Sud, the pasta kitchen formerly known as Sugo, has announced a new chapter after saying it would be closing all four restaurants in their current guise.
The much-loved local Italian spot has said that Sud will cease to exist in Ancoats, Altrincham, Sale, and at Exhibition, from the end of this year.
But it’s not totally curtains for the restaurant group, with new plans for a brand new concept now confirmed.
The new restaurants will be called Rigatonti’s, and will serve hearty bowls of house-made Rigatoni from just £7.50.
The founders of Sud and Rigatoni’s say they want to bring ‘pasta to the masses’, with pasta made fresh daily at each site.
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The pasta will be extruded through a bronze die, lending it a rough texture for sauces to cling to, ‘asciutta’ style.
Sauces to go with the rigatoni include nduja meatballs in Amatriciana (£13.50), brown crab in vodka sauce (£12.50), and Fazool white beans with garlic, fresh chilli and parm (£9.50).
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Or to keep it cheap and easy, there’s a simple extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and parm rigatoni for £7.50.
For appetisers, there are dishes including a £6 fried mozzarella and pesto sandwich, salami and potato crocchette, and chickpea fritters, plus foccaccia toasts with toppings including Gorgonzola whip and hot honey, grated tomato and garlic, or black olive and caper.
Sud’s new venture in Manchester will be called Rigatoni’sSud’s new venture in Manchester will be called Rigatoni’s
The new restaurant will still be fronted by the Manchester-born brothers behind the original Sugo Pasta Kitchen, which launched in Altrincham way back in 2015 and expanded fast across Greater Manchester.
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Alex de Martiis, co-founder, said: “Change has been a regular thing for us recently – that stops with Rigatoni’s. We want to build a sustainable business that allows us to serve the customers in our communities for years to come.
“The next chapter in our journey is all about creating an accessible, uncomplicated menu that makes Rigatoni’s somewhere that people come to time and time again.
“Whether it’s a quick lunch on a Tuesday, or a Saturday night with mates, pasta shouldn’t just be for occasions.”
The launch dates for each restaurant will be announced on Rigatoni’s social channels, with bookings open in January. For more information or to sign up to hear more visit www.letsrigatoni.co.uk.
Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.
And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.
Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.
Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.
The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.
Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.
She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.
Sienna outside AmòFresh pasta dishesInside Amò by Salvi’sTheir viral frozen crema di caffeLemon granitaInside Amò by Salvi’sTiramisu pots
Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.
At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.
With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.
And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.
Award-winning Didsbury bakery La Chouquette reveals incredible new site
Daisy Jackson
La Chouquette is one of Greater Manchester’s top bakeries – an award-winner, with queues down the street every weekend for its authentic French pastries and loaves.
And now they’re ready for a new chapter, revealing a major expansion today.
Owners Catrina and Flo have painstakingly expanded the bakery into the unit next door, creating what feels like a true French bakery.
And in the midst of this huge renovation project, they’ve welcomed a tiny new baby boy – quite the summer for the couple.
Catrina and Flo launched La Chouquette in lockdown, and in a time where people could only get their hospitality fix from takeaways, immediately became one of the most popular spots in the region.
Their success has been so great, you’ll still consistently find queues down the street every weekend, for their top sellers like their authentic almond croissants.
Then in October 2024, they grew the business and launched Piqniq, a new deli in Didsbury village, serving freshly-baked baguette sandwiches, breakfast butties, toasties, tiramisu pots and their legendary pastries.
The new-look La Chouquette features beautiful details like mosaic floors, rich blue walls, wooden shelves, and brass light fixtures.
La Chouquette’s best-selling almond croissantsInside the stunning new La Chouquette in DidbsuryNew savoury bakesThe chausson aux pommesThe counter stuffed with artisan French bakesChocolate chip cookies and cinnamon buns
The huge new counter displays more pastries and breads than ever before, like a hearty chausson aux pommes filled with apples that will be perfect for autumn, plus seasonal treats like a rhubarb creme brulee pastry, and homemade quiche.
Speaking at the grand relaunch today, Catrina said: “The layout has changed, it looks so much more chic, it looks like a traditional French bakery. We’re really excited about it.”
As for what’s on the counter, Flo reassured fans that their beloved almond and pistachio croissants remain, but with some new savoury editions, like a truffle croque monsieur made with croissant dough.
La Choquette has reopened today, and will be open seven days a week from 7am until 5pm.
Daisy Jackson -
20th December 2023 
