Manchester's Beloved TNQ Restaurant Closes After 22 Years, Citing Government Policies

The Northern Quarter Restaurant closed its doors permanently Monday, with its owners releasing a statement and viral video blaming energy bills of up to £8,000 a month, rocketing wage costs, and business rates they attribute directly to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' economic policies.

TNQ had operated for 22 years in Manchester's Northern Quarter, founded in 2004 by Jobe Ferguson of the Liar's Group of restaurants and bars and later joined by chef Anthony Fielden. The owners described it as "no longer a viable business" and apologized to staff for what they called a "heartbreaking" situation.

The statement did not mince words on costs: "Our E-on bills are up to £8,000 per month, wage costs have rocketed particularly after the last two budgets, food costs have soared and business rates continue to increase. This has created a perfect storm resulting in the permanent closure of our beloved restaurant."

The owners had already taken drastic measures before the closure. Last October, two shareholders personally guaranteed a £100,000 loan in an attempt to stay solvent. Two owners stopped drawing salaries entirely. Neither move was enough.

"Last October we borrowed £100k which was personally guaranteed by 2 of the shareholders in order to try and weather the storm and 2 owners stopped being paid salary but unfortunately this wasn't enough to save our restaurant," the statement read.

In a viral video, the owner directly criticized Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chancellor Reeves for economic policies they said made the business unsustainable. The Express linked the closure to rising business rates it attributed to Reeves' policies, describing those policies as having been "accused of causing the sector's 'high street crisis'."

The owners reserved their final words for the people who worked there, acknowledging a level of commitment that went well beyond standard hospitality labor: "Our amazing team have worked blood sweat and tears over the years, grafted 80 hour weeks busting a gut to deliver our best for our guests. We are incredibly grateful to all our staff for their endeavours, loyalty, commitment and support over the 22 years."

TNQ had been described as one of the longest established independent restaurants in Manchester and as vital to the Northern Quarter's development as a dining and cultural district. No comment from Starmer's office or HM Treasury was included in the owners' statement, and neither party has publicly responded to the specific criticism.

The closure is the latest in a pattern of independent hospitality businesses citing the compounding pressure of energy costs, post-budget wage obligations, and business rates as reasons they could not continue. For the staff who logged those 80-hour weeks, the question of redundancy terms and final pay remains publicly unaddressed.