A restaurant in Manchester has been forced to take over half the dishes off its menu next week thanks to an oil shortage that is currently plaguing the country.
In the latest trial to hit the city’s beleaguered hospitality sector, many restaurants are now finding it a struggle to get their hands on one of the industry’s most commonplace cooking products: sunflower oil.
Yuzu, generally considered one of Manchester’s finest Japanese eateries, revealed that it was struggling to get its hands on any of the oil and as such would be cutting over half of the most popular dishes from its menu next week as it was left unable to cook them.
Customer favourites including its deep-fried tempura, katsu, and kara-age will all be unavailable next week, it said, until the restaurant finds a workaround to the cooking oil issue.
Japanese tapas restaurant Yuzu can no longer make a large number of its dishes, including its famous tempura. / Image: Yuzu Manchester
The Yuzu katsu is a hugely popular order at the restaurant, but with sunflower oil in short supply it has been taken off the menu. / Image: Yuzu Manchester
Writing on Twitter yesterday, the restaurant said: “ANNOUNCEMENT. Due to the national shortage of sunflower oil, we are unable to serve all the Tempura dishes (including the Tendon), all the kastu dishes, kara-age and Agedashi Tofu from this week.
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“We will be offering alternative dishes and to test and try those new dishes, we will be closed this lunch time. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused, but will bring new and exciting dishes to you over the coming weeks. There may be hiccups, so please bear with us.”
ANNOUNCEMENT.
Due to the national shortage of sunflower oil, we are unable to serve all the Tempura dishes (including the Tendon), all the kastu dishes, kara-age and Agedashi Tofu from this week.
— Yuzu Japanese Tapas (@YuzuManchester) May 3, 2022
All of these dishes need to be deep-fried in sunflower oil, and cannot be substituted for other products, such as olive oil, as its flavour impacts too intensely on the delicate balance of the cuisine.
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Given that Yuzu markets itself as a Japanese tapas restaurant and these are nearly all of its most popular dishes, the sudden shortage is alarming for both customers and staff.
Other items, like the Yuzu sashimi, yakitori, gyzoa, yakiudon and teriyaki salmon don bowls are not affected.
A new dish with sliced pork loin cooked in a ginger sauce, added to Yuzu’s menu to help the restaurant trade without its essential sunflower oil. / Image: Yuzu manchester
To help keep customers happy, Yuzu is trying to add new dishes to its menu that can be cooked without sunflower oil.
Sunflower oil is a major export of both Ukraine and Russia and the shortage is being blamed in part on the war that is currently being waged between the two countries.
According to Jakarta trade association the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries, 73 per cent of the global sunflower oil market comes from Ukraine and Russia.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “A significant proportion of sunflower oil supply comes from Ukraine and we are working on measures, including the substitution of sunflower oils with other vegetable oils, to help address the immediate supply chain challenges.
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“We do not expect any significant direct impact on UK food supply. However, we will continue to speak with the industry to understand any potential pressures.”
Feature image – Yuzu Manchester
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Manchester locals appealing for more information over a month after from finding family member’s body
Danny Jones
A Greater Manchester family are still calling for more information now over a month on from the discovery of a man’s body at his Chorlton home.
William Riddell, 49, was found dead in the bedroom of a property on Astbury Avenue at approximately 11:35pm on Sunday, 10 November after being found by his stepdaughter, Sarah Hayden.
Details surrounding his passing are still scarce but a 47-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been released on bail “pending further enquiries”, leaving Sarah and the rest of her family still none the wiser as to the exact nature of his death.
Preparing to spend their first Christmas without him, they have issued a desperate appeal for more information, urging anyone who might have information to come forward.
#APPEAL | The family of a man who died last month are appealing to the public for information as they face their first Christmas without him.
Billy Riddell was sadly found dead at his property in Manchester, with enquiries continuing.
Riddell, more commonly known as Billy by those close to him, was described as a “good, caring man with a big heart” and a popular figure in the local area.
Speaking via Greater Manchester Police, Sarah, said: “I want to be Billy’s voice and get answers for him. Billy was a nice and lovely man and all the community knew who he was. He was well-liked and we gave him a good send-off at his funeral.
“I would just ask anyone who knew him or has any information to come forward and tell police. Even if you think it’s a little or small thing – please come forward. We just want to get to the bottom of what has happened.”
Detective Inspector Alex Wilkinson, who serves on GMP‘s Major Incident Team, added in an official statement: “The family of Billy deserve answers following his death and we are working hard to ensure they get exactly that.
“We have closely supported Sarah and the wider family over the last month, and we will continue to provide assistance wherever we can as they face their first Christmas without him.
“While a suspect has been bailed, we are still working flat-out to understand more about Billy’s life, the people he was close to, and events leading up to his death just over a month ago.”
With that in mind, both GMP and Riddell’s family are asking anyone who might know anything or have information regarding people associated with Billy to come forward, reiterating that “even if you consider something to be small – your help could greatly benefit our investigation.”
You can contact police via 101 or by using the live chat function HERE, quoting log 3227 of 10/11/24.
Alternatively, you can contact the UK’s independent charity, Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online.
Government aims to ‘turn the tide’ on homelessness with £1 billion funding boost
Emily Sergeant
Nearly £1 billion of funding is being pumped into Council budgets to help “break the cycle of spiralling homelessness” in 2025.
As part of the Government‘s wider ‘Plan For Change’, and in a bid to help tackle, reduce, and prevent homelessness next year, it’s been announced that more resources will be be made available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing.
This significant investment means Councils will now be “better equipped” to step in early and stop households from becoming homeless in the first place.
According to the Government’s plans, these funded measures will include mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, helping homeless people find new homes, and providing deposits to access private renting.
This government is determined to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness.
— Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov (@mhclg) December 18, 2024
The funding will also be used to address the growing use of B&Bs and nightly-let accommodation, and the streamlining of funding structures to make it easier for Councils to spend their cash.
Areas across the UK can also choose to channel resources into services such as Housing First.
Housing First has been massively successful in Greater Manchester, and has helped house hundreds of our region’s rough sleepers since it was first piloted, being described as “life-changing” along the way.
More than £633 million of the funding will be allocated for the Homelessness Prevention Grant – which is a £192 million increase from this year – while £185.6 million will go to the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, more than £37 million to the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, and £5 million will be for the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots.
This new £1 billion funding boost comes after it was announced back in September that Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will be abolished in England next year as part of the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill.
It will also look to support the Government’s ambition to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation – with an extra £500 million ploughed into the Affordable Homes Programme to build tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd May 2022 
