food concept, but as the resident kitchen of the ever-expanding Salmon of Knowledge pub empire, they’ve ended up slinging out more burgers than ever.
As well as being housed within all of the Irish boozers now operating in and around central Manchester, you’ll also find them in the likes of the SK’s Produce Hall, The Egyptian Rooms in Oldham, Didsbury and several other spots. Try them out at the new Salmon in Media City, get a spice bag to go with your burger and thank us later.
As always with these lists, please don’t ask us to put them in order; it’s simply too hard, and there’s enough room for all of them in this big burger-loving corner of the world we call Greater Manchester.
It goes without saying that there are dozens of other burger places that could rightly be considered among the best: Shack, Grand Daddy’s, Fat Hippo, and now even Popeye’s, just to name an unfairly small few. It was a real Sophie’s Choice this, but you’ll have to forgive us if your favourite isn’t on here.
Or, you know, you can always just argue with us in the comments – we’ll try not to take offence.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for something city-centre-based or a lesser-known burger spot further out into the reaches of our 10 beautiful boroughs, we promise it won’t be hard for you to find your favourite burger.
Mother and daughter-run bakery selling nostalgic cakes issues plea for support
Daisy Jackson
A Bury bakery run by a mother and daughter has shared a heartfelt message asking for support as running costs continue to skyrocket.
Little Blonde Bakes in Unsworth has enjoyed great success with its colourful occasion cakes and its nostalgic puddings and desserts.
We’re talking old-school cake with sprinkles and custard, thick slabs of banana bread, and pancake stacks with Nutella and strawberries.
They’re also all over the latest sweet trends, like pistachio kunafa strawberries and even a Dubai chocolate-inspired cookie pie.
But despite putting in such graft and creating such beautiful bakes, Little Blonde Bakes has said it’s falling on tough times.
The family-operated bakery, fronted by mother and daughter Jayne and Fran Harrison, said that it’s struggling to balance the rising costs of ingredients, national insurance, rates, and taxes, as well as a fickle Instagram algorithm that sometimes leaves them with only a few likes on a photo.
In their heartfelt statement, they added that events like the huge concerts that have come to Greater Manchester this summer, the hot weather, and the school holidays are having a negative effect on the small local business.
They wrote: “It feels like we our putting ourselves out there by sharing this & feels a little scary. but we need your help and support to keep going.
Little Blonde Bakes sells treats like old school cake and custard
“We’ve been doing this for 10 years now, and although it may seem like we are doing well, behind the scenes we are now trading and working to pay the bills. This goes for lots of small, local & independent businesses. They need us!”
The post from Little Blonde Bakes continued: “So if your local, or want to visit us, please do, we strive to always use the best ingredients and put so much love into our baking.
“If your not local, we have a full postal menu each week online which delivers anywhere in the uk.
“If you can’t do any of that (i know the cost of living crisis is also affecting a lot of people and families) then please, turn on our notifications, like & share & comment on our posts where you can, or even leave a review. Any support means the world.
“We really want to be able to continue doing what we love, with our amazing team, but the future looks a little scary without the amazing support of our customers. We love you all.”
You can pay Little Blonde Bakes a visit at 62 Sunny Bank Road, Unsworth, BL9 8HJ and follow them on Instagram @littleblondebakes.
Daisy Jackson -
8th April 2025 
