Sud, the popular pasta kitchen formerly known as Sugo, has announced it will close all four sites across Greater Manchester at the end of the year.
It will hold its final service at its restaurants in Ancoats, at Exhibition in the city centre, in Altrincham and in Sale on 31 December.
Sud has said that the decision has been ‘driven by market conditions’ and that attempts to adapt to increasing costs haven’t worked in the way that the restaurant wanted.
The restaurant, which launched in Altrincham back in 2015 as Sugo Pasta Kitchen, had to change its name earlier this year after a legal challenge.
It then switched up the menu it’s used for years for a new ’12 Plates’ concept, encouraging diners to order several smaller dishes to share (which caused a bit of upset in its comment section).
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A couple of weeks ago Sud said that it was bringing back its original southern Italian menu again, branded as a ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ menu.
And now Sud is drawing a line under all of it and calling it a day.
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So Sud will close – but that’s not the end of the story.
Sud is famous for serving huge bowls of pasta from four restaurants in Greater Manchester. Credit: The Manc GroupSud, formerly known as Sugo, is closing all four of its Greater Manchester restaurants. Credit: Supplied
The much-loved Italian restaurant then confirmed that all four sites will reopen, with the same teams, but as a ‘new chapter’.
Details of its future are to be shared soon.
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Sud’s founders said: “When we started in 2015 as Sugo Pasta Kitchen, we could sell you an epic plate of pasta for £9-13.
“We’ve been driven by market conditions, and have tried and mulled over a few iterations of SUD, but we don’t feel they’re the best way we can serve our loyal and valued customers and so we have made the decision to close.
“We’ll be keeping our current team and reopening our new pasta kitchen in all four of our locations, we look forward to sharing our next chapter.”
Sud’s last dinner service will be on 31 December 2023 and you can book a table here.
Irish Festival Village returns to Manchester with live music, fry-up pizzas and loads of Guinness
Daisy Jackson
A huge Irish Festival Village has returned to Manchester city centre today to kick off the St Patrick’s Day celebrations.
Over the coming 10 days, there’ll be live Irish music, street food, retail stalls and – of course – plenty of Guinness flowing.
The main event is now open at St Ann’s Square, where a gigantic marquee festooned in green, white and orange has been installed.
Inside here, the bar is being run by the O’Shea’s team, and the stage will host loads of live music and great craic.
Outside you’ll find Birchwood Pizza, who have got a menu of pizzas inspired by the Emerald Isle.
Pizzas include the What’s the Craic (a fry-up pizza with white pudding and Dubliner sausage) to The Black Stuff (black pudding, rosemary potato and streaky pudding).
The Irish Festival Village has opened as part of the wider Manchester Irish Festival celebrations across Greater Manchester.
The Irish Festival Village is back in ManchesterIrish pizzas at the Festival Village on St Ann’s SquareYou can shop Irish treats outside
There’ll also be a Saint Patrick’s Day parade on Sunday 16 March, which will weave its way from the Irish World Heritage Centre all the way onto Deansgate.
The parade will showcase and champion local groups and organisations such as GAA clubs, Irish dance classes, marching bands, and pipe bands, along with a strong representation of the 32 counties in Ireland.
And it handily winds up around King Street, just beside the Irish Festival Village.
The gathering spot will be open from Friday 7 March all the way through to St Patrick’s Day itself – find out more HERE.
There’s a bakery in Manchester where you can decorate your own adorable tiny bento cake
Daisy Jackson
We’ve found a wholesome activity that’ll suit even the most cack-handed of bakers – a workshop where you can decorate your own miniature bento cake.
This Manchester activity has shot to the top of our list of our favourite things to do locally, perfect for a hen do, a birthday, a mate date or a date date.
Bento cakes, or lunchbox cakes, have all the elaborate decorations of a full celebration cake but made miniature, for a treat that doesn’t have to be shared out to dozens of people.
From swirls of buttercream frosting to pretty piped love hearts to cursive writing atop your cake, there are loads of decorations you can add to your own creation.
At Vanilla Ice Cakes in Chorlton, you’ll sit under the expert eye of owner Fiza, a master baker who’s been in the game for more than a decade.
She’ll guide you (and sometimes step in to help you) as you fumble your way through decorating your own cake.
As you arrive for your workshop you’re presented with two adorable vanilla sponge cakes, a classic base for a proper Victoria sponge or a more elaborate celebration cake.
Other cakes at Vanilla Ice CakesYou can mix up your own buttercream icingMaster baker Fiza at work at the bento cake workshopThe bento cake workshop space in ManchesterOne of our creations at the bento cake workshop in Chorlton, Manchester
Each class includes hot drinks, plus a plate full of Vanilla Ice Cakes’ delicious brownie bites.
From here, you’re taught the basics of piping, building a buttercream ‘dam’ before spooning in a filling of choice – jam, Nutella or Lotus Biscoff.
After applying a crumb coat (Great British Bake Off fans will already be on the right page here), the real fun begins.
Fiza will help you to whip up a smooth buttercream in whichever colour you wish, before letting you run riot with a piping bag.
You’ll practice swirls, rosettes, hearts, and even writing in icing ahead of decorating your actual cake.
You can see how we got on below, then book your own spot HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
13th December 2023 
