Reform restaurant rescued from receivership

The Reform restaurant in Manchester has been bought out of receivership by independent operator Hale Leisure, owner of the city's famous Dry bar, for about £500,000.

Reform, a haunt of Manchester football and television celebrities, was placed in receivership in August. Receivers Grant Thornton had kept it running as normal while they sought a buyer.

The 120-seat restaurant and 80-capacity bar employs 33 staff, including executive chef Eli Leconte and general manager Alexandre Da Silva.

Hale Leisure says it aims to "keep faith with the original Reform concept". It also wants to take the idea to other major cities and has identified sites in Chester, Leeds, Birmingham and Glasgow.

Hale owns and operates ten licensed premises in Manchester, including Barca, Prague V, Berlin and Dry.

A spokesman said: "The company believes the city's food and drink market is strong, and still has room to grow."

In a separate move, Hale has bought out the minority share in Barca held by pop singer Mick Hucknall for an undisclosed sum.