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Sunday Brunch star shuts vegetarian restaurant

02 January 2024 By Louis Thomas

Simon Rimmer, best known as co-presenter of Channel 4 chat show Sunday Brunch, has announced the closure of Greens in Didsbury, Manchester after 33 years of business.

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Greens in Didsbury, which has the strap-line of “terrifying carnivores since 1990”, opened after Rimmer and Simon Connolly (who had previously worked together at another establishment in Didsbury) decided to purchase a vegetarian café and convert it into a “proper vegetarian restaurant”.

Despite his relative inexperience in the kitchen, Rimmer’s fresh, modern take on vegetarian cookery ultimately propelled him to a successful media career and several cookbooks on the subject. He is also credited with creating the restaurant’s famous Cheshire cheese and sage ‘sausages’, and continued to be heavily involved in the development of dishes. Connolly looked after Greens’ front of house, training staff, and he also curated the wine list.

However, a combination of factors that will be all too familiar to hospitality businesses has meant that this well-liked restaurant has had to shut.

In a video shared on X, Rimmer said: “Our landlords have increased our rent by in the region of 35% – the cost of raw materials, the cost of heat, light and power, employing people and generally food costs have meant that the business, unfortunately, has become unviable.”

“With immediate effect we’ve unfortunately shut the door,” he continued. “It’s a heartbreaking day, I’d like to thank every single member of staff that’s worked for us over the years, every single customer that’s come through the door, our amazing suppliers, our neighbours, our friends.”

“Thank you for the last 33 years,” he concluded.

The other Greens site in Sale, which opened in summer 2022, continues to operate.

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