A teppanyaki restaurant in Manchester city centre has had to temporarily close its doors because of a ‘severe’ kitchen fire.
Sapporo Teppanyaki on Liverpool Road is famed for its theatrical cooking style, where chefs prepare food on a hot plate in front of diners.
Each table is manned by a trained chef, who frequently create huge flaming displays right in front of customers’ eyes.
Sapporo Teppanyaki on Liverpool Road in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
But now a fire in the restaurant’s kitchen has forced the doors to close for the time being.
A statement posted by Sapporo Teppanyaki says that no one was injured in the incident, but that there has been some “major fire damage” in the main kitchen.
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They added that the team have been left ‘shaken’.
The post read: “As some of you may have heard, our Manchester branch is currently out of action due to some major fire damage in our main kitchen.
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“While we’re a little shaken, thankfully nobody was injured and we’re working hard to get back on our feet as soon as possible. We understand this set-back will have inconvenienced many of you, so thank you for bearing with us in the meantime!”
A deep-cleaning company is currently working to ready the restaurant for a hopeful reopening in December.
The restaurant has said that bookings have been refunded.
A spokesperson for GMFRS said: “At approximately 7am on Saturday 16 October, three fire engines from Salford and Moss Side stations, alongside an aerial ladder platform from Manchester Central station, were called to a fire on Liverpool Road, in Manchester city centre.
“The fire was located on the ground floor of a restaurant. Firefighters used breathing apparatus, two hose reels, a thermal imaging camera and a gas monitor to extinguish the fire. Fire crews were in attendance for around four hours.”
Sapporo’s sister site in Liverpool is open for business as normal.
The Manc has contacted Sapporo Teppanyaki for further comment.
Featured image – Facebook (Sapporo Teppanyaki)
News
Manchester Piccadilly is closing AGAIN for more improvement works this weekend
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Piccadilly is set to close again for more improvement works this weekend.
In case you hadn’t heard, Manchester Piccadilly train station was closed for nine days back in mid-February while a ‘once-in-a-generation upgrade’ was carried out – with very few train services running in or out of the station in the process, and as you’d expect, widespread disruption caused for those travelling around the region.
But thankfully, after many journeys were impacted for those travelling to and from major destinations like Manchester Airport, and on the West Coast Mainline, the station was back up and running at the end of February, with passengers thanked for their patience in the meantime.
Network Rail invested £7.9m into the major upgrade, with the main points of action being to improve tracks, points, and signalling systems on the southern approach to Manchester Piccadilly station.
At the time it was announced that the station had reopened, passengers were alerted to further minor closures in the future, and one of those closures is set to take place this weekend.
🗓️ On 1 & 22 March, we’ll complete follow-up work following our £7.9m track upgrade at Manchester Piccadilly.
🛤️ Morning journeys will be disrupted on those days, with rail replacement buses in operation to keep you moving.
This Sunday (22 March), routine follow-up work will take place to secure the new railway foundation stone through a process called tamping, and this will impact trains until 1pm, so passengers are advised to check online ahead of time if planning to travel.
These upgrades are said to help deliver ‘smoother, more reliable’ journeys for passengers in the future, but during this time, trains from the south and east will not run into Manchester Piccadilly.
All station facilities at Manchester Piccadilly will remain open on the day, including the ticket office, Passenger Assist lounge, toilets, and retail outlets, and Metrolink trams will continue to stop at the station too.
Northern has confirmed that it will continue to run a reduced timetable on services to Liverpool Lime Street, Blackpool North, and Chester.
However, if you are travelling on Sunday morning, you are advised to check your journey before you go and allow a little extra time.
“If you need help, our station teams will be on hand,” Northern assured in a statement.
Featured Image – Network Rail
News
Heaton Park announces death of its two donkeys following ‘complex’ health and age-related issues
Emily Sergeant
Heaton Park has made the devastating announcement that two more of its beloved donkeys have sadly passed away.
“It is with great sadness that today we announce the passing of Bonnie and Josh, our beloved donkeys, following advice of a vet and The Donkey Sanctuary who visited our Animal Centre,” Heaton Park & Hall announced on its official social platforms at the end of last week.
The death of Bonnie and Josh comes after two of the park’s other donkeys, Ralph and Lenny, also sadly passed away in June and October of last year, respectively.
Both donkeys were born at Heaton Park, and had been steady companions for each other over the last three decades.
Heaton Park announces death of its two donkeys following ‘complex’ health and age-related issues / Credit: Heaton Park & Hall
Josh managed to reach 29, and Bonnie an incredible 33 years of age before passing, and considering that The Donkey Sanctuary says the average life expectancy for a donkey is just over 30, reaching this age was said to be a ‘significant achievement’ for all who cared for Bonnie and Josh.
However in their later years though, both Bonnie and Josh were living with ‘complex’ health and age-related issues.
Ultimately, these complications were what led to them passing away last week.
“They were such kind and gentle souls, and this loss will be felt deeply by all staff, past and present, alongside our visitors,” Heaton Park’s statement continued.
Heaton Park staff closed out their statement thanking everyone who has ever visited the donkeys over the past couple of decades, and particularly the Donkey Welfare Advisers at The Donkey Sanctuary who have supported them and their donkey herd, especially in recent years.
Daisy Jackson -
12th November 2021 
