Restaurant boss 'devastated' at having to close

The owner of a popular bar and restaurant in Manchester said he was "devastated" to have had to close its doors after 22 years.

Jobe Ferguson said he had borrowed up to £100,000 and stopped paying himself a salary to try to keep the TNQ Restaurant & Bar in the city's Northern Quarter afloat.

He said he had met his wife and mother of his two children at the "real neighbourhood restaurant", adding: "Founding TNQ changed my life and to close it is devastating."

The 49-year-old said rising energy bills, soaring food costs and increased National Insurance Contributions had made it impossible to continue.

"It's been pretty horrendous," he said. "Things have been difficult for a bit of time.

"Our energy bills have risen to £8,000 a month, the price of food is substantially higher, and changes to National Insurance Contributions - I can't make it work any more."

Ferguson added that his restaurant had survived "banking crises, double-dip recessions and Covid", and that he "certainly didn't think it would go this way".

"Small independent businesses should be looked after, not absolutely decimated by policy and big energy companies," he said.

"TNQ has been my life. I put my heart and soul into it.

"There's so much heart in the place. To be honest, I can't get my head around it."

Staff at the restaurant - some of whom had been there for up to 18 years - were told on Monday that the restaurant was closing.

"Everyone was in shock," said Ferguson.

"Some people were in tears and some were a bit annoyed to start with.

"But I've been getting messages from all the staff, thanking me for the support since."

Ferguson's decision to close came after the government announced plans to introduce a 15% discount on business rates for pubs and music venues across England from April.

The three-year package will be worth £1,650 for the average pub in 2026-27, according to the Treasury.

Ferguson, who owns several other premises in the Northern Quarter and beyond, said he still worried about the future.

"The monthly energy bills at TNQ and my other venues have quadrupled from pre-Covid to now - it's crazy expensive."

He added that he had noticed other businesses having to make cutbacks by reducing their operating hours.

"The Northern Quarter is the creative hub of Manchester, which is an epic city," said Ferguson.

"And the creative hub of that city is shut down on a Monday evening because you can't afford to staff it, and because you can't afford to turn your lights on."

UK Hospitality has called for the government's upcoming support package to be widened - warning that hotels, restaurants and other businesses in the sector are also at risk.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.