'I think it's easier to start up in an the Northern Quarter than here and actually stick there'

Special report: Traders tell the M.E.N. why independent businesses are finding life tough in Ancoats

- ETHAN DAVIES

THE sun is shining on Cutting Room Square. It's 4.30pm on a Thursday in June, with the Euros football tournament just around the corner.

And yet, in this square which was named one of the world's coolest streets' 19 months ago, there are only 18 people enjoying a drink or meal across the bars, cafes and restaurants there.

Those 18 only occupy five of the dozens of tables in the square. There used to be more tables.

Over the last 12 months, Ancoats has seen the Second City sports bar shut and its unit is still vacant. 'Audiophile bar and kitchen' Nam closed earlier this year - and its unit also remains unoccupied.

Last month was particularly hard for the neighbourhood. First, the pasta bar Rigatoni's announced on May 20 it would be closing down that week.

Then, on May 31, a forfeiture notice was posted on the door of artisan bakery Trove, which landlords Manchester Life said was issued after the cafe entered liquidation.

A M.E.N. investigation revealed Trove's parent company was in £1.6 million of debt.

Of course, it isn't just Ancoats where hospitality businesses are struggling.

Traders have been open about the post-pandemic pressures that have seen long-standing businesses like Greens, in Didsbury, close their doors, and the likes of Pie and Ale in the Northern Quarter shuttered without warning.

February 22 was a particularly gruesome day for Greater Manchester's hospitality scene, as three restaurants - Vurger and Canvas in the city centre and Zing and Zest in Oldham - confirmed they'd thrown in the towel.

Shortly after that, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) published research showing 1,000 pubs closed in Britain in 2023, and our city-region saw 24 permanent closures and 60 long-term closures that year.

Nonetheless, Ancoats is unique in Manchester.