Just a month after award-winning Northern Quarter ramen spot Cocktail Beer Ramen + Bun (CBRB) announced its closure, bosses have revealed plans to hand the keys to a former employee.
Tom Potts, a former bar manager at the late-night Oldham Street favourite, will soon be taking over the restaurant and turning it into a Kong’s Chicken Shop.
Whilst still working for CBRB, in 2021 Tom took advantage of the furlough scheme to start his own specialist fried chicken sandwich business – even cooking and serving his first sandwiches out of CBRB’s kitchen whilst the restaurant was closed.
So it makes sense that, when the restaurant was forced to shut for good, the first business they approached about taking on the lease was Kong’s Chicken Shop.
Image: Kong’s Chicken Shop
Image: Kong’s Chicken Shop
Over the past two years, Kong’s has moved from pop-up to pop-up. Tom has seen some great success: opening concepts at different locations in Manchester and experimenting with diner food, sandwiches, meat’n’three, roast dinners, tacos, loaded fries, ramen, bao and kebabs.
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At the heart of his menu, the star has always been the same. Using thigh meat, the chicken at Kong’s is brined for three hours, rolled in a secret spice mix, then double-dredged for a crispier texture.
The brand now has three different pop-up sites across the city, with a Kong’s Diner in Dog Bowl, a Kong’s Cantina in Black Dog Ballroom, and a sandwich/burger shop at Hatch street food village.
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And finally, he is poised to open his first permanent restaurant back where it all began. How fitting.
Kong’s has previously hosted a collaboration with CBRB and Asahi where Tom’s signature fried chicken made an appearance in steaming bowls of ramen and fluffy bao buns, and given his propensity for playing with different cuisines we wouldn’t have been at all surprised if the new menu nodded to the site’s history.
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However, if that is the plan he’s not letting on yet – telling The Manc that the new eatery will serve a diner-style brunch with fried chicken French toast, free refills on filter coffee and dedicated bloody mary and Irish coffee drinks menus.
Image: Kong’s
Image: Kong’s
As for lunch and dinner, the plan is to keep things classic with the chicken sandwiches and wings that built up the Kong’s concept in the first place. There’ll also be a selection of nice small plates and larger sharers, with a focus on grilled meats and flatbreads.
As for Sundays, fans of the OG fried chicken roast dinner will be pleased to hear that the dish is set to make a return. With a bar offering running late into the evening, some of the late-night feel will carry over from the CBRB days soundtracked by lots of punk music.
Tom said: “I’m excited to be working on drinks again, it’s been fun. I can’t wait to be able to show off what we can do in our own space, it’s a dream come true.
“Obviously it’s really sad about CBRB closing but at least there’s a silver lining. It means a lot to us to be in the building where we first started and that I worked at since the beginning. We’re excited to be able to show what we can do and really do justice to what came before.”
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Beloved ramen business CBRB officially closed its doors after one last bowl on Sunday 12 February, having announced the news of its closure with a frank and heartbreaking statement.
In it, the late-night Oldham Street business outlined the ‘massive financial strain’ it’s been facing, describing the obstacles that are ‘affecting everyone in the hospitality industry right now’.
CBRB stressed the staggering costs of goods and the doubling of energy bills as the ‘massive factors’ that have forced their hand.
First opened on Oldham Street in 2018, after five years the team has announced it will now hand over the keys to Tom who will turn CBRB into Kong’s NQ.
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In a joint statement released to Instagram, the two businesses wrote: “A Silver Lining // Since the announcement of our closure, we have been inundated with support + lovely messages from you beautiful people.
“But it’s time for a bit of good news… lets be honest, we all need some of that right now.
“Those of you that have been with us from the beginning, will remember our OG Tom.
“Tom was with us from day dot, helping build CBRB (literally) + was a huge part of making this lil ramen gaff the place it was. After flying the nest in 2021 to pursue his own food concept @kongskitchens , using the CBRB kitchen for their first pop up + coming back together a year later for our first ever collab.. we are now super happy to be able to say that the place we’ve called home is going to be staying in the fam.
“You may of seen the news that Kongs will be opening their own venue in the NQ recently + we’re dead chuffed to announce they will be moving into our old home at 101-103 Oldham Street.
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“We’re super proud + happy that after all this, there is a silver lining to our story.
“Give them a follow if you’re not already + stay tuned for more updates on the opening loves!”
Feature image – The Manc Group
News
Happy ending for pregnant cat who was PLUCKED of her fur by abusive owner
Daisy Jackson
A pregnant cat who was forcibly held down and plucked of her fur has got her happy ending.
Beautiful Luthien was found in a Manchester apartment building by the RSPCA at the age of just six months old, with just a tuft of fur left on the top of her tail.
A concerned neighbour had called the animal rescue charity after seeing the cat being pinned down and plucked by her owner on a balcony in the city.
Not only was the poor animal almost completely bald, but she was also pregnant.
