‘We never thought this would happen’
Street Urchin, in Ancoats, has been forced to close its doors(Image: Street Urchin)
The owners of a popular Ancoats restaurant once praised by a renowned food critic have said they are ‘heartbroken’ having had to make the decision to close their business.
Street Urchin, located on Great Ancoats Street, first opened its doors in 2019 by couple Kevin and Rachel Choudhary as an ‘English market diner’ serving up dishes made with locally sourced ingredients and was once hailed as a ‘place where good things happen’ by food critic Jay Rayner.
The restaurant, led by head chef Kev, served up the likes of sharing plates, seafood dishes and vegetarian delights, including panko cuttlefish nicoise, grilled king scallops, veal strip loin, and banh xeo pancakes with Portobello mushrooms. It even made headlines for serving up wild grey squirrel.
However, the pair have taken to social media to announce that, after six years, the restaurant has closed. Rachel said that husband Kevin had suffered a medical episode which had meant they had been made to prioritise other things right now.
In the post, the pair said they were now ‘unable to continue as a business’ and that “we are heartbroken”. In an extended post, they also said: “Thank you to our amazing team who supported us over all the years and continued to do so in these dark times.
The restaurant served up a range of dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients, including a lobster, vermouth and paprika thermidor(Image: Street Urchin)
“Thank you also to our suppliers, we never thought this would happen. We’re so sorry x.”
The news was met with support from local customers, who wished Kevin well on his road to recovery and shared memories of their time at the restaurant. One person said: “Sending you both very best wishes: we love your restaurant and hope that we’ll see you back again one day.”
Another said: “Pleased we had the chance to visit and eat with you and also supply your wonderful restaurant over the last 4 years. Wishing Kev a full recovery and for you Rachel to take time to heal too. Take your time, this isn’t the last chapter.”
One other customer wrote: “Oh no. By far the best restaurant in Manchester! Saying prayers for your husband.” Another commented: “Hope recovery continues. Your restaurant was one of the best and most enjoyable places I’ve been to in the last 5 years.”
Street Urchin opened six years ago and has been recognised by top food critics(Image: Street Urchin)
In 2023, the pair went viral with their wild grey squirrel dish – attracting the attention of international news outlets, including the New York Post and Fox News.
Their crispy buttermilk wild grey squirrel dish, which was served alongside a creamy pulled ham hock cassoulet and garnished with nettle pesto and a hazelnut bread crouton, received a mixed reception from people online – with some comparing it to ‘creamy rodent stew’, whilst others suggested it was worth a go.
“We didn’t just put squirrel on the menu because it was different,” Rachel told the M.E.N. at the time of the viral fame over the dish.
“We’ve had mostly positive comments about the dish but there have been some who do not like the idea of it. In my opinion, I believe it’s much better to use it than to let it go to waste.”