All the cafes and bakeries that have closed in Greater Manchester this year

Earlier this week it was reported that a popular family which has been trading since before the Second World War would be closing its doors for good because of the 'devastating' impact of a cycle lane.

Smiths Bakers and Confectioners which has two shops on Manchester Road in the village of Castleton, Rochdale, has been forced to close the so-called 'bottom shop' which has fed hungry mouths for decades this weekend, blaming the construction of a cycle lane along Manchester Road along Manchester Road and the associated issues with parking and roadworks.

It's certainly not the first, and won't be the last closure in Greater Manchester this year though. And while some closures are simply due to owners retiring after decades of hard graft, for others the aftershocks of the pandemic, rising energy bills and consumers making cuts due to the cost of living crisis has led them to shutter for good, rather than drive themselves into the ground to keep afloat.

Try MEN Premium for FREE by clicking here for no ads, fun puzzles and brilliant new features

It’s far from easy for Manchester businesses right now, and while many new concepts are due to open in the coming weeks, unfortunately, in the first six months of this year we’ve had to say goodbye to several much-loved businesses.

Below, we’ve taken a look at the Manchester cafes and bakeries which have shuttered for good this year to date.

Metro Cafe

At the end of January, city centre favourite Cafe Metro closed down for good after 25 years. Owner George Stavrinou, who ran the cafe on High Street opposite the Arndale with his son Michael, confirmed the news on Facebook explaining they had come to the end of their lease and the landlords had plans to redevelop the building.

In