She was taken into the care of RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Animal Hospital for a veterinary examination, missing fur over the top of her head, neck, back, belly, and down her front legs.
The vet suspected that this abuse had happened in multiple occasions due to the extent of the fur loss.
She was then transferred into the care of the RSPCA’s Crewe and Nantwich District Branch where staff nicknamed her ‘Velcro’ because she was so affectionate to everyone.
Luthien, or Velcro, gave birth to four kittens and was later rehomed by Kathy Miller, 75, in Cheadle.
Luthien was plucked by her ownerShe was just six months old, and pregnantCredit: RSPCA
She now looks like a completely different cat, and her fur has fully grown back.
A man was given a 12 month ban on keeping animals by magistrates, ordered to pay a £40 fine and £100 costs when he pleaded guilty to one Animal Welfare offence of failing to ensure that the needs of an animal were met.
RSPCA Inspector Jess Araujo, who investigated, said: “I have been an inspector for eight years but I had not seen anything like this before in terms of cruelty.
“Poor Luthien was only a six month-old kitten and most of her fur had been plucked from her body. This must have been terrifying and painful for her. She was also pregnant at the time so the added stress of this would have been awful.
“She was pinned down screaming in pain while this happened – and we are not sure how many times she was subjected to this treatment. The RSPCA attended the address with the police and the owner agreed to sign her over into our care.”
Rachael Dyer, a trustee at RSPCA’s Crewe and Nantwich District Branch, said: “She was the most lovely cat from the start – she was so loving and kind – it is amazing really when you think about what she had been through. We called her Velcro because she just wanted cuddles so much and would just stick to you.
Luthien now, with new owner Kathy. Credit: RSPCA
“She had four adorable kittens and she was fantastic with them. She was only young herself, but she cared and loved those kittens so much. She stayed with her babies until they were weaned and could be put up for adoption and once the kittens had found homes at around three months old it was her turn to find her forever home.
“I saw how her fur began to grow back and as it did her personality began to shine through too – she was such a friendly little cat in our care, really adorable.
“Once she was advertised for adoption her new owner applied and she came to see her. It really was love at first sight between both of them. There were a couple more follow up visits so they could bond while the kittens were rehomed – and they just got on so well and Luthien loved getting fussed.”
Kathy, Luthien’s new owner, said: “I have always adopted rescues and when I saw a cat advertised called ‘Velcro’ and all her kittens were named after sewing items – with me being a seamstress I just thought, ‘oh, here is a connection’ and I felt it was a sign.
“I arranged to see her at the branch and the first time she met me she was quite shy but I gave her a treat in my hand and she took it willingly and I thought this is another connection.
“When I first saw her I was shocked at her lack of fur. I knew from the website she had very little, but in real life all she had was a tuft at the end of her tail, it was like a pom-pom. I was told what had happened and it just made me sick to think of all the pain and suffering she must have gone through while pregnant too.
“She is such a lovely-natured girl and very sweet but she still won’t sit on my knee. She will cuddle and sleep on my bed but won’t sit on my knee – so I think it’s still some trauma from what happened.
“I did change her name as I am a Tolkien fan and have a dog called Arwen so I thought Lucien suited her and they are best friends (pictured). Velcro was a cute name when she was at the branch and it was apt because she loved cuddles and fuss and stuck to carers like Velcro – she still does love attention!”
The animal welfare charity is telling Luthien’s story as part of its Cruelty Hurts, Love Rescues fundraising campaign – which coincides with the charity’s busiest time as heartbreaking cruelty reports peak over summer.
New figures show that in June, July and August last year the RSPCA received 6,322* cruelty calls to their emergency line last year which is one call every 10 minutes when the line is open. In comparison the charity took 3,852 calls for the same period in 2021 – showing a massive 64% increase over the five years.
Murder investigation launched after man stabbed to death in Levenshulme over weekend
Emily Sergeant
A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a young man in Levenshulme over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that officers were called to reports of a man who suffered ‘serious stab wounds’ on Chapel Street at around 7:06pm on Saturday evening (15 August), and once they arrived on the scene, the victim was pronounced dead despite the best efforts of emergency services.
The identity of the victim has not yet been announced, but it has been confirmed that he was a 24-year-old man.
Work is ongoing to locate the victim’s next of kin, and several scenes remain in place while the police investigation continues.
According to police, it is believed that this was an ‘isolated incident’ with no wider threat to the public.
While a 27-year-old man has already been arrested on suspicion of murder and is currently in police custody, GMP have still issued a public appeal for information.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim in this tragic incident,” commented Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson, from GMP’s Major Incident Team.
“Officers acted swiftly to arrest a man, who is in our custody for questioning.
“Our investigation is ongoing and we would like to hear from anyone who may have information that can assist us.”
Can you help? Anyone in the Chapel Street area around the time of this incident, or who has mobile phone, CCTV, Ring doorbell and dashcam footage, can contact police on 0161 856 9008 quoting the log number 2983 of 15/08/2026.
“Alternatively you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd March 2023 
