Hatch, the independent street food village housed underneath the Mancunian Way, has announced it will close for good as the property company behind it seeks to redevelop the site.
Bruntwood has today (1 September) announced plans to close the award-winning retail, street food, and leisure space on 30 September.
The shipping container village is currently home to a host of different independent businesses, many of which will shut at the end of the month with the exception of ÖL Brewery – the only venue that will remain open throughout the redevelopment process.
One trader, who asked not to be named, told The Manc that the news had hit them especially hard and had come as a ‘huge shock’.
They said that all of the traders they had spoken to were ‘surprised’ at the ‘short notice’ given by Bruntwood and that many were also feeling ‘hurt’ by the post on the Hatch social media which they say gave them ‘no right of reply’ with the comments switched off.
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They also said that the communication issues have made it difficult to speak with customers about what is going on, as there is ‘no opportunity to explain to customers that we are still trading for the next month.’
The trader continued: “As for my own business, I’m not currently sure how to make it survive.
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“We’ve been given a month’s notice to wind down, find alternative premises which is nigh on impossible.
“We need to find a place to store our equipment which costs money that we don’t have, our staff will find jobs elsewhere in the meantime and we’ll encourage them to do so, but it will mean our businesses basically no longer exist.
“We have been put in an entirely impossible position.”
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Speaking on the situation with the staff at Hatch, whose roles Bruntwood has said are now under consultation, the trader added: “I have every sympathy for the staff at Hatch who have had to deliver this awful news and whose jobs are presumably also at risk.
“The responsibility lies squarely with Bruntwood and the new owners Stack who have left small businesses in the worst situation possible as we head into winter.”
A joint planning application for the redevelopment of the site is currently in progress, having been submitted by Bruntwood and leading leisure developer STACK.
Plans to reopen in 2024 will see Hatch become STACK, creating a similar – albeit larger – permanent offering that Bruntwood says will provide ‘more opportunities for traders in the city.’
The new format will see a mix of street food and bars brought together around a central plaza, with a stage and giant screen providing live entertainment.
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STACK’s owners have confirmed that all food and beverage traders at Hatch will be given priority during the selection process if they choose to apply for a unit within the newly created STACK when it reopens.
Permanent site staff, meanwhile, are currently undergoing a period of consultation.
Speaking on the change Peter Bearpark, Asset Management Director at Bruntwood, said: “We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished at Hatch.
“Originally conceived as an idea for how to utilise unused space while Circle Square was in development, it has been a success in terms of the vision we set out for it – supporting start-up businesses, allowing brands to experiment, grow and thrive, and creating a place for people to enjoy excellent food, drink and shopping.
“It’s always hard to say goodbye to a site that we are proud of, but now is the right time for Stack to take it to the next stage in its development.”
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Neill Winch, CEO of STACK, added: “STACK is delighted to bring its successful leisure brand to Manchester and continue the fantastic work that Bruntwood has started at Hatch in creating a place for businesses to grow and thrive – something that we are also very passionate about.
“We have a proven track record in providing venues which bring together the very best in street food, bars and we are also renowned for delivering a full programme of live entertainment for people of all ages, which has been a huge part of our success and an element we are looking forward to elevating in Manchester.
“This location is the perfect fit for us, and we look forward to building on the great work Hatch has already done and taking it to the next level under the STACK brand.
“STACK is already a proven concept which has had huge success in its native North East, in both Sunderland and Newcastle and is currently developing a whole host of new sites across the country. It operates as both a visitor attraction and a much-loved facility for local residents and we look forward to showing Manchester what we have to offer.”
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Since opening in December 2017, Hatch has created a space for independent businesses to innovate and grow, connecting to the local Manchester community, providing a place to meet, socialise and shop.
STACK is already well-established in Newcastle and has a successful site at Seaburn, Sunderland, and is now developing STACKs in Durham, Manchester Whitley Bay, Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough, Lincoln, Northampton, and Carlisle, along with a new Tyneside home.
Featured image – Hatch
News
Viral Manchester United fan attacked by fellow Red after ‘needless’ behaviour inside Old Trafford
Danny Jones
A Manchester United fan who has gone viral for his haircut strike stunt was involved in an incident at Old Trafford this weekend after another supporter attacked him.
Known online as ‘The United Strand’, Man United fan Frank Ilett has famously vowed not to cut his hair until his team win five games in a row.
The 29-year-old was in attendance for United’s fiery clash against Chelsea, which not only saw a very unwelcoming reception for Alejandro Garnacho on his first return to the stadium, but also ended in two red cards and plenty of flare-ups on the pitch.
However, scrapping up in the concourse caught plenty of attention, too; Ilett was grabbed by another fan by the hair and yanked around for several seconds. You can see the clip down below:
What a horrible man. United Strand seems like a such a calm guy, shocking. https://t.co/SdG2mXLJAR
As you can see, he remains remarkably calm throughout the entire unprovoked ordeal and looks to have been a very popular figure around the ground up until this moment.
