Live music venue The Roadhouse is to become a new restaurant from Aumbry’s acclaimed chef Mary-Ellen McTague.

The basement club, on Newton Street in the Northern Quarter, will close as a live music venue on June 1.

An extensive refurbishment will take place over the Summer before reopening as a new restaurant, as yet unnamed, with Mary-Ellen at the helm in the Autumn.

It will bring Mary-Ellen full circle in her career - as she started out in The Roadhouse kitchens as a 19-year-old.

She will now work alongside Roadhouse boss Kate Mountain, her friend and business partner from the now-closed Aumbry restaurant in Prestwich, to develop the new restaurant on the site.

Kate has owned The Roadhouse for 16 years and announced last week the shock news that it would close - leading to a huge outpouring of affection and fond memories from both clubbers and rock stars who have played there over the years.

Kate today told the M.E.N. that she felt the club had served its time in the city and it was now time for a new beginning for the venue.

But she added she hadn’t expected the “tidal wave of love” since announcing the closure.

Kate said: “It’s something I’d been toying with for some time, but I finally made my mind up at the start of this year.

“I had hoped that people would remember us fondly, but I underestimated how huge the response would be.

“It has been an overwhelming tidal wave of love and affection.

"But nightclubs were never built to last forever, they all go through changes in fashion, even the likes of Studio 54.

“I feel after 22 years we have done our time, and we leave a legacy of good times.

“This is not just an ending, it’s a new beginning.”

(Image: Chris Gleave)

Mary-Ellen announced the permanent closure of award-winning fine dining restaurant Aumbry in January after five years in Prestwich, and together with Kate had been looking for a new city centre site to open a restaurant.

Aumbry had won huge acclaim during its tenure, including twice being named Restaurant of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards, and Mary-Ellen twice named Chef of the Year.

Kate explains: “When Aumbry closed, we were looking for city centre sites that were licensed, with the right permissions, that could be used as a restaurant.

“I was naturally reaching a crossroads reaching 43 years old and not being quite as in touch with the indie guitar scene as I used to be.

“It seemed the answer was staring us in the face.”

Mary-Ellen adds: “It’s bizarre, it really was kind of unplanned. I didn’t see things going this way until they did. But it does feel like a homecoming for me.”

No decision has yet been made on the name - but it won’t be another Aumbry.

Mary-Ellen says: “It will be completely different from Aumbry. There will be certain influences that will remain, but this is something new.”