Our Dad, entrepreneur Stewart Yip, President of the Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester and founder of the Chi Yip Group, has passed away aged 60 in Hong Kong after a short but unbelievably brave battle with cancer.
He established the Chi Yip Group in Oldham in 1980. Originally a frozen food distribution firm, the business grew over three decades into a conglomerate of companies specialising in cold store and food distribution, Chinese supermarkets, restaurants, karaoke and property management, all based in Greater Manchester and the North West.
The group includes the Red Chilli chain of four restaurants in Manchester, Leeds and York, pan-Asian fine dining restaurant Sakana on Peter Street, Manchester , the Ocean Treasure seafood restaurant at Middleton Junction, K2 Karaoke in Chinatown and the Chi Yip cash and carry supermarket, also in Middleton.

The memorial service takes place in the Great Hall at Manchester Town Hall on July 13 at 10.30am and donation boxes will be available on the day. It will be followed by interment. A service in Hong Kong has already been held.

As his business grew, he was honoured by both the UK and Chinese governments. He was named Outstanding Ethnic Minority Entrepreneur of the Year by the UK Trade and Investment Commission in 2009 and was re-elected as President of the Confederation of Chinese Associations UK earlier this year.

He is widely credited with championing Chinese culture and education in Manchester and donated to numerous charities.

More recently, he worked tirelessly to promote trade and transport links between China and the UK, welcoming Manchester’s first non-stop flights to China in 2014.

In honour of his memory, we ask for donations which will go towards his charities he worked so hard for and also to Christies who will use the donations to help towards the fight against Cancer.

Gone but never forgotten.

Rest in Peace.

19/03/1956-28/06/2016.