Northern Quarter Caribbean takeaway Eat n’ Sweet is looking for new premises, after landlords of the building told them they’re selling up. The Ridelow building, on Church Street at the edge of the Northern Quarter, has been home to the much-loved spot for nine years.
But owners, married couple Dean and Marion Ricketts, will have to vacate their tiny kitchen on April 13, with plans from its new owners ranging from developing the building into flats to a potential bar and restaurant.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Marion said the couple are sad to be leaving. “I think the building has not been doing too well, post-lockdown, but it’s one of them,” she said.
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“You just have to take the rough with the smooth. We’ve had an excellent time there, it’s been brilliant. We wouldn’t still be here if it hadn’t been. I think if you’re consistent and you’re committed to what you do, and you treat people well, you can’t go wrong.”
Before opening the business in 2010 in Burnage, Marion worked for the council on the crime and disorder team for 15 years, while Dean was a barber working in the city centre, but with a passion for food. “With the change in government back then, and their perspective on social welfare, I felt my job was at risk, so I left and joined with him and I’ve not looked back,” she said.
“Nine years in that little place, but people still find us, people passing through. We’ve had customers from Australia, from Vietnam, the Gulf, that’s what’s been exciting about it,” she went on. The couple are now looking for new premises, but are finding that the expense of a city centre location could be out of reach.
“Town prices are outrageous at the minute,” she said. “There’s a unit across on Tib Street, and that is around £80,000 to £90,000 a year with lease and business rates before you even begin.”
Regular customer Ross Needham, who comes to Eat n' Sweet at least twice a week, said he'd be gutted to see the place close down. "I work in the Northern Quarter, and it's probably better than anywhere else in town for value," he told the M.E.N. "I'll be really sad to see it go. It's a great spot. I usually go for the curry goat, but just for soup and a patty today."
They plan to roll out their mobile van kitchen, bought during lockdown and used for festivals, for the summer until new premises are found. “It’s an option to use that in the interim period,” she went on. “It’s just the journey of life. It’s full of twists and turns.” In the meantime, you can follow them on Instagram.
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