Northern Quarter favourite Home Sweet Home has announced it will close its doors for good after one final service on Saturday.
The popular brunch and burger restaurant – beloved for its cakes, pancakes and milkshakes – has been feeding loyal fans on Edge Street for over a decade, but now bosses say it’s time for them to ‘move forward’ with ‘new projects’ instead.
Sharing the news of the eatery’s closure in a heartfelt post on social media on Thursday night, bosses wrote: “After 10yrs of milkshakes, cheeseburger toasties, a million breakfasts and a whole bunch of happy tummies sadly guys it’s time for us to go.
Saying, unequivocally, that ‘it sucks’, they continued: “sadly HomeSweet just has to float away into the chocolate river.”
Image: Home Sweet Home
“It’s been the most wonderful of times and we will miss soothing your hangovers and satisfying your cravings. Drop in, say goodbye and get your final fix.”
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The American comfort food joint first opened on Edge Street in the Northern Quarter in 2012, followed by a second site at the Great Northern Warehouse in 2015, which closed in 2019.
Beautiful Drinks, the company behind Home Sweet Home, also owns a number of other restaurants in the city including burger bar Almost Famous, Tex Mex eatery Lust Luck Liquor and Burn.
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In recent years, it has also closed its ‘hidden’ cocktail bar Convenience Store, which sat in the same building as Almost Famous and Lust Luck since 2017, having previously been known as tiki bar Keko’s.
Comments poured in from Home Sweet Home fans last night following the announcement, with one person saying: “End of an era! Me and @maguire40 lived round the corner when you opened and for your first 5 years. We were major fans of your cheeseburger toasties and milkshakes! Kept me fuelled when I was preggo with the twins. You’ll be missed.”
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Another person added: “Very sad news. Many brunches, lunches and cakes have been consumed on your premises!”
A third commented: “Absolutely gutted to read this. Home sweet home became the place I’d reunite with my uni friends and catch up over lovely food from lovely people. I will miss this so very much”
The cheeseburger toastie will have a place in my heart forever
The full post read: “Bittersweeet… After 10yrs of milkshakes, cheeseburger toasties, a million breakfasts and a whole bunch of happy tummies sadly guys it’s time for us to go. I know it sucks right, your go to place for fun and friends and a warm glow will be no more.
“HomeSweet will close its doors forevers after service on Saturday 23rd July.
“We’re moving forward with exciting new projects and sadly HomeSweet just has to float away in to the chocolate river. It’s been the most wonderful of times and we will miss soothing your hangovers and satisfying your cravings. Drop in, say goodbye and get your final fix.
Home Sweet Home will close its doors for one last time following its final service on Saturday 23 July. It is not yet clear what new projects Beautiful Drinks is working on next.
Feature image – Home Sweet Home
News
The 2025/26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season has been delayed
Danny Jones
The next Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season has been officially delayed by nearly three weeks.
Announced on Tuesday, 21 January, the decision has been taken in an effort to help promote the Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC), the proximity of which is rather close to the national league championship competition.
With sporting bodies also trying to nurture a growing interest in female rugby, the start of the next PWR season will be pushed back not only to give players more time to rest but in an effort to drive a larger audience to the WRWC as well, the final of which is being played here in England.
The hope is that it will also better the Red Roses’ chances of winning the international tournament in turn – fingers firmly crossed.
Get excited 🤩
The PWR 2025-26 Season will officially kick off on Saturday 25th October PLUS the PWR Cup will return 🙌
The conclusion of the international tournament is taking place at Twickenham Stadium in London on 27 September, just days before the 2025/26 Premiership season was due to start.
Local side Sale Sharks are sadly at the bottom of the table this current campaign, which kicked off on 5 October 2024 and ends this March, but with eyes already on the WRWC the focus for lots of players in the league will no doubt already be shifting.
Not only is the domestic women’s rugby season being delayed by nearly three whole weeks – meaning the first games won’t happen until 25 October – but this comes after the current schedule of fixtures was also reduced with player recovery in mind ahead of the World Cup.
Speaking to BBC Sport, the PWR’s league operations manager, Amy Walmsley, said: “The Rugby World Cup is a generational moment for women’s rugby and will create a huge opportunity for both PWR and our clubs to grow and celebrate with their fans.
“The optimum time between the Rugby World Cup Final and our first league match will ensure we capitalise on what we already know will be the biggest and best World Cup ever, while also ensuring player welfare with adequate rest across the season.”
The stats back it up too as 2024 saw numerous milestones for the women’s game; in addition to record crowds at the Olympics, last year’s Guinness Women’s Six Nations was the most viewed on record with 8.1 million fans tuning in, not to mention an increased interest among 18-24-year-olds.
You can find the run-down of the Sale Sharks Women fixtures below:
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗜𝗻
All of our fixtures for the 24/25 season are locked in. Let's bring that Northern roar to every game #SharksFamily 🦈
As for the final of the Premiership Women’s Rugby, the date has been reverted to its usual window in June, which should also fit within what congestion remains.
Nevertheless, with the Women’s Six Nations in late April and England – who have won all but one of their last 51 games – set to begin their World Cup on 22 August, the margins are still going to be somewhat fine if they are to head into the tournament in the best shape possible.
With the tickets selling extremely well, the expectation is that the Rugby World Cup final break is set to break the world record for the best-attended women’s rugby fixture in history.
In the meantime, Greater Manchester is gearing up for the men’s action as the Six Nations gets underway at the end of this month and the city is boasting the perfect place to watch it.
Digital driving licences will be introduced across the UK later this year
Emily Sergeant
Digital driving licences are set to be introduced across the UK later this year, it has been announced.
Science Secretary Peter Kyle has announced today that, before 2025 is out, Brits will be given the option to use a digital version of their driver’s licence from their phone to easily prove their age when buying age restricted items online and in person, as well as proving their right to drive.
A mobile driver’s licence is set to be one of the first digital documents in a GOV.UK wallet app that’s being launched later this year.
— Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (@SciTechgovuk) January 21, 2025
The new wallet will allow users to securely store Government-issued documents on their phone, such as DBS checks, Veteran Cards, and loads more, as well as driving licences, and use them easily when needed by making use of a range of security features that are built into modern smart phones – including facial recognition checks.
According to the Government, the new service means that digital documents will be more secure, even if a device is lost.
Traditional physical documents will still remain available, however.
Digital driving licences will be introduced across the UK later this year / Credit: GDS
The mobile driver’s licence will be piloted later in 2025, and all Government services will have to offer a digital alternative, alongside paper or card credentials, by the end of 2027 under plans set out by the blueprint for digital Government.
“This is a game changer for the millions of people who use their driving licence as ID,” commented Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander.
“The innovation puts power back in the hands of the people, making everyday interactions faster, easier, and more secure. We are delivering on the Plan for Change by making public services work for everyone.”
Georgina Pellant -
8th July 2022 
