Trading Route, a beer hall and restaurant in Manchester city centre, has announced its closure with immediate effect. The venue, which opened in late 2024, blamed rising costs, stagnant footfall and its location for the decision.
The business was established by the teams behind Trof, Manchester Union Brewery and Monton-based Wandering Palate. It was described as a taproom and rotisserie, offering ice cold beers, fine wines, hot chicken and a luxury larder of expertly sourced goods.
Location and trading challenges
Located on Goods Yard Street within the St John's development near Spinningfields, the venue drew inspiration from Europe's finest beer halls. It sat next to Caravan restaurant and across from Aviva Studios.
In a social media post, the venue said it spent its first 12 months operating amid ongoing construction in an area still described as "up-and-coming". As the only independent business in the area, it needed footfall to grow to support what it was building, but that growth had not materialised fast enough.
Closure announcement and reaction
The full post on Instagram read: "It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Trading Route with immediate effect. Rising costs and stagnant footfall have made the business increasingly hard to sustain, with trading conditions particularly challenging over the past three months."
The post added: "We're proud of what we created at Trading Route and incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who supported us over the past two years. To our team, we're deeply sorry we couldn't make it work for you." It also encouraged support for a petition to reduce VAT for hospitality to 10%.
The announcement prompted an outpouring of support. One commenter wrote: "Gutting news. Such a fantastic addition to the scene in Manchester and a shame to hear things didn't work out." Another added: "This is really gutting. Fantastic and unique addition to the scene and it's a damning indictment of the issues hospitality faces."
Venue details and legacy
Trading Route served as a lagerhouse for Manchester Union, with drinks from the Ardwick-based brewery. Its continental-style beers offered a "full and frothy" head served via custom-made Tübinger glasses. The bar also featured a purpose-built rotisserie with whole and half chicken carved to order, served with pickles and dips.
The St John's district, set within the shadows of Castlefield, Spinningfields and Deansgate, is home to other venues including Greek restaurant Fenix, Caravan and Courts Club. The closure takes effect immediately.
