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All-you-can-eat steak and sushi restaurant to take over former Artisan unit

Sakku Samba will breath some much-needed life into the empty space four years after the Living Ventures restaurant and bar closed its doors.

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 3rd May 2022

A new Brazilian and Japanese fusion restaurant will be opening inside the old Artisan unit in Spinningfields, it has been revealed.

Moving into Manchester’s glitzy Spinningfields’ district later this year, Sakku Samba will fuse together Brazilian and Japanese cuisine in an all-you-can-eat setting that borrows from two existing concepts.

The brainchild of restaurateur Zack Isaak, it will combine the concepts of Estabulo Rodizio, an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse with a number of popular sites in Yorkshire, and Leeds’ all-you-can-eat sushi and Japanese grill venue, Sakku.

Image: Estabulo
Image: Sakku
Image: Sakku

Split across two floors, the new fusion restaurant Sakku Samba will feature a ground-floor cocktail bar and a first-floor restaurant with room to seat up to 300 diners at once.

The creation of a new VIP room and two extra private dining rooms, meanwhile, will push the venue’s overall capacity above 400.

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Read more: High-end Asian restaurant Sexy Fish tipped to open second site in Manchester

“I wanted to bring something different to Manchester,” he told Place North West. 

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“I love the space and where it is. It has phenomenal character,” he added.

Read more: The new restaurants and bars opening in Manchester this month | May 2022

Artisan first opened its doors in Spinningfields in 2013 and shut down in 2018. Since then, the space has merely sat gathering dust – so it’s great to see a new north west concept moving in to take it over.

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Image: Estabulo Rodizio

Sakku Samba’s arrival in the business district comes at a time of change for the area, which has been dominated by current and past Living Ventures businesses like Australasia, Manchester House, The Alchemist, and The Living Room almost since its inception.

Read more: Popular late-night Mayfair bar and restaurant Mnky Hse to open in Manchester

This year will see more out-of-town concepts move into the area with the planned arrival of brands like Sexy Fish in the former Armani unit, Giggling Squid in the former Carluccio’s site, Soho House at nearby Granada Studios and Mnky Hse at nearby Lloyd Street.

Feature image – Google Maps

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Manchester company set to rescue beloved tea brand Typhoo from administration

Danny Jones Danny Jones Manchester vape company could save Typhoo from administration

Beloved British tea brand Typhoo has unfortunately fallen into administration after 121 years but a Manchester company could be set to save it from the jaws of insolvency.

Undoubtedly one of the biggest and best-known brands in the UK, not to mention the teabag of choice for millions up and down the country, Typhoo is a household name to most and has been a mainstay in supermarkets and newsagents for longer than we’ve been alive.

Despite its long-standing reputation and catering to a market of obsessive tea drinkers who aren’t going anywhere, the brew business has proved difficult for them, with a steady decline in sales and increasing losses year on year, as well as levels of debt creeping up to a now unsustainable point.

Financial advisory firm Kroll has now been appointed to handle the administration and find a buyer for the tea business, with a Manchester-headquartered company currently believed to be the frontrunner.

Supreme PLC is London-listed but has a HQ in Manchester.
The old Tyhpoo factory which closed last year.
Typhoo could be pulled back from the brink of administration. (Credit: Supreme via Facebook)/Rept0n1x via Wikimedia Commons)

Typhoo has been struggling to keep a foothold in the tea markets in recent years – suffering a significant setback when its Merseyside factory on the Wirral was broken into back in August 2023 – however, they have now been given a lifeline by a company just down the road in Stretford.

According to industry news outlet, Proactive Investors, vape and battery distributors Supreme Imports (based over in Trafford Park) are now said to be in ‘advanced talks’ to buy the tea brand and save it from going belly up after well over a century on our shelves.

The Bristol-based veterans were acquired by Zetland Capital back in 2021 which looked to have stabilised finances for a little while, but despite steadying the ship in the immediate, the last three years have seen a return to turbulent times.

While administration should keep them afloat while a sale is secured, there is still the matter of sizeable debt to be contested with; as of September last year, Typhoo owed more than £73 million to creditors – a whole £20m more than the previous year. In contrast, Supreme recently posted pe-tax profits of £14.7m.

Meanwhile, serious dips in revenue haven’t helped, with losses of around 25% recorded in the previous financial year and the closure of the Moreton plant (which contributed to approximately £24.1m worth of “exceptional costs”) leaving them at risk of going total collapse. It isn’t the heavyweight it once was.

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Conversely, with a diverse portfolio including not only vapes and batteries but lightbulbs, protein powder and bars; other e-cigarette items, the Clearly Drinks brand and even Sealions sleep gummies, Supreme are in the position to potentially rescue Typhoo, although a buyout deal is not yet finalised.

It’s unclear what the PLC will ultimately do with the brand should the acquisition be completed but it could prove to be a big coup if they can help it recover.

More importantly, with more than 100 jobs at risk throughout the company, not to mention Tyhpoo’s heritage as a historically significant domestic brand, we would love nothing more than to see the much-loved brew-makers back on their feet and livelihoods kept intact thanks to a local brand of our own.

Fingers crossed.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Amazon UK

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ITV confirm Granada Reports replacement after presenter Lucy Meacock’s departure

Danny Jones Danny Jones Katie Walderman replacing Lucy Meacock on Granada Reports ITV

ITV has finally confirmed their incoming replacement for long-serving presenter Lucy Meacock, who left Granada Reports earlier this year.

An instantly recognisable face across the North West, Meacock helped cover current affairs and local events across the region on their flagship news programme for 36 long years – more than half of the entire time the show has been on the air.

‘Bowing out quietly’ back in August – four years on from the tragic passing of her long-time presenting partner, Tony Morris – Granada has been without a permanent co-anchor to serve alongside Gamal Fahnbulleh ever since, but now the hosting team looks set to be restored back to full strength very soon.

Confirming the news on Friday morning, 29 November, ITV has named rival news presenter Katie Walderman as Meacock’s successor, with her first show set to air next week.

Having been part of BBC’s equivalent North West Tonight (NWT) programme for more than a decade, Walderman is virtually a perfect fit for the role.

For those unfamiliar, despite being best known for her long and successful spell with the news corporation, she also went viral in May last year after accidentally mistaking a Eurovision fan for Finland’s 2023 entrant, Käärijä.

Lovable gaffes aside, Walderman has been one of the BBC’s most celebrated journalists in recent years, having worked in roles on BBC Breakfast and North West Today before joining NWT. She started on local radio in her hometown of Liverpool before joining Real Radio and Smooth FM in MediaCityUK.

In fact, it was only last week that she picked up the Journalist of the Year at the 2024 Royal Television Society North West Awards – a perfect parting gift.

Announcing her own departure earlier this month, Meacock shared numerous images as she looked back on her favourite memories on the job.

Speaking on joining ITV, Walderman said: “It’s an absolute dream come true to join Granada Reports. I grew up watching the programme, but never in a million years did I think I’d actually get the chance to present it.

“I was born and raised in Liverpool and I’m now bringing up three of my own little Scousers. I can’t wait to continue flying the flag for our fantastic region and all the amazing communities here.

“I’m really looking forward to joining the Granada family – both the team in Salford [Quays] and all those watching at home.”

Katie Walderman and Gamal Fahnbulleh will host their first evening show together on Monday, 2 December at 6pm.

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Featured Images — ITV/Screenshot (via YouTube)

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