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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
“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.
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 -
20th August 2025 