Countless other Reds were chatting with him and grabbing selfies before the as-yet-unidentified male approached him and began grabbing him by the hair.
Frank initially looks like he thinks it’s nothing more than a jokey tug and bit of teasing, as do many others in the immediate vicinity, before it becomes abundantly clear that the aggressive individual intends to do him harm.
After being pulled apart, the attacker can be heard shouting, “F*** off, I’ll do what I f*****g want! He’s not a United f*****g fan…”
Luckily, plenty more right-minded supporters close by were on hand to help in the moment and keep him away from Frank; we only hope he was immediately reported to security soon following the altercation.
Now approaching nearly a full year of not cutting his hair until his team, he shared his most recent video update this morning, opting not to go into the ordeal at this time, adding instead: “I’ll talk about it a bit more some other time.”
Unsurprisingly, his attacker has been quickly condemned by the majority of other fans who identified the behaviour as nothing short of unacceptable and nothing short of criminal.
One person commented: “The United Strand lad is such a lovely lad, this guy with the bald head is well out of order, and I suppose he is jealous of him because he is popular! What a f*****g w****r!”
It’s worth noting that Frank Ilett started the self-imposed challenge of refusing to cut his hair not only as just a silly bit of fun but as a unique way of generating funds for The Little Princess Trust, who help raise money and supply real-hair wigs to young people who have lost their hair through cancer.
He also helped raise money for the crucial mental health charity, Mind, and even appeared as a guest on The Last Leg to help raise further awareness.
Manchester United has yet to issue any kind of statement addressing the situation; in the meantime, we hope Frank isn’t too shaken up by the whole thing, and we’ll simply direct you to his JustGiving page, where you can donate to the charity HERE.
You can see the highlights from Man United’s much-needed win over Chelsea here.
Featured Images — The United Strand/@StokeyyG2 (via X)/Humz (via Instagram)
News
A man who abused more than 40 young girls has been jailed for 14 years
Daisy Jackson
A man who has been dubbed ‘one of the most prolific child sexual predators ever seen in the North West’ has been sentenced to 14 years behind bars.
Stuart Latham, 22, from Wigan, was sentenced to 49 offences including rape, sexual activity with a child, blackmail, sexual communication with children, inciting children to engage in sexual activity, and the creation, possession and distribution of indecent images,.
These charges were against 41 victims between the ages of 11 and 15, spanning the whole of the UK.
A joint investigation by GMP and Lancashire Police tracked down all but eight of Latham’s total 48 victims – those who have been identified will be safeguarded from further harm long after his sentencing.
Officers first received a report that Latham had raped a 12-year-old-girl in Heysham in 2023, who he had met on the social media app Swiper. He had told her he was 15 years old.
While on bail for the offences in Lancashire in April 2024, GMP received a referral made by US authorities via the National Crime Agency that a local man was having sexualised chat with children on Snapchat.
When officers arrived to his home address, Latham tried to hide his phone in the back of his wardrobe, but digital forensic experts were able to analyse the device and found that he had a history of ‘catfishing’ young girls on Snapchat, posing as a 14-year-old boy under the name ‘Josh’.
He was sending mass messages up to 200 girls at a time, asking for help before requesting sexualised images and videos, sometimes offering cash and giftcards in return.
To keep his stream of images coming, he would blackmail his victims with threats to leak the images or tell their parents, and would also send explicit videos and images of himself.
He never paid any of the victims, and showed no remorse or accountability in any of his police interviews.
Detective Constable Emma Murtagh, from GMP’s Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, and who led this case, said: “This is one of the most horrific cases I have ever had to investigate, not only due to the scale of the offending, but also due to the devastating impact and harm this this man’s behaviour and actions have had on these young girls and their families.
“We worked incredibly hard to identify as many victims as possible, listen to them, safeguard them and support them through this terrible ordeal. That has been our priority throughout and the victims living in very different locations has not been a barrier to this investigation.
“The impact has also been felt by all their parents and guardians, who understandably were very shocked and distressed to hear about what had been happening.
“This case demonstrates unfortunately the ease of which those looking to exploit children can target, manipulate and blackmail them online.
“We encourage anyone who may find them in a situation like these young people to come forward to police. We are steadfast in our pursuit of holding child predators to account and protecting children, and will act on any information we receive.”
Detective Chief Inspector Dylan Hrynkow, of West Rape and Serious Sexual offences team said: “This investigation was complex with cross border offending, due to excellent joint working we have been able to secure charges and convictions for these horrendous offences.
“This crime has understandably had a profound impact on the victim, who has shown incredible strength and bravery over a significant amount of time, throughout proceedings. I can only hope that the knowledge of Latham’s significant sentence will bring some sense of closure in knowing he has been brought to justice.
“If you have been a victim of any sexual offending in Lancashire, I want you to know that we will listen to you, we will appropriately investigate, and we will do all we can to get you justice.”
Latham was jailed at Preston Crown Court on Friday 19 September.
You can find information about online safety and organisations which support victims and parents HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
1st September 2023 
