Manchester's oldest kosher delicatessen, Titanics, was named after the ill-fated liner. Now the family business has been sunk after 103 years' trading, a victim of increased competition and diminished customer loyalty.
Titanics' flagship Cheetham Hill store closed last week, its Altrincham shop having shut in January. A third store in Cheadle may be taken over by an investor but would not trade as Titanics.
Managing director Richard Hyman did not respond to requests for comment. But his father Stanley, 75, said the business had gone into liquidation after struggling to compete with supermarket chains. "I feel like I've been sitting shiva this week. My business was my family, so were my customers. I feel like I've lost my family."