It’s an end of an era for the undisputed trailblazers of Manchester’s dirty burger scene.
Almost Famous has confirmed it is closing down its original Northern Quarter site a full decade after it first opened its doors on High Street in 2012.
Back then, the ‘secret’ burger bar offered something distinctly different to diners – an intentional lack of signage, no reservations, and ‘off menu’-only vegetarian items leading only the most committed of burger enthusiasts to venture up those dark stairwells in search of the best buns in town.
Mac and cheese balls, Molotov cocktails, ‘bacon bacon’ and ‘winning’ fries, not to mention those famous loaded burgers drenched in a variety of house-made sauces, all set the tone for a dirty food obsession that would prevail for years to come.
Image: Almost Famous
Trends have moved on, but Almost Famous is still a stalwart on the Manchester burger scene. In that time, it survived a fire, opened a second site in Manchester, and expanded its meaty, cheesy goodness into other cities like Leeds and Liverpool.
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Now, after ten years on the scene, the team has revealed it is gearing up to move out of its original Northern Quarter location to a brand new home – leaving behind the site where it all began for good.
Sharing the news on social media this week, the restaurant said: “ANNOUNCEMENT: I’m like a sherbet dibdab of emotion telling this… AlmostFamousNQ is closing forever at the end of next week.
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Image: Almost Famous
“The legendary hang out where it all began is moving home – thank you all for making it what it was – come say hey, party all week, last one Saturday.”
The restaurant is yet to reveal where it will be moving to, leaving fans to guess as to where the new location could be.
The news has caused an outpouring of love on social media, with one person commenting: “Thanks for the memories! Feels like a lifetime ago”
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Another said: “A part of my heart goes with it”
A third added: “I’m forever grateful for the legends I got to meet working here, especially my best friend and godmother to my daughter, @em_hull I love you babes, may we forever slag off the nutcases we called colleagues xxx”
Image: Almost Famous
Image: Almost Famous
Image: Almost Famous
The news marks a change for the brand, which has also just revealed it will be teaming up with Bowling Alley chain Lane7 to offer its famous burgers at their Bristol and Leicester sites.
However, The Manc has had confirmation that Almost Famous will not be moving into the Lane7 site at Great Northern Warehouse.
Jenn Quinn, Marketing at Almost Famous, said in a statement: “Manchester burger lovers, fear not, as Almost Famous will continue to serve your favourite, super juicy dripping, no nonsense burgers from our venue at Great Northern Warehouse.
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“Almost Famous is also proud to now operate from within Lane7 in Leicester and Bristol.
The announcement also follows news shared last week that Beautiful Drinks, the company behind Almost Famous, will also be permanently closing down its Home Sweet Home restaurant on Edge Street.
Almost Famous NQ will close its doors this Saturday 23 July after one final service.
Feature image – Google
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Salford man jailed after pointing loaded gun at police and members of public while on the run
Emily Sergeant
A man from Salford has been jailed for more than a decade after he pointed a loaded gun at police officers and members of the public while he was on the run.
Jay Conway, of Leicester Walk in Salford, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (6 March 2026) where he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and assault of an emergency worker, as well as also pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.
His sentencing comes after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Salford Challenger team were patrolling Albert Park in plain clothes on Tuesday 20 May 2025.
They spotted a man riding an e-bike and wearing a balaclava, and attempted to detain him there and then, but despite their best efforts, he fled the area, brandishing what officers believed to be a pistol in the process.
The suspect – which was later identified as Conway – stole a bike and cycled on to Great Clowes Street, where a neighbourhood officer heading towards the incident attempted to detain him but he resisted. The officer deployed his Taser but he drew the pistol for a second time, pointing it at police and also at a member of the public.
Conway then dropped the firearm – which police later confirmed as a viable, loaded pistol – and a mobile phone, and fled for a second time.
Thanks to a ‘fast-paced and thorough’ investigation by specialist GMP teams, involving forensic analysis of the phone and CCTV which identified Conway as the suspect, he was arrested by armed officers the following day in Whalley Range.
“Nobody – a police officer or a member of the public – should be confronted by a gun,” said Detective Superintendent Simon Moyles, following Conway’s sentencing.
“These were frightening incidents and Conway is clearly a dangerous individual who is rightly serving a prison sentence. We need to commend and recognise our officers who showed immense bravery in trying to stop Conway.
“Guns have no place on our streets and the work we are doing in Salford, and across Greater Manchester, in relation to firearms incidents continues.
“If you know anyone who is using, or possesses, an illegal firearm, we urge you to get in touch with us as, for each firearm we recover, that’s potentially a life saved.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Nearly 300 new ‘social rent’ homes given go-ahead as part of £500m Wythenshawe regeneration
Emily Sergeant
Nearly 300 new homes are set to be built in Wythenshawe as part of a wider £500 million regeneration scheme.
In case you didn’t know, Placemaker Muse and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group submitted three separate planning applications for 422 new affordable homes back in December 2025, following a public consultation with locals.
Now, works on two of the three new communities can begin, with the third expected to get the green light in the coming weeks.
Brotherton House – which is a former office building – will be transformed into 216 new homes, including an extra care apartment building with 109 homes for people in later life and those living with dementia, while C2 The Birtles, also currently retail and office space, is situated next to the former market square and will be replaced with 81 one and two-bedroom apartments.
Alpha House, which is currently awaiting a planning decision, has now been demolished and will be rebuilt to provide 125 one and two-bedroom apartments – including 16 wheelchair accessible homes.
According to developers, all the homes will be ‘affordable, high-quality, and energy-efficient’, with additional outdoor and communal spaces to promote health and wellbeing.
The approval given to build these new homes forms part of the wider ‘ambitious’ plan to transform Wythenshawe over the next decade.
The wider masterplan for Wythenshawe will see up to 2,000 new homes created over the next 10 to 15 years, which will complement the wider investment currently underway in Civic – supported by £20 million of Government funding, and £11.9 million from Manchester City Council.
Nearly 300 new homes have been given the go-ahead as part of a £500m Wythenshawe regeneration scheme / Credit: Muse (Supplied)
New community facilities in the town include the Culture Hub – which is now underway – the Food Hall, currently awaiting a planning decision, new workspaces, and improvements to the outdoor spaces in Civic, all designed to create a ‘greener and more welcoming’ town centre.
“For us, this is about delivering the truly affordable homes local people have told us they need,” explained Andrea Lowman, who is the Executive Director of Development at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.
“Every one of these homes will be for social rent, giving more families, older residents and people with additional needs the opportunity to live well in the heart of Wythenshawe.
“As the local social housing provider, we are focused not just on building new homes but on creating sustainable communities and making sure this investment strengthens the town centre for existing and future residents alike.”
Georgina Pellant -
18th July 2022 
