Many of our beloved local restaurants are once again gathering together to help raise money for Greater Manchester’s homeless community this winterthrough the vital homeless relief scheme, StreetSmart.
While homelessness remains a pressing issue all year round, the prevailing social crisis always comes to the forefront as we approach the colder months and, as they have done every year for more than two decades, Manchester’s hospitality industry is trying to do its bit to combat the problem.
Launching StreetSmart winter 2023 drive this month, an initiative which encourages restaurants in the area to generate funds for homeless people all across Greater Manchester, many of our beloved food spots in the city centre and beyond will be asking diners to get involved in the simplest way imaginable.
This year marking the 25th anniversary of the StreetSmart scheme in Manchester, a total of 16 different restaurants are taking part by simply adding £1 pound to every bill at the end of their meal, with all the money going directly to helping curb rough sleeping wherever possible.
A truly wonderful initiative we can all get behind, we’re sure you’ll agree and given it is now a long-standing tradition amongst the Manchester food scene, it’s great to see more and more venues getting involved with this charitable drive.
In previous years, StreetSmart has seen an incredible £34,000 raised by Manchester restaurants and with so many pressures on homeless charities right now (with demand for beds and support having sadly soared over the last 12 months) the StreetSmart team are keen to make this a record-breaking year.
The funds raised each go straight towards the critical work of organisations local to the region, including Centrepoint Manchester, a youth homelessness charity, and The Booth Centre, a community centre for rough sleepers located over in Cheetham Hill.
All of these homegrown charities and initiatives aim to provide a bed and personal support for anyone who is sleeping on the streets or at imminent risk of homelessness. By simply adding a pound to your bill, you could provide someone with a bed for the night and contribute to making a huge difference overall.
Centrepoint ManchesterThe Booth CentrePlaces like these benefit directly from the annual StreetSmart scheme and have a huge impact on local lives.
More importantly, though, the charities also focus on helping individuals break the cycle, regain their dignity and rebuild their lives via positive action, as well as providing crisis and emergency shelter and food during the current cost of living crisis.
With the national scheme sponsored by LandAid for 2023 — a national organisation which invests over £2 million in projects to end youth homelessness every year —they are hoping to have more restaurants sign up than ever; here is the full list of those taking part in Greater Manchester so far:
mana – Ancoats
Hawksmoor – Deansgate
Tampopo – Albert Square
Tampopo – Corn Exchange
Banyan – Corn Exchange
Banyan – Spinningfields
Manahatta – Deansgate
BOX – Deansgate
Bottega by San Carlo at Selfridges -Exchange Square
20 Stories – Spinningfields
Street Urchin – Ancoats
HOME Bar and Kitchen – First Street
The Lead Station – Chorlton
Tariff and Dale – Northern Quarter
Stretford Canteen – Stretford
Thankfully, there’s plenty of time to get involved before the end of the year either as a customer or a business, as restaurants that want to join and potentially transform lives can do so by getting in touch with [email protected] or [email protected].
StreetSmart has raised over £10 million since its foundation back in 1998 and more than 50 different homelessness charities now benefit each year, with funds supporting services such as beds, housing, mental health advice and employment support. The importance of their work cannot be overstated.
Credit: The Manc GroupMore Manc restaurants are being urged to come forward and take part.
Speaking on the 2023 scheme, StreetSmart’s Director Glenn Pougnet said: “We are so grateful to the local restaurants who have come together to make a difference this year and we know that the generosity of Greater Mancunians will play a huge part too.
“Sadly, it is always the poorest in society who are most deeply affected by challenges like the cost of living crisis… Our mission to eradicate homelessness from the streets remains firmly at the heart of what we do at StreetSmart, and we’d love to welcome even more restaurants to the scheme this Christmas. Please get in touch!”
As for local hospitality, Michelin-Starred Ancoats restaurant mana’s Chef Patron, Simon Martin, said: “The team at mana are keen to work with StreetSmart again this winter. We’re proud of our quiet corner of Manchester, but it does not shelter us from the reality of homelessness. We feel a responsibility to promote such a meaningful cause, knowing that real action is being taken to improve lives.”
Well said. Now get out there, grab something to eat and leave not only with a full belly but with the sense that you’ve helped do your bit. This isn’t a Tesco advert but every little bit really does help. That’s why we’re proud to see people all around the city trying to tackle this issue year in, year out.
Featured Image — StreetSmart/Helen Davies (via Flickr)
Eats
The Spirit of Manchester confirms bar closure as Manc hospitality takes another hit
Danny Jones
Manchester has been hit by yet another gutting hospitality closure as The Bar at The Spirit of Manchester Distillery, formerly known as Three Little Words, has confirmed they have shut down effective immediately.
