Blackhouse – owners of Manchester steakhouse The Grill on New York Street – has become the latest restaurant chainto fall into administration during the coronavirus pandemic.
Reports have stated that sister company Newgate, which owns Olive in Liverpool, has also been forced to call in administrators.
Blackhouse was apparently set to exit a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) process in March, but the forced closure of restaurants meant they were unable to do so.
Administrators from Duff & Phelps have now stepped in to help.
Scott Grimbleby, managing director of the businesses, said: “We have explored every avenue possible to try to save the business, however we have been left with no choice but to take this incredibly difficult decision now.
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“We are working with all our teams to try and support them as best we can through this time.
“The administrators will be seeking to find a buyer for the businesses.”
Eats
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as naughty
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked that finally landed in Manchester this month – or, more accurately, the massive lines that followed.
Well, what if we told you were about to do the same all over again very soon?
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Credit: Get Baked (via Instagram)
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES! Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar’, people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
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With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Our friends over at The Hoot weren’t lying when they said this place was going to make a big splash when it landed in 0161 – and no, we won’t be telling you how much we’ve spent there already.
As for the Pistachio Bertha, Get Baked has confirmed that although there will only be a limited amount of portions up for grabs, it will be available both in person and to order online.
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
We’re also glad to hear she is on the mend following a recent health scare; we hope she eats as many slices of Pistachio Bertha as possible to celebrate. Big love and stay healthy – The Manc x
House of Social, a new two-storey food hall being built in Manchester, has just announced its second trader as Burger & Beyond.
The huge new development, part of Vita’s new student accommodation tower, had already confirmed that Curry Mile legends Mughli will be moving in when it launches.
And now it’s been announced that cult burger brand Burger & Beyond will be opening its first location outside London here in Manchester.
Set to open this summer in the First Street area, House of Social will bring together independent food offerings from around the UK.
It’s all being created by Jake Atkinson, the former operations manager of the widely popular Mackie Mayor, Altrincham Market and Macclesfield’s Picturedrome – all of which serve as the blueprint for a successful food hall.
Jake said: “We are incredibly excited to have Burger & Beyond join us at House of Social. Their reputation for quality and consistency is second to none, and they’ve been on my list for a very long time!
“We know they’ll be a huge hit with our community of students and food lovers in the city. This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to bring them to Manchester this summer.”
Burger & Beyond started life as a food truck a decade ago, popping up at street food markets and enterprises like Street Feast and KERB, now argued by many to be the best burgers in London, served alongside a menu of milkshakes and sides like fried chicken bites.
Burger & Beyond is coming to Manchester. Credit: Lateef PhotographyFried chicken bites from Burger & Beyond
They’ve also collaborated with the likes of social sensation Laurent Dagenais, Flat Iron, Richard Turner and Smokestak.
Burger & Beyond founders Tom Stock and Craig Povoas went on to open their first permanent restaurant in Shoreditch in 2018, expanding further to Borough Yards and Soho.
And now it’s Manchester’s turn to see what all the Burger & Beyond fuss is about.
A signature dish heading up north to House of Social will be the bacon butter burger – dry aged beef patty, double American cheese, crispy pancetta, burnt butter mayo and onion.
Tom Stock, Co-Founder of Burger & Beyond, commented: “After years of dreaming about bringing Burger & Beyond to new cities, we’re thrilled to finally be making our Manchester debut at House of Social.
“The city has such a vibrant food scene, and we’re looking forward to sharing our burgers with a whole new audience. It’s going to be a fantastic summer!”
Burger and Beyond will open at House of Social, First Street in Summer 2025.
The Manc -
19th June 2020 
