Greater Manchester dessert favourite Ginger’s Comfort Emporium has unfortunately closed its long-standing site in the city centre.
The Northern Quarter-based ice cream icons have been serving delicious artisan scoops out of Afflecks for over a decade, but now they’ve decided to call time on the original location.
Having somewhat quietly closed this past weekend, those in the know came along for their final scoops from the pretty little parlour tucked away in a corner on the first floor of the indie shopping palace.
Officially closing on Saturday, 4 October, Ginger’s NQ is sadly no more.
Explaining the decision on social media, owner Claire Kelsey wrote: “There’s no sad reason. We’ve had a fantastic 12 years here, but unlike the other sides [of] the business, it’s 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, and I need to start having proper time off over winter.
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“I’m looking forward to the extra energy for ideas I’ll have for our events & markets, and not spreading us out so thin! THANK YOU to the wonderful staff over the years, I appreciate your care and your time x
“THANK YOU to Afflecks and Bruntwood [property firm] for being such supportive landlords and THANK YOU to you, our customers, everyone from nervous parents waiting for their kid getting a tattoo to the OG Ginger’s fans getting their fix, kids learning to play chess – it’s been a joy. X”
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Kelsey’s comments have been filled with loyal customers bidding farewell to the local favourite, ex-staff members expressing gratitude for being made part of the team, and even parents thanking Claire directly for giving numerous kids their first jobs.
One of those is influencer and now fellow independent business owner, Zack Hipps, who shared a lengthy post paying tribute to the veteran dessert venue.
“The best ice cream in Manchester is no longer so easily available in the city centre, but omg did this place mean a lot to me”, says Hipps.
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“This venue had been going for over 13 years, it was the place I got my first job, the place that I first got into coffee, and the indie food scene, it’s where I first took a picture for social media (the second picture) and saw me develop into my content creation career
“It’s opposite where I’ve opened my own lil’ coffee shop and never has something felt so truly full circle as saying goodbye. I would not be the same person without it.”
Perhaps most notably, he signs off not only by wishing them all the best but by teasing that they’ve got “some mad interesting plans coming up”, before clarifying that he can’t say any more.
We don’t know exactly what he’s been sworn to secrecy over, but you best believe we, as well as the rest of Manchester and its boroughs, will be watching closely to see what the brand does next.
And don’t worry, ice cream lovers; you’ll still be able to find their vans popping up all over the region and serving their incredible flavours at events across the North West.
Viral Manchester doughnut window serving ‘spaghetti ice cream’ to close down
Daisy Jackson
Baby Mayhem, a dessert hatch in Ancoats serving fluffy filled doughnuts, has announced it’s closed for good.
The brand shot to fame with its baked-fresh-daily treats, which customers could have topped with ‘spaghetti ice cream’ and cheesecake filling.
For a year and a half, they’ve had consistent queues for their doughnut ice cream sandwiches and coffees, and become one of the most viral traders in Greater Manchester.
But now Baby Mayhem’s doughnut window in Ancoats is closing for good, with its founder James Turner citing a rise in rent and ongoing building works among the reasons for its closure.
He said that it’s become ‘increasingly difficult’ to operate the site, with the wider building undergoing construction work, telling followers that he’s only been able to open seven days out of the last eight weeks.
He’s also said that there is a ‘proposed increased rent’ looming, forcing him to close the Ancoats hatch for good.
But it’s not the end of Baby Mayhem as a brand, with a unit outside the Etihad Stadium, pop-ups planned at the Joie stadium, another term at Manchester Metropolitan university, and more appearances around town.
He also dropped a hint at a certain Christmas Market…
James will close the Baby Mayhem doughnut window in AncoatsBaby Mayhem’s fluffy doughnutsCredit: The Manc Group
In a statement, James said: “After an incredible year and a half, we’ve made the really difficult decision to close the Baby Mayhem hatch – for now.
“Over the past few months, ongoing building works have left much of the site under construction, making it increasingly difficult for us to operate consistently. We’ve only managed to open seven days in the last 8 weeks.
“The works have also had a huge impact on our kitchen, making it impossible to create our desserts to the standard we expect from Baby Mayhem. Alongside the disruption and proposed increased rent, continuing to operate from the hatch simply isn’t sustainable right now.
“But one thing is certain – this is not the end of Baby Mayhem.
“Over the last 18 months, we’ve been lucky enough to build a wonderful relationship with Manchester City FC and that’s something we’re incredibly proud of. That relationship continues to grow, with our unit outside the stadium, we will have pop ups at the Joie stadium for all the WSL home games, and also popping up at Kids Fanzone at every Manchester City home game.
“We’ll also be back at Man Met for another term of Baby Mayhem Burger, with more pop-ups around the city, a few festivals still to come and of course, we love a Christmas market.
“Sometimes in business you have to take one step back to take two steps forward.
“For now, the hatch is closing – but Baby Mayhem isn’t. To everyone who has supported us over the last year and a half, thank you.
A banana pudding bar is opening in Manchester city centre
Daisy Jackson
Buttercup – the viral banana pudding business based in Manchester – has announced the closure of its pop-up space… as it makes way to open its very own standalone site.
The hugely popular pudding brand is set to open its very first location this autumn, bringing a banana pudding bar to the city centre.
Buttercup launched last summer, creating little pots of the hit US dessert made famous by the iconic Magnolia Bakery.
Each dessert features vanilla custard whipped with cream, soft sponge, and fresh banana, which you can then customise with rotating flavours and toppings (like the current sticky cornflake and raspberry, inspired by school dinner puddings).
And now it’s time for Buttercup to bid farewell to its nine-month residency at Deansgate General Store, ahead of launching its own pudding bar.
Since launching, Buttercup has served around 50,000 puddings, hosted sell-out pop-ups across the city, collaborated with some huge brands, and built a loyal following around its signature build-your-own pudding bar.
With this new standalone space, you’ll be able to indulge in its signature banana pudding, plus new flavours and a build-your-own toppings concept, with new toppings including cookie dough bites and brownies. A new drinks menu is also in the works.
Buttercup will leave Deansgate General Store on Monday 31 August, and will reveal its new location in the coming weeks.
Buttercup founder, Natasha Black, said: “This feels like the perfect step for Buttercup. It’s been such a pleasure to call General Store home for the past nine months, and I’m so grateful to the team there for helping us grow into what we are today.
“But as we continue to grow, now feels like the right time for us to step out on our own. I can’t wait for people to see what we’ve been working on and bring Buttercup to life in our own place!”
Danny Jones -
7th October 2025 
