As we all expected, the acclaimed Mark Addy pub, with chef Robert Owen Brown at the helm closed shortly after Christmas. The reason being cited by the chef is huge repair bills for the increasingly dilapidated venue. However, the pub is to open in February under new ownership - so watch this space for more info about ROB and the Mark Addy team.
Robert told the M.E.N.: "The Mark Addy, as it was, as a restaurant is finishing. There was simply too much work needed to do and there's only a year left on the lease so it just didn't make financial sense. It's a real shame, but let's be realistic about this, the place was falling down. The building probably needs somewhere in the region of £250,000 spending on it to make it a lovely place, and I can't do that. We were doing alright, but the building is getting very, very dilapidated. Why carry on flogging a dead horse?"
The Lass O'Gowrie, which won Best Pub in Britain in 2012 at the Great British Pub Awards, closed in the first week of January for major refurbishment. It will also reopen with a new landlord in February.
The Lass O'Gowrie, 36 Charles Street, M1 7DB. The Mark Addy, Stanley Street, Salford, M3 5EJ.