Popular food chain Philpotts is closing its Spring Gardens site in Manchester, with the branch confirming it had shut on February 20.

A popular lunch spot has suddenly shut two branches in the UK with NO explanation – as fears mount over its future. Popular food chain Philpotts is closing its Spring Gardens site in Manchester, with the branch confirming it had shut on February 20.

Another site in Manchester and a branch in Glasgow have also have shut for good. At the Spring Garden’s site, the sign read: “Unfortunately, this store will be closing permanently on Thursday, 20th February.

“We would like to thank you for all the custom over the years.” The Philpotts website officially confirmed the closure, stating: “Unfortunately our Portland Street and Spring Gardens store will be closing permanently and last orders placed for these sites will be for Thursday 20th February.

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“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.” In reply, one wrote: “It’s been there for well over a decade, people have lost their job.” Another added: “The Caesar salad from here was amazing.”

A third customer responded: “My friend mentioned this yesterday! Devastated!!” It comes a year after a convenience store in Birmingham city centre expanded to house a new takeaway sandwich bar. Willenhall-based AF Blakemore is expanding its Spar in Brindleyplace into the vacant unit next door to house a Philpotts sandwich shop.

The move is the first of its kind in the West Midlands and follows on from AF Blakemore’s purchase of the Philpotts chain in 2019 when its previous owner, Birmingham-based group Patisserie Holdings, went into administration.

Mark Titley, property director at AF Blakemore, said: “With this new offer at Brindleyplace, we are continuing to innovate the convenience store proposition, bringing the AF Blakemore sister brand Philpotts into Spar and creating a store designed to serve the key missions of the Brindleyplace visitors, workers and community.”

Matt Long, head of customer engagement and placemaking at Brindleyplace, added: “We continue to attract a large amount of interest from established retailers and others for commercial space at Brindleyplace and are very pleased to see a long standing partner AF Blakemore invest in Brindleyplace and bring a new retail concept to the estate.

“This is exactly the kind of retail offer that will appeal to both visitors and occupiers.”