Popular city centre cafe has finally had its chips...

NO SAVING THE BACON OF GREASY SPOON SET TO BE DEMOLISHED BY DEVELOPERS

IT’S a proper Manchester institution.

Linda’s Pantry has been serving bacon and egg butties, pie and chips and sausage sandwiches - among more wholesome offerings - since May, 1988.

But the building on Ducie Street, which is thought to have stood since the 1700s, is expected to be bulldozed as part of a massive redevelopment of Piccadilly Basin ahead of the arrival of the HS2 railway line.

Building has already started on a fancy new hotel, which will be part of the Dakota boutique chain, on land adjacent to Linda’s Pantry.

New homes are planned for the plot occupied by the cafe, which was first popular with ‘rag trade’ workers and taxi drivers.

Now it is a favourite of builders working on the re-development of Piccadilly Basin as well as office workers.

It has become city centre institution with visits from members of some of Manchester’s favourite bands like Oasis, Take That and Simply Red.

Owner Linda Street, 69, originally from Gorton but now living in Sale, said she was ready to pack away her frying pan for good.

“I think it’s time,” she told the Manchester Evening News. “A lot of our customers are good friends. One has been coming in here for his breakfast for the last 15 years. His kids come in now too. We thought from day one we’d only be here two or three years because it was redevelopment land. But they kept renewing the lease and we’ve been here nearly 30 years,” said Linda.

She works in the kitchen with her partner Harry Waterhouse, 70, a retired joiner and avid City fan (hence the Blues poster in the kitchen), and a cast of exclusively female staff.

One of them, Linda’s niece Emma Street, 42, said: “I’ve been here since 1991. I’m going to be sad when this goes. It’s all I’ve ever known. I haven’t got a clue what I’m going to do.” Aside from the bacon-and-egg barms and other things you’d expect to be served at a greasy spoon, every morning Linda bakes her popular steak and onion, cheese and onion and chicken and mushroom pies. For £3.95 you get her pie with chips, peas and gravy.

Her lasagne, one customer pipes up, is ‘fantastic’ while other popular dishes include the braised steak with mash and the roast dinner.

A cup of tea is £1, a Nescafe coffee is £1.20 while a cappuccino or latte is £1.50 - a bit cheaper than in any of the many fancy coffee houses in the area and, Linda reckons, much better.

So it’s not really a greasy spoon but Linda doesn’t baulk at the description.

“It doesn’t offend me,” she says. “We grill our sausages. The only thing we really cook in the oil is the eggs for breakfast. But if you ask for them poached or scrambled we do that.”

I’ve been here since 1991. I’m going to be sad when this goes Emma Street