Both Mark Toney cafes in Newcastle are shut, with no word yet from the owners

Mark Toney, the ice cream and cafe name Newcastle has known for generations, has both of its city centre cafes closed, ChronicleLive reports. The shutters are down on Grainger Street, and the Percy Street cafe still has a sign in the window blaming an electrical fault. The website is no longer working.

Some staff have said on social media that they have been let go. The owners had not responded to ChronicleLive when it asked what is happening, so nothing official has been confirmed yet.

A long history The first Mark Toney opened inside the Grainger Market in 1892, when Antonio Marcantonio brought Italian ice cream to Newcastle. The family later opened ice cream parlours and coffee shops in the city, known as much for soup, sandwiches and toasted teacakes as for ice cream.

In 2022 the business was sold to new owners, including the two cafes and its factory on the Benton Square Industrial Estate.

What next If you have a soft spot for a Grainger Street teacake, there is nothing to do yet but wait for the owners to say more. We will follow it up when they do.