The stunning spot set up as The Spirit of Manchester Distillery’s dedicated, customer-facing city centre venue and second home under the arches, opened back in 2019, offering a cocktail, gin-making and tasting experience, as well as a restaurant.
But fast forward six years, and now the once-beloved Three Little Words bar has sadly closed, largely citing the same economic pressures everyone has faced post-pandemic.
Writing an emotional farewell post on LinkedIn, Spirit of Manchester co-founder and master distiller Seb Heeley said: “This is a post I never thought I’d have to write. 9 years ago, we set out with a dream to build something that would represent the spirit of Manchester from the humble beginning in our dining room.
“We were fortunate enough that people embraced our vision, and 6 years ago we embarked on an over million pound project to bring 6 forgotten, abandoned arches beneath the iconic Manchester Central back to life to show the best the city has to offer.
“Unfortunately, COVID changed the playing field 5 years ago, and over the last 2 years, running a city centre hospitality business, we have been hit with a perfect storm of rising costs, taxes and pressure on customer wallets that has ultimately led to an unsustainable business model.
“It is with the heaviest of hearts that we have to close our customer-facing operation on Watson Street today. It’s the amazing team that I feel most sorry for, as it’s their commitment over the last 6 years that has made this building feel like our forever home.”
Having also housed local culinary offerings like Etana, too, it’s sad to see such an eye-catching part of the city’s dining scene fall foul to the ongoing industry pressures and cost of living crisis.
Heeley goes on to add: “If anyone on my network is looking for new recruits, I couldn’t speak highly enough of our whole team. Please get in touch with me about any opening you may have.”
Even if you’ve never been, you’ll have passed a bottle of Manchester Gin countless times. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Heeley signs off by saying: “While this is the end for our experience centre site, Manchester Gin will continue to be made in the city and hopefully enjoyed for years to come.
“Obviously, this is a difficult time for all of us, so please bear with us while we go through this transition. Thank you.” Online orders have also been briefly paused as they look to lay out clearer plans for the future, and we can only hope they come through the other side more stable.
In what has been a heartbreaking start to the week, this marks the third high-profile food and drink casualty in central Manchester alone in the space of just the last two days, with the news of Salvi’s shutting their Deansgate Square location being followed up by another NQ closure barely hours later.
Safe to say it’s more apparent than ever that our hospitality sector needs better support and fast.
Award-winning Northern Quarter cafe and brunch spot announces shock closure
Daisy Jackson
Another Heart to Feed, an award-winning coffee shop and brunch favourite in the Northern Quarter, has stunned Mancs with the news of their closure.
The popular spot on Hilton Street has been operating in the heart of the neighbourhood since 2020, serving dishes like Turkish eggs, breakfast buns, and French toast.
By night, it transformed into a natural wine bar, with great cocktails too.
Before it moved to the Northern Quarter, Another Heart to Feed started life as a cosy Australian-style cafe over on Chapel Street in Salford.
It’s been a much-loved name on the city’s brunch circuit and last year was crowned Coffee Shop of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards.
But despite all that success, and regularly having queues around the block, Another Heart to Feed is closing for good.
They said they ‘have not been immune’ to the challenges that have been beating the hospitality industry to a pulp, despite appearing to be a real local success story.
In a statement shared on Instagram, Another Heart to Feed said: “Rather than run a risk of letting our brilliant staff and suppliers down we have decided to call it a day.”
The team thanked everyone who has visited the cafe over the years, as well as the past and present team.
Another Heart to Feed in the Northern QuarterAs well as coffee, Another Heart to Feed was known for its wines
They then announced that a new operator is already teed up to move into the space.
Another Heart to Feed’s full statement reads: “Unfortunately, we have to announce that Another Heart to Feed will be no longer operating in the Northern Quarter as of the 1st of September.
“The past 18 months have been incredibly tough. We have not been immune to the many real challenges that hospitality businesses are facing at the moment and rather than run a risk of letting our brilliant staff and suppliers down we have decided to call it a day.
“We want to thank everyone who has visited us over the years, whether that was in the early days in Salford, on Burton Road in Didsbury or at our place in the Northern Quarter. It’s been so great being involved in a place that has brought people together the way AHTF has.
“To our team, past and present, thank you so much for all your hard work. You were the essence of the business and it was a pleasure to work with you.
“A new operator will be moving into the site and we wish them every success, please go and support them!”
Danny Jones -
2nd November 2023 
