Albert's Worsley

East Lancashire Road, Swinton

Albert’s Restaurant at Worsley is one of the four restaurants in the Albert’s group. The flagship, Albert’s Shed, is the beating heart of Castlefield, just outside of Manchester City Centre. I’ve dined at Albert’s Shed previously and have always been bowled over by the quality of the food and the service: it’s Great British cuisine at its finest.

Last week, we branched out and visited the Worsley restaurant instead. It’s the bigger, more modern cousin of Albert’s Shed, but the menus are exactly the same. They’re open all hours and cater for all meals, with breakfast and set price lunch menus, an a la carte evening menu, Sunday lunch and even afternoon tea.

Inside, Albert’s has a much more contemporary feel compared to its Castlefield relation. Stylish royal blue booths accompany silver service style tables adorned with crisp white table cloths. The staff are extremely attentive and can’t do enough for you. The service is fast and efficient, which is all you can ask for.

We were booked in at 2:00pm on a Tuesday afternoon, yet the place was buzzing. It’s hardly surprising, as they offer a set menu of sensational value – just £12.50 for a two course lunch. There’s plenty of choice, with the options simply being lifted from the a la carte menu, and there’s no scrimping on the portion sizes either; it’s a complete win-win situation.

To start, I had Rabbit Gnocchi: gnocchi topped with pieces of slow braised rabbit with pancetta in a creamy white wine and mushroom sauce. I’d never tried rabbit before, so it seems like a cliché to say it tasted like chicken, but it’s the truth. The meat melted in your mouth and the gnocchi was tender and buttery. The pancetta was smoky without being too salty and the creamy sauce wasn’t overly rich. It was something very different and very tasty.

Rabbit Gnocchi

For main course, I had the Fish of the Day, which was sea bream served on a bed of buttered new potatoes tossed in tomato salsa, alongside fennel and courgette puree. There was a decent sized piece of fish, with the skin slightly crispy. The courgette puree was a flavour sensation. I wouldn’t have paired tomato with fennel and courgette, but it worked really well and made the new potatoes deliciously tasty. Overall, it was a delightfully fresh, healthy, tasty and satisfying main course, whilst remaining light enough for lunchtime.

Fish of the Day

I’m absolutely astounded that these two stunning dishes were served up for just £12.50. It’s one of the best lunch menus I’ve ever encountered I my life. There was so much choice. Other starters included mushrooms on toast, soup of the day and Moroccan chicken salad. Main courses included a range of meat, fish and vegetarian options, as well as a selection of quirky pizzas. I was truly spoilt for choice. There’s even three decent desserts for if you want to skip starters in favour of something sweet. 

The staff were friendly and attentive and the service was faultless: both courses arrived swiftly without being rushed. As it was my brother’s birthday, he was presented with a little triangle of chocolate brownie, topped with whipped cream and adorned with a candle. It’s this kind of personal touch that highlight the best in customer service.

The set price lunch menu changes throughout the year. The December one is available to view already and it looks delicious. I’m already planning to return.

All menus are available to view online at: https://alberts-restaurants.com/worsley/.

The Alchemist

MediaCityUK

Last weekend, we made a return visit to The Alchemist at MediaCity, the trendy restaurant and bar nestled in between the two docks in Salford Quays. It’s a favourite with the stars who frequent the nearby television studios, famous for its theatrical cocktails and unconventional menu.

I’ve previously spoken fondly about the food. Back in April, I enjoyed one of the most delicious portions of fish and chips I’ve ever had. Served black, the charcoal-battered cod melted in your mouth and the fries, whilst not the chunky chips you’d expect to accompany the Great British classic, were perfectly seasoned and generously portioned.

In June, I returned and enjoyed a spectacular lemon and poppy seed fondant for dessert. A light and fluffy sponge oozing with lemon curd filling, served warm with clotted cream, it instantly became one of my all-time favourite puddings and certainly worth the 15 minute waiting time whilst the kitchen prepare it fresh to order.

This time, we went for something different. Rather than ordering a starter and a main course each, we opted for one of the ‘Social’ options. These are designed for sharing, consisting of an array of starters and available in a meat and a veggie option.

They can be found on the menu underneath the starters. I’m not entirely sure whether they’re intended to be enjoyed as a starter or as an alternative to a main course. For two people, there’s too much for a starter but not enough to keep you satisfied for main course. 

The Social #2 - The Vegetarian Option

We had the vegetarian option, which consisted of a bowl of nachos, edamame beans, padron peppers, mac and cheese bites, vegetable gyozas and houmous with crudites. The nachos were one of the standout nibbles, topped with guacamole, salsa and sour cream. The mac and cheese bites were equally delicious and totally unlike any other kind of mac and cheese bites I’ve had in the past, as they weren’t greasy or sickly. Accompanied by chipotle mayonnaise, they weren’t overly rich.

Nacho Bowl

The other bits and pieces were nothing to shout about. The padron peppers and edamame beans seemed like a bit of a cop out. Given the vast array of starters available on the main menu, they certainly could have included some better options. The houmous was, however, creamy and delicious.

Vegetable Gyozas, Houmous and Crudites, Padron Peppers

We added a couple of extras to our social platter in the form of salt and pepper squid and sweet potato fries. It was a good job we did, as the platter in itself is certainly not enough to replace a main course. You can choose to ‘big up’ your social sharer for an additional £5. This simply means you get four of everything rather than three. This seems like a bit of a trap to entice you to pay extra, as three is an awkward number to share between two people and, if there were four of you, there certainly wouldn’t be enough to go round.

