Pret a Manger has announced today that it will close 30 branches permanently across the UK after a “severe decline” in sales.
It is also believed that around 1,000 jobs will be at risk.
The sandwich shop chain, which has a number of branches in Manchester city centre, has reopened a total of 339 of 410 outlets so far, but it is now being reported that the remainder may remain closed for good as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has lead to a drop off in high street footfall.
The company said sales are down 74% on the previous year.
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Pano Christou, Chief Executive of Pret a Manger, said: “It’s a sad day for the whole Pret family, and I’m devastated that we will be losing so many employees, but we must make these changes to adapt to the new retail environment.”
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“Our goal now is to bring Pret to more people, through different channels and in new ways, enabling us to grow once more in the medium term.”
It has not yet been officially confirmed which outlets will be closing doors and when closures are due to take place.
This is a breaking news story – More to follow.
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The local family and fellow Mancunians campaigning to create ‘Kimberley’s Law’ in the UK
Danny Jones
The name Kimberley Louise McAssey might not be familiar to you, but one Manchester family’s hope is that a law proposed in her honour could see her memory kept alive in the minds of many across Great Britain and beyond.
For anyone who doesn’t know the tragic story, Kimberley McAssey, a young mother of just 29 from Prestwich, sadly died after lying unresponsive for more than 30 hours.
It was during this time that decomposition resulted in coroners being unable to deliver a proper post-mortem, meaning not only did the irresponsible delay in contacting authorities prevent potential life-saving measures from being carried out, but also her cause of death from ever being fully determined.
Now, a whole five years on from her passing, the McAsseys, loved ones, locals, and those who have continued to push for crucial updates to legislation as part of the ‘Kimberley’s Law’ campaign across the UK, are finally starting to receive some promising responses from key figures.
As well as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and his office replying in a lengthy letter to the family, Labour MP for Salford, Rebecca Long Bailey, has also promised to examine proposals put forward to Parliament moving forward.
Colleague Christian Wakeford (Bury South) has also shown his support for the cause in the past.
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The most significant part of their calls for change comes down to the fact that, surprisingly, it is not currently against the law to postpone and/or avoid calling for an ambulance entirely – something that they and so many others agree seems shocking, to put it mildly.
As a result, Sheridan wasn’t directly charged regarding her death, though he has since been prosecuted and was sentenced to prison on Class A drug possession charges.
Sheridan also declined to attend Kimberley’s inquest at Rochdale Coroners’ Court back in 2024, despite being summoned to give evidence and being the sole witness to the incident.
Credit: Kimberely’s Law Facebook page.Politicians are finally taking notice, but now they need fellow Mancs to get behind them.
It will never be known whether or not the Prestwich resident could have been rescued, nor will we ever be able to truly and definitively confirm how she died, but those committed to remembering are hoping to make sure that situations like this can be avoided in the future.
With family friend Bonnie Greaves and countless other natives to the area having already helped get behind the cause, a petition to the UK government has now surpassed 10,000 signatures.
However, as always, it requires ten times that amount to guarantee it is brought up in the House of Commons, so nearly half a decade on from her passing, people are once again calling for Kimberely Law’s to be brought forward not just as a bill, but as a matter of morality.
You can find out more and sign the official Kimberley’s Law petition for yourself right HERE.
Featured Images — Family handouts (supplied)/Kimberley’s Laws(via Facebook)
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Six by Nico to close popular Manchester location as it ‘evolves’ into something new
Emily Sergeant
Unique restaurant concept Six by Nico has announced that it’ll be closing one of its most popular locations in Manchester.
Six by Nico is famed for its six-course tasting menu inspired by a different theme, destination, or concept that changes every six weeks – with the brand now having around 15 restaurants based in across 12 cities in the UK.
Launching in Manchester in Spring Gardens back in 2019, Six by Nico has gone from strength to strength ever since, opening a second site off Deansgate in 2023.
But despite this success, both nationwide and in Manchester, Six by Nico has sadly announced this week that its popular Spring Gardens site would be closing down as it is and ‘evolving into something entirely new for the city’.
Owner Nico Simeone took to Instagram last night to share the news of Spring Gardens’ impending closure, and explained what the future holds for the site.
“As Six by Nico approaches its tenth year, I look to reimagine one of our most successful restaurant locations, Six by Nico Springs Gardens, into something entirely new for the city,” Nico said in his Instagram statement.
“This hasn’t been a small decision. Spring Gardens has been one of our strongest and most loved restaurants. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built there, the team behind it and the loyalty Manchester has shown us over the years.
“Six by Nico will always stand for immersive storytelling, six-course journeys and transporting guests somewhere new. That continues, and we’re investing further into Manchester through our Deansgate location and beyond.”
Six by Nico is closing its popular Manchester location as it ‘evolves’ into something new / Credit: The Manc Group
The founder also then went on to say that he’s realised there’s another side of his cooking that he hasn’t shared, and it’s one that he feels is ‘more stripped back’ and ‘personal’.
“That’s where Lennox begins,” Nico continued.
Giving an insight into what the future holds for the Spring Gardens restaurant, the statement adds: “Spring Gardens won’t disappear. It will evolve. A new restaurant brand is being built in that space from the ground up. A different energy. A different style. A different way of cooking.”
The announcement that Six by Nico would be closing its concept at the Spring Gardens site has amassed dozens of comments on social media.
Anyone ‘curious’ to to know ‘what Lennox really is and what it will become’ is encouraged to sign up online at www.lennoxrestaurant.co.uk, and follow the journey on Instagram at @lennoxrestaurant.
The Manc -
6th July 2020 
