Withington’s Café Blah has staged a lock-in protest after reportedly being forced to close

Withington’s popular Café Blah has been forced to close, with the owners staging a sit-in protest after the landlord allegedly changed the locks.

On October 7th, the owners of the business announced that they had been locked out of the venue without formal notice, just two days after their “Party for the People” festival.

After being given two hours to remove their belongings from the property, owners Tess and Adam staged a lock-in, demanding “reasonable” notice for eviction.

via Facebook, Café Blah

The space, which has become a key landmark in the Withington nightlife scene, has been navigating an ongoing rent battle for over a year. As reported by The Mill, owners Tess Parkinson and Adam Porrino had been faced with a 60 per cent rent increase and threatening emails from the property owners.

A notice stuck to the shutter of the venue details: “No rent payments were ever missed and we do not believe any form of formal notice was received to evict us from the premises.”

The Mill reports that Café Blah’s owners, alongside a few regulars, have said they’ll remain in the venue until further action is taken. They intend to raise money to put toward a deposit on a new space, though they have stated they hope to remain in Withington. The cafe has operated for over four years, and is home to live music, independent film screenings and street parties. It markets itself as being an affordable, accessible cafe that serves the local area. 

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Following the post-Covid wave of venue closures, this protest highlights the issues many independent venues are facing to stay operational amidst rising rent costs.

Withington Pride – Greta Mary Kaur-Taylor @gretaktaylor

To support Café Blah and donate towards relocation, take a look at the crowdfunding campaign here.

The Manchester Tab reached out to H Homes for comment.

Cover image via Facebook, Café Blah

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