‘A working man who never asked for anything in return’
17:50, 03 Jun 2026Updated 22:08, 03 Jun 2026
Alfanso Vivian Salmon, known as Mr Salmon(Image: Salmon family)
The man behind the ‘best taxi company in the world’ – which doubled up as a takeaway for late night revellers – has died at the age of 88. Alfanso Vivian Salmon ran Salmon Cars, on Greenheys Lane, Hulme, in the 1980s and 1990s.
When he and his staff weren’t busy driving customers around, they were cooking fried chicken and dumplings for clubbers waiting to go home after nights out at the Hippodrome, The Kitchen and Hulme Crescents.
Former Hacienda DJ Dave Haslam dubbed the taxi company the ‘best in the world’, saying it would pick people up ‘from any ****hole club or shebeen’.
Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter
Mr Salmon also operated Sam Sam’s takeaway and a greengrocer, popular among pupils at nearby Trinity High School for its selection of sweets.
A father to six sons – Devon, David, Delroy, Marvin, Gavin and Michael – Mr Salmon passed away peacefully in his sleep last Thursday (May 28).
Gavin told the Manchester Evening News: “He was a hardworking man who would never ask for anything in return. He always wanted for other people to be happy.
Mr Salmon, who Salmon Cars taxi service and Sam Sam’s takeaway in Hulme, has died
“He would help anybody and everybody with anything he could. He’d happily be a guarantor for people and he would always help people who could not get jobs in finding work.
“Even after he retired, he never sat still. He was always doing things. He loved gardening and would always be willing to help others.”
In an 1987 City Life interview with Andy Spinoza, Mr Salmon recalled how he started his taxi cab empire on Upper Chorlton Road in Old Trafford in 1972, before moving to Hulme in 1976.
Before that, Mr Salmon – who moved to England from Jamaica in 1960 – spent 10 years working at firms including a Middleton rubber factory and a Trafford Park gasworks. He always envisioned opening his own business.
Mr Salmon was described as being ‘such a community-driven man'(Image: Salmon family)
By 1987, the taxi company had nearly 40 self-employed drivers on its books. Mr Salmon said that in his early days in the UK, he often felt like black people ‘weren’t welcome in a good pub’. He recalled how friends and family were often ‘given the worst jobs’ as they sought to make a living.
In 2015, Mr Salmon spoke to Tracie Daley as part of The Spirit of Hulme documentary, which explored the history of the area. The scenes – filmed by director and cameraman Terry Egan – did not make it into the final cut.
Its makers said they intend to screen the hour-long interview as part of a 25-year anniversary event at the Niamos Centre this December.
In one clip, shared with the Manchester Evening News by REELMCR and Terry Egan, Mr Salmon recalled the decision to extend his taxi service with a takeaway not long after moving in to Hulme in 1976.
Mr Salmon’s Hulme talkway, Sam Sam’s, often saw queues line up down the street at night(Image: Salmon family)
He said: “We would have parties over there, so when people finished partying they would always be pouring into Salmon’s. I thought to myself ‘well, this is an opportunity to build something now’, so we applied for permission to extend the building to the back so we could have a decent kitchen.”
Speaking about demand from clubbers, he said: “We couldn’t handle it. The crowds that were coming in until 3, 4, 5, 6 o’clock in the morning… we’d have to go to the door and stop people coming in. You should be letting people out at that time.”
Hailed as one of the first prominent West Indian takeaways in the Hulme area, Mr Salmon’s takeaway – which would often see massive queues down the street late at night – influenced many restaurant and takeaway owners who now run their own established venues.
Alfonso Vivian Salmon, known as Mr Salmon(Image: Salmon family)
“He was always so passionate about cooking,” son Gavin said. “There would be queues all down the block for his fried chicken and dumplings. I was obviously around at the time as a kid, but even I have been a little bit oblivious to how popular it all was. I’ve e seen so many messages from people about it.
“I do remember one of the first times I went out to a party with my friends and older brothers and they decided to get food afterwards. We had to hide in the back of the car so he wouldn’t see that we were still out at night.”
In an interview with Tracie Daley, Mr Salmon recalled how he would also introduce customers to dishes such as curry goat. “I remember this white couple walked in and said ‘can we have some curry goat’,” he said.
“They sit down, and they eat, and it was like an explosion. People coming from all over asking me to save them some curry goat. At first, I was cooking it and throwing it away because nobody had eaten it before.”
He said he helped establish dishes that are now mainstays at takeaways and restaurants across Manchester and beyond. “I have opened in the door in Hulme for others to follow,” Mr Salmon said. “I encourage other businesses to do it. I’m proud of it still. I tell them to keep on doing the good work – I’m taking it easy now.”
Salmon Cars were descibed as the ‘best taxi company in the world’ by Hacienda DJ Dave Haslam
The Derbyshire family, who were neighbours for 15 years, said: “He was so welcoming and treated us like family. He always made sure our mum was well-fed and looked after when she was pregnant. We have so many fond memories of him.”
Neighbour Fiona Grant said: “After selling the business, he got an allotment growing all his own vegetables. He loved gardening.
“Any time I saw him, he had a beautiful smile and gave us the biggest hugs. He was always interested in what my family were up to as he had seen them all grow up on Chichester Road. Mr Salmon was a quiet family man, but he was also the most politest man you could ever meet.”
Asked what he hopes people will remember most about his dad, Gavin spoke of his ability to inspire others and think of them first.
“He was such a community-driven man,” he added. It wasn’t about money or fame for him. It was always about instilling a sense of achievement or something for people to look up to in order to try and progress themselves for the better.
“He wanted to impact people in a positive way and help people be their best selves and care for others. As a father myself, it’s something I’m trying to live up to and carry on.”