Mac & Cheese Bites and Edamame Beans

The salt and pepper squid was delicious, accompanied by a garlic mayonnaise dip, and the sweet potato fries were perfectly cooked. It’s difficult to get sweet potato fries just right but The Alchemist managed it; they were soft and fluffy with a crispy glaze.

Salt and Pepper Squid

The social platter was £19, which was far too expensive for what it was. Had I ordered a starter and a main course, it would likely have cost me less and the portions would have been much bigger and more satisfying. The salt and pepper squid was £6.50 and the sweet potato fries were £4, so it quickly added up to become quite an expensive bite to eat, considering we weren’t overly satisfied by the end of it. If you pick the meaty option, consisting of barbecue wings, pulled pork bon bons and tempura prawns alongside the nachos, mac and cheese bites and homous, it’ll set you back even further, at £24 a pop.

I’m a fan of The Alchemist and, generally, the food is very good. I just don’t think these sharing platters are worth the money.

But, as my Mum always says: if you don’t try, you won’t know.

https://thealchemist.uk.com/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 30 September 2019

Our food-inspired Quote of the Week is back for the autumn! 

"Chocolate is health food for the soul." 

Miranda Gray

Author

Eden

The Printworks, Withy Grove, Manchester

Eden is a new botanical-themed restaurant, bar and club which has opened up in the site previously occupied by Tiger Tiger in Manchester’s Printworks, one of the busiest city centre spots for a night out. Set across four levels, you can drink, dance, dine and discover, designed for a whole night out under one roof.

For dining, there’s a bottomless brunch and varied main menu. For drinking, there’s an extensive cocktail menu and a daily happy hour, as well as a worldly gin menu and selection of international craft beers. For dancing, there are three club experiences.

Eden officially opened its doors on Friday 16 August, with former TOWIE star turned TV presenter Mark Wright making a personal appearance. For the first two weeks, there was 50% off the food bill to be claimed simply by pre-booking. It was an offer that was simply too good to turn down, so we visited on a very sunny Bank Holiday Monday for a leisurely lunch. 

Inside, the ground floor is half restaurant, half bar. The dining area isn’t that big and, although it’s beautifully designed, it feels like there are too many tables crammed into a small space. We sat on a table for two along the back wall, but I was glad the restaurant was quiet and there was nobody next to us, as they would have been a little too close for comfort.

The menu is varied and indistinguishable. They do a little bit of everything, not specialising in one cuisine in particular. There are loads of starters and nibbles, 2ft long flatbread style pizzas perfectly designed for sharing, burgers, sandwiches and a range of main courses cleverly categorised into ‘From The Land’, ‘From The Earth’ and ‘From The Sea’ groups.

To start, I had the Chorizo Scotch Egg. This was a delicious take on the picnic classic, the perfect appetiser for a summery day. The egg was perfectly cooked, still warm with a yolk that was still slightly runny. It was surrounded by chorizo, which was much tastier than your standard chewy sausage meat, and coated in panko breadcrumbs. It was accompanied by a garlic mayonnaise dip, which seems unusual, but it worked really well. Let’s be honest, you can eat garlic mayo with anything. I wouldn’t know exactly what the correct accompaniment would be for a scotch egg.

Chorizo Scotch Egg

I struggled choosing a main course, as there’s so much on offer. I plumped for the King Prawn Linguine and I was more than satisfied with my decision. It was one of the best King Prawn Linguine dishes I’ve ever had. The juicy King Prawns were cooked with chilli, garlic and parsley, all tossed in delicate linguine in a creamy, tasty yet surprisingly light white wine and cream sauce. King Prawn Linguine can often be a little bit bland, as the pasta is usually just tossed in olive oil. The creamy white wine sauce gave the dish much more flavour but wasn’t overly rich; they managed to strike the balance just right.

King Prawn Linguine

I can’t explain what happened next. I decided against ordering dessert. Why? I’m not sure. At the end of a week of endless meals out for birthday celebrations, I thought I should be a little bit sensible. There was a scrumptious sounding sticky toffee pudding with honeycomb and salted caramel sauce which was screaming at me to give it a try. To think it would have been half price, too! What a silly decision. Still, there’s always next time.

I’ll definitely be returning to Eden. The botanical themed restaurant and bar is a green and pleasant space which, by daytime, is relaxing but, by night, is no doubt buzzing. There’s so much to try on the menu and food to suit all times of day.

The staff were friendly and chatty, willing to answer questions I had about the menu and sharing their opinions on the dishes they’d sampled prior to the opening.

It was a lovely place to enjoy a tasty, chilled out lunch on a hot August Bank Holiday.

The 50% opening offer may now be a thing of the past, but there are plenty of other deals to tempt you into the garden of Eden. On weekday lunchtimes, you can tuck into any Classic Eden Pizza for £6. On Monday to Thursday nights between 5:00pm and 10:00pm, there’s an exclusive ‘Dine Out £20 For 2’, where you can claim a 2ft long pizza, a bottle of house wine and a dessert to share.

Full details of the food, drink and details can be found online at: https://edencollective.co.uk/manchester/.

Manchester