Local celebrity Simon Wood has called out a recent group of no-show customers that failed to turn up to his city-centre restaurant this past weekend.
The 48-year-old behind the self-titled WOOD Manchester didn’t hold back when criticising the no-show guests who had reserved the chef’s table on Saturday night, one of the most exclusive and expensive experiences for any restaurant.
Wood won MasterChef back in 2015 and remains one of the best chefs in the city but with everyone in the hospitality industry still being hit hard by the cost of living and crisis, rising business rates and energy bills, any bookings are important – let alone a chef’s table.
Addressing the absentee diners’ decision to not only skip out on the table but make no effort to let him and his team know they wouldn’t be making the meal online, he signed off by simply saying: “What a way to support a small business. Much appreciated, you tw**ts.
An Actual image of my Chefs table at 8pm last night
I’d like to say a huge thanks to the Table of 5 that no showed, not even a phone call or a courtesy so I could try and resell the table
As you can see, the chef-owner felt rightly aggrieved by the no-show, not only offering sarcastic gratitude but proceeding to use some choice language to describe the behaviour.
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He doubled down in a later post by insisting, “It is not the restaurant’s responsibility to have a policy or contingency in place to accommodate every eventuality where a patron or prospective patron may or may not be an absolute sh**house…. I think that covers all replies to the below thread.”
Wood had no intention of hiding his frustration, also choosing to reshare an old post about the “entitlement” within the culinary scene and service sector as a whole.
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He even uploaded a clearly loaded image of his ‘song of the day’: ‘People = Sh**’ by Slipknot
Social media was awash with plenty of support from fellow Mancs and diners from all over, at least, with one person writing: “To keep good restaurants in business, we have to change the norm to deposits / buying tickets for seats.
“If it’s accepted in a cinema or at a concert, why not a restaurant where the spoilage of a no-show is the same or likely, worse?” Another went on to add, “I have been twice – lunch and dinner – high quality and impeccably looked after by the staff.”
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It goes without saying that if you can’t make a booking, what level of restaurant or food spot you might be heading to, then it’s not just common courtesy to let the business know as soon as you can, it can be the difference between them being able to flip the table and whether or not they struggle that month.
As if it needed reiterating at all, it doesn’t matter whether it’s Simon Wood and his fine-dining restaurant or your local pub serving up good honest grub other, just letting them know if you’re going to be a no-show takes very little effort at all…
This new app tells you the best sunny pub spots in Manchester
Thomas Melia
A brand new app has launched, which tracks the sun and tells you where the best sunny pub spots in Manchester are throughout the day.
No, you’re not dreaming: this is what heaven feels like. This all-new app, initially trialled in London and now covering Manchester, allows users to identify the best sun traps in our stunning city centre.
Designed and created by architect Mo Dawod, Sunseekr aims to show you the best pub, cafe and restaurant locations where you can take advantage of and soak up all the sun in real time.
As well as being a handy tool to use throughout the day, you can use this sun-centric app to pre-plan your day, as it lets you know all the sunny spots in advance for anyone who fancies chasing the sun.
The app shows you the best pubs, cafes and restaurants to catch some rays.You can easily chase the sun around Manchester city centre with this handy new app.Credit: Screenshots via Sunseeker
Of course, we don’t need an app to tell us all the best sunny pub spots in Manchester as locals and visitors alike know about our pride and joy, Stevenson Square.
However, this new technology will come in handy for organising your next beer garden trip and locating exactly where you’re guaranteed to sit down and possibly catch a tan.
Sunseekr had a trial run in London first, catching the attention of reputable publications like Timeout London and even got itself featured on BBC London.
It makes perfect sense why Dawod made this app; being a Battersea resident, his area of London is packed with plenty of amenities such as pubs and bars, perfect for sitting out and relaxing in the sun.
Now the sunny app has spread nationwide, including Manchester, meaning we Northerners can make the most of the precious sun while we have it.
Safe to say, here at The Manc, we know a lot of good places to soak up the sun while sipping on a class pint.Nothing beats a crisp pint and some gorgeous Manchester sunshine.Credit: The Manc Eats
The arrival of this sun-tracking pub-spotting app gives us the perfect excuse to drop everything and make our way to the nearest beer garden to put this to the test ourselves, it’s not like we needed any encouragement…
Sunseekr is available to download NOW and allows users to live-track the sun to see if any pubs, cafes or restaurants near you have been blessed by the sun.
We’re in the business of knowing about beer gardens galore, so this long-overdue app just made our lives a whole lot easier.
Stunning Ancoats favourite Street Urchin closes after ‘heartbreaking’ health emergency
Danny Jones
The stunning Ancoats restaurant and Manchester favourite, Street Urchin, has announced its sudden closure following a serious health emergency.
Opened by partners Kevin and Rachel Choudhary back in 2019, the inventive dining room has been a firm favourite among local foodies and those visiting Manchester for some time.
However, following the awful news that co-founder and head chef Kevin has recently suffered a heart attack, the city centre food spot has sadly had to close its doors, seemingly for good.
Informing diners and longtime fans online, Rachel confirmed, “We are unable to continue as a business”, adding that they are simply “heartbroken” by the turns of events.
Known for endless creativity and famous experimental dishes over the years, including a viral squirrel dish, Street Urchin has been one of the most envelope-pushing kitchens in the area for some time.
Writing in the caption, Rachel said: Thank you to our amazing team who supported us over all the years and continued to do so in these dark times. Thank you also to our suppliers, we never thought this would happen. We’re so sorry x”
Reacting to the news, local artist Painted By Courtney replied: “This is so sad, I’m so sorry to you both. Forever one of my favourite dining experiences in Manchester.”
Various names from across the Greater Manchester hospitality scene, including the likes of Tameside’s Cafe Continental, have joined in sharing their sadness and heartfelt support, with the Stalybridge spot simply adding: “Sending love. A remarkable place!”
Their menus boasted all the style, quality and flavour of a fine dining establishment without any of the haute cuisine pomp and traditional culinary trappings.
Put simply, they delivered great food served in an efficient market diner fashion. We, along with countless other Greater Mancunian foodies, absolutely loved this place.
It goes without saying that everyone at The Manc Group is shocked and deeply saddened to hear this news; we hope Kev makes a full and fast recovery, and our thoughts are with his friends and family during this difficult time.
Danny Jones -
30th September 2024 
