A vegan burger restaurant has been forced to closed its doors for good just over a year from launching in Manchester.
Liverpool favourite Frost Burgers arrived in the city in January 2021, offering its burgers for delivery-only as part of an exclusive partnership with Deliveroo whilst we were still in lockdown.
However, bosses soon found that demand was so high for their food that they branched out into a bricks-and-mortar unit – taking over a diner space on Portland Street and opening its own Manchester restaurant eight months ago.
Image: Frost BUrgers
Less than a year on, though, owners have now shared an emotional post announcing the restaurant’s shock closure, which will see it close permanently on 14 August after one last service.
Describing themselves as ‘devastated’, owners said that getting the chance to grow Frost Burgers was ‘amazing’ and they ‘couldn’t be more proud of the incredible team” in Manchester.
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Blaming ‘multiplying costs’ that have ‘gotten too much’ to pay their team properly, owners said they had ‘kept going as long as we could.’
They continued: “We knew expanding the business post-pandemic had its risks, but with all the support our Liverpool branch had received we were confident Manchester would be a success.
“Then the current financial situation hit: inflation, increasing food prices, energy bills, supplies and the rapid rise of cost of living has forced us into a situation we cannot come back from.
“It’s a really hard time for any small businesses and we send our love and support to all those still fighting!”
Whilst the Manchester branch will close on 14 August following one last service, the original Liverpool branch will remain open for the foreseeable future for any Manchester fans who still have a hankering come September.
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The full post read: “With heavy hearts, we are devastated to have to announce the closure of our Manchester Location. Our last day of trading will be 14th August.
Getting the chance to grow Frost Burgers was amazing, and we couldn’t be more proud of the incredible team at our Manchester branch, who have knocked it out of the park and captured what Frost Burgers is all about these last 8 months.
Image: Frost Burgers
“We kept going as long as we could for them but unfortunately the multiplying costs have gotten too much to give them what they need.
“We knew expanding the business post pandemic had its risks, but with all the support our Liverpool branch had received we were confident Manchester would be a success.
“Then the current financial situation hit: inflation, increasing food prices, energy bills, supplies and the rapid rise of cost of living has forced us into a situation we cannot come back from.
“It’s a really hard time for any small businesses and we send our love and support to all those still fighting!
“Our Liverpool branch will still be open, and we will try our best to keep that floating, so your favourite burgers aren’t lost just yet.
“If you’d like to come grab a burger and hang out with us one last time over the next couple of weeks, we’d love to see you!
“Thank You so much to everyone for all the support, it truly means the world. Much Love.”
Feature image – Frost Burgers
News
New £60m fund launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A new £60 million Pothole Fund has been created to repair more of the city region’s roads and pavements.
The fund – which has been set up by new Mayor Bev Craig, and is to be spent across every borough in Greater Manchester – is set to be a ‘major boost’ to efforts to tackle the pothole problem, as it will be enough to repair and maintain over a million square metres, or around 125 kilometres, of road across the wider region.
Around 2.5 billion trips are made on Greater Manchester‘s roads every year – not only by motorists, but also by buses, trams, cyclists, and pedestrians. So the fund will be used to help keep the highways network ‘safe and reliable’.
The fund will enable transport teams to repair hotspots where surfaces are in poor condition, as well as resurface roads and pavements to prevent them from deteriorating in the first place.
A new £60m fund has been launched to fill potholes across Greater Manchester / Credit: TfGM
Cold and wet winters, more traffic, and heavier vehicles using the roads are just some of the contributing factors to the pothole problem, which is why the fund is being introduced before autumn and winter properly arrives.
The amount each of the 10 boroughs will receive is based on an agreed funding formula, with the allocations being:
Bolton: £6,552,000
Bury: £4,374,000
Manchester: £8,155,000
Oldham: £5,258,000
Rochdale: £5,243,000
Salford: £5,388,000
Stockport: £6,820,000
Tameside: £4,980,000
Trafford: £4,992,000
Wigan: £8,241,000
The extra cash comes from the region’s transport budget, with leaders agreeing to reallocate funding towards highways maintenance, and it fulfils a commitment Bev made in her Mayoral Manifesto to repair more roads and make sure pavements are safe.
“Keeping our roads and pavements safe and well maintained is essential for a growing city region like Greater Manchester,” explained Mayor Bev Craig.
“That’s why I promised to create this new Pothole Fund that will benefit drivers and everyone who uses our roads to get around. Properly maintaining our roads will save motorists money on costly repairs, and by preventing potholes forming in the first place, councils won’t have to spend as much money on emergency road repairs.
“This issue came up repeatedly on the doorstep during my election campaign so I’m pleased that I can do something about it so quickly, building on the significant work already planned by councils across Greater Manchester.”
Featured Image – TfGM
News
Six GMP officers dismissed following racial discrimination allegations
Emily Sergeant
A number of police officers have been dismissed following an internal investigation, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
Following the internal investigation into alleged racial discrimination against an officer on the Bury district – which was launched by GMP‘s Professional Standards Directorate in July 2024 – six officers and two former officers were found to have committed gross misconduct, and a ninth officer was found to have committed misconduct.
The investigation came after a report was made that an officer had been subjected to ‘racist behaviour’ by colleagues in December 2023.
The panel heard how PC Y – who has African heritage and has been granted anonymity – made a complaint after her accent was mimicked by a group of officers. She was also compared to a suspect with similar skin colour, and one of the dismissed PCs made a derogatory comment about her hair.
PC Y was supported and kept updated throughout the investigation, GMP assured, as well as providing evidence at the hearing.
The misconduct hearing lasted just over two weeks, with the panel concluding that the officers breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Equality and Diversity, Authority, Respect, and Courtesy.
The six officers who have been dismissed are PC Demi Green, PC Heena Rani, PC Lucy Granby, PC Matthew Barlow, PC Matthew Hill, and PC Mohammed Abid, while the former officers who were found to have committed gross misconduct are PC Jake Holt, and former Officer A – who has been granted anonymity.
The panel also found that Sergeant Adrian Bick’s actions amounted to misconduct, as there was no breach of the standard of equality and diversity.
As a result, the six serving officers have been sacked without notice, while the two former officers would have been dismissed had they not already left the force, and Sergeant Bick was issued a written warning.
“No officer or member of staff should have to come to work and experience discriminatory behaviour from the people they serve alongside,” declared Deputy Chief Constable, Terry Woods.
“Everyone has the right to feel respected, valued and part of the same team with a shared commitment to serving our communities and keeping people safe.”