One of Manchester’s best-loved pasta spots has changed its name following a legal trademarking dispute with a Scottish restaurant.
Popular Manchester pasta kitchen Sugo has been embroiled in a legal challenge with a restaurant of the same name in Glasgow, leading it to change its name.
Whilst Sugo in Glasgow only opened at the end of 2019, it has still managed to secure the trademark for the name – leaving Manchester bosses with no choice but to rebrand despite their restaurant group having been established for much longer.
Sharing the news on Instagram this morning, the Manchester restaurants account posted that from hereon out it would be known not as Sugo, but as Sud – which translates to ‘South’ in Italian:
Owners wrote: “Same us, same mission, same pasta kitchen. From today our new name will be Sud Pasta.
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“We’re aware that we can’t stop any speculation, however, all we’ll say is that our home is in the kitchen, not the boardroom.
“We love our new name. We love what it stands for. We love our ‘A Southern Italian Pasta Kitchen’
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“By the way, Sud means ‘south’ in Italian. More importantly, we’ve got a brand new menu format starting in March. The Sud pasta Spring menu.
“Love, light and appreciation. Michael and Alex.”
First opened in 2015 in Altrincham, Sugo Pasta Kitchen has long been a favourite amongst the city’s pasta lovers. In fact, the furore for its strozzapreti and orecchiette is so intense that its fans are even known, affectionately, by owners as their ‘Sugo Army’.
However, it appears that even its ranks of pasta-munching soldiers have been unable to save the Southern Italian pasta kitchen from a rebrand eight years on from its first opening.
Commenting on the post, one follower wrote: “What’s the betting that we’ll still be calling it Sugo for years to come. Manchester institutions tend to retain their name… I still refer to Manchester Central as GMEX!”
Another person said: “As long as House Sud (sugo) tastes the same you could be called Nasty Pasta for all I care. Love the new name. #forzasud“
A third added: “Is it going to now be called “House Sud” like panicking here.”
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It seems that the name conflict first came to light in 2019, after customers at the Glasgow restaurant mistakenly purchased vouchers for Sugo in Manchester, thinking that the two were connected.
In a Facebook post shared on 10 December 2019, Sugo shared a post in relation to this addressing their ‘brothers and sisters in Glasgow’:
The restaurant wrote at the time: “Beautiful people, epic city. Way too many of you peeps are landing on our website, looking at our menu, buying our vouchers and mistaking us for Sugo Pasta – unfortunately for you folk it isn’t us!
“We launched in Manchester back in 2015 so if you’re ever south of the border in our city come and check us out! The crazy thing here is your boys (the guys behind Paesano Pizza) are trying to sue us for using our own name, crazy world we live in eh!”
In a now-deleted post entitled ‘We’ve got beef’, the Glasgow restaurant responded – claiming that they had offered a ‘compromise’ to Manchester Sugo, offering them the chance to keep the name if they agreed to not open any further locations.
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The post also claimed that Manchester Sugo had opened their Ancoats branch after the agreement was made, a claim that is disputed by the Manchester restauranteurs.
The Manchester restaurant owners were also accused of failing to respond to legal correspondence, to which owners responded by revealing that they had been sent a letter asking them to remove their signage, hand over their website, and withdraw their own trademark application amongst other things.
By contrast, the most recent post from the Manchester restaurant seems very tame by comparison, although the comment from owners that ‘our home is in the kitchen, not the boardroom’ seems to speak volumes.
The Manc has approached Sud, formerly Sugo Pasta Kitchen, owner Mike De Martis for comment.
Feature image – Google Maps
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Police appeal after Salford woman, 95, threatened by window cleaner in her own home
Emily Sergeant
Police are appealing for information after an elderly woman was threatened inside her own home during an attempted robbery.
Around 11am yesterday morning (27 January), officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Salford division responded to reports that a woman had cash demanded from her at an address on Belcroft Drive in Little Hulton.
It is believed that a man entered the property after offering to clean the woman’s – who police have confirmed is 95-years-old – windows, before tying her hands together, and then demanding her cash and purse.
The man’s efforts were disrupted when another woman who knew the victim arrived at the house, and thankfully because of this, no injuries were reported and the victim is being supported by officers.
The man fled the scene, and no arrests have been made at this time.
This is why police are now appealing to the public for any information that they may have that could help with their investigation while extensive enquires are ongoing – including any CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage from around the area at the time.
Investigators attended the scene and gathered evidence, which is currently being assessed and acted upon, but are also keen to speak to anyone who saw anything ‘suspicious’.
The man who committed the offence was described as white male, approximately in his late 60s or early 70s, with short mousy brown hair combed back, no facial hair, glasses, appeared well-kempt, and was wearing a dark raincoat jacket, jeans, and dark-coloured shoes.
“This was a vile incident in which a woman was tied up and threatened, and we are determined to locate the man responsible,” commented Detective Inspector Paul Davies, from GMP’s Salford district.
“Thankfully, this was not a more serious situation and we commend the brave actions of the lady’s friend who confronted the man and called officers. As we progress this investigation, we are appealing for anyone with any information to please come forward.”
Can you help? Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101 or the Live Chat service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1082 of 27/01/26, or alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – GMP
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NHS launches new AI and robot cancer detection pilot offering ‘glimpse into future’
Emily Sergeant
The NHS has launched a ‘trailblazing’ new AI and robot pilot to help spot cancers sooner.
Patients who are facing suspected lung cancer could get answers sooner under the new pilot that makes use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology to help doctors reach hard-to-detect cancers earlier, and all without with fewer tests too.
At the moment, patients are faced with weeks of repeat scans and procedures to come to a diagnosis.
But this could soon be replaced with a single, half-hour cancer biopsy – reducing prolonged uncertainty, and avoiding more invasive surgery.
According to the NHS, the new approach uses AI software to rapidly analyse lung scans and flag small lumps that are most likely to be cancerous, before a robotic camera is then used to guide biopsy tools through the airways with much greater precision than standard techniques.
A new NHS pilot using AI and robotic technology will help doctors reach hard-to-detect lung cancers earlier.
Weeks of scans and procedures could be replaced with a single biopsy, reducing uncertainty and avoiding more invasive surgery.
The robot can reach nodules as small as 6mm – which is around the size of a grain of rice – that are hidden deep in the lung and are often deemed too risky or difficult to access using existing methods, and once AI has highlighted higher-risk areas, doctors can then take a precise tissue sample, which is sent to specialist laboratories and reviewed by expert cancer teams to confirm or rule out cancer.
The NHS’s top cancer doctor hailed the pilot – which is currently being carried out at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust – as ‘a glimpse of the future of cancer detection’.
“Waiting to find out if you might have cancer is incredibly stressful for patients and their families,” admitted Professor Peter Johnson, who is NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cancer.
The NHS has launched a new AI and robot cancer detection pilot that’s offering a ‘glimpse into future’ / Credit: rawpixel
“Our lung cancer screening programme means that we are picking up more cancers at an early stage than ever, and by bringing AI and robotics together in this trailblazing NHS pilot, we’re bringing in the very latest technology to give clinicians a clearer look inside the lungs and support faster, more accurate biopsies.
“This is a glimpse of the future of cancer detection.
“Innovation like this is exactly how we can help diagnose more cancers faster, so treatment can be most effective, and why the NHS continues to lead the way in bringing new technology safely into frontline care.”
Georgina Pellant -
13th February 2023 
