Pesto Presto, Gone-o - Trafford Centre site shuts after nearly 20 years

Another long-runner bites the dust. Pesto has closed its restaurant at the Trafford Centre, which first opened there in 2007, Restaurant Online reports. The news went up on its website with a cheeky bit of wordplay and a thank-you to customers.

The site sat on the mall's upper floor and served Pesto's piattini menu, the Italian small plates format of pizzas, meatballs, arancini and salads that you order individually or share between the table.

After this closure the brand is down to 11 restaurants across the Midlands and the North West, including the Dicconson Arms in Lancashire, the Yacht in Chester, the Axe & Compass in Warwickshire and the White Horse in Leicestershire. You'll notice those are pubs. Pesto was founded in 2006 and bought by Mitchells & Butlers in 2024. Founders Sara and Neil Gatt stayed for 18 months to help M&B find pubs to convert to the Pesto brand.

So what for hospo people? Shopping centre dining is a tough gig at the moment, and this looks like a brand leaning towards pub conversions over mall units. The report says nothing about what happens to the Trafford team. If that's you, it's worth asking whether there are transfers to other Pesto or M&B sites nearby.