Teacup Kitchen has undeniably been a beloved hangout for many visitors to the Northern Quarter over the last 10 years.
Founded by local DJ, producer and artist Mr Scruff all the way back in 2011, and famous for its wide-ranging food and drinks menu – with more teas than you can name, an ever-changing lineup of freshly-baked cakes and sweets, traditional afternoon teas, and so much more – Teacup Kitchen has been a city centre staple for the best part of a decade.
But unlike other surrounding hospitality businesses, it never fully reopened after first being forced to close amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic back in March 2020.
And now, to the shock of passers-by and without saying a final farewell, the long-standing licensed venue appears to have vanished.
The Thomas Street site where it once stood has now been gutted.
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Not only that either, but the cafe’s dedicated website has also been deactivated and its social media platforms have also fallen silent, with the last post on its Instagram page dating back to 22nd March 2020.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B-C6Q1VgzoJ/
The post directed to loyal customers and followers read: “Unfortunately, due to current circumstances, we will be closing the doors at Teacup until this all blows over.
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“Hopefully we should be back soon [but] in the meantime, keep safe, ride through and do your bit”.
According to emerging reports, the large Thomas Street site where Teacup Kitchen once stood won’t be staying vacant for long though, with Mancunians and visitors to the Northern Quarter set to see a new resident take over once the country emerges from lockdown restrictions in due course.
Jobe Ferguson and Anthony Fielden – both of the nearby Northern Quarter restaurant TNQ – have recently taken over the unit.
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Teacup Kitchen
The pair are said to be launching a new bar and restaurant in Teacup Kitchen’s place in the coming months.
Jobe is also a director at Liar’s Group, the company behind several of Manchester’s most popular bars, including Black Dog Ballroom, Cane & Grain, Science & Industry, Crazy Pedro’s and The Liars Club.
Teacup Kitchen is yet to publicly comment on the final closure of the venue.
Eats
Inside Chinatown’s enormous new three-storey restaurant, with futuristic karaoke booths
Daisy Jackson
A gigantic three-storey restaurant and karaoke bar has just opened its doors in Chinatown in Manchester.
Sovereign Clouds is the newest addition to one of the city’s most beloved and ever-evolving neighbourhoods, taking over a sizeable building on Faulkner Street that’s been vacant for 10 years.
Inside the 1,000 sq metre space, you’ll find a glittering restaurant adorned with marble and gold, where you can tuck into a massive menu of dim sum and traditional dishes.
One floor up and you’ll find yourself surrounded by live lobster tanks and the massive kitchen, alongside several flexible private dining spaces.
And up on the top floor are the most futuristic karaoke rooms in town, where you can customise lights, LED ceilings, and even sing through an autotune microphone.
Three roast meats from Sovereign CloudsDelicious dim sumAuthentic Chinese cooking from Sovereign CloudsBlack Gold Lava Buns with salted custard fillingThe massive Sovereign Clouds restaurant
On the menu you’ll find tonnes of steamed dim sum, stir fries, traditional claypot stews, roast meats, and loads more.
There’s seafood like stir-fried lobster with salted egg yolk, and traditional Cantonese steamed grouper; a whole section for abalone (advance orders only) including braised goose feet and fish maw; and a good selection of spicy Sichuan dishes.
The chefs here also have an impressive array of Chinese roast meats, like Peking crispy duck, pork belly, and char siu, as well as three roast meats with rice.
Futuristic karaoke roomsThe main restaurant at Sovereign CloudsFuturistic karaoke rooms
And that’s alongside ingredients you don’t find on a lot of menus in Manchester, like jellyfish, tripe, and century eggs.
It’s all led by Terry Ni, who has been behind the popular Dynasty Chinese and Thai takeaway in Timperley for more than a decade, and has spent years transforming this empty old building into one of Chinatown’s most glittering restaurants.
Come for dinner, stay for a turn on the karaoke upstairs, and tell everyone – Sovereign Clouds is a fantastic addition to Manchester.
‘Surreal’ moment Stevie Wonder dines at Stalybridge restaurant after enormous Manchester gig
Daisy Jackson
Stevie Wonder has stunned a local restaurant in Stalybridge after he popped in for dinner after his massive Manchester show.
The soul icon had performed a huge gig at Co-op Live on Sunday night, performing hits from his illustrious, decades-long career.
And while you might expect someone of Stevie’s fame and stature to dine at one of the city centre’s many Michelin-recommended restaurants, the star instead headed straight for the suburbs.
He was spotted dining at Cafe Continental, an independent restaurant that’s become one of the Greater Manchester’s most-hyped neighbourhood haunts since it launched two years ago.
The stylish spot is famed for its European-style restaurant and cafe culture, aiming to recreate the atmosphere of the sort of place you’d stumble upon down a back street in Rome or Paris.
On the menu they’ve got a rotation of small plates, open-fire dishes, pastas and burgers, along with their divine Parisian hot chocolate, served with a bowl of whipped cream on the side.
Cafe Continental has had a good track record for pulling in local famous faces, but arguably nothing comes close to Stevie Wonder himself.
Inside Cafe Continental in Stalybridge. Credit: The Manc GroupSoup and focaccia at Cafe Continental. Credit: The Manc Group
The night before Stevie’s visit, they’d served his band and daughter – and clearly word got back to Stevie fast, because he returned the next night to test it out for himself.
Cafe Continental posted: “Surreal things happen now and again. This is one of them! Pleasure to welcome Mr Stevie Wonder to the restaurant to close off his tour!”
And according to the MEN, Stevie left a whopping £1,000 tip for the staff.
Not only did Stevie Wonder support a local hospitality business, but he also arrived dressed in Drama Call, a Manchester-based sportswear brand.
Emily Sergeant -
24th February 2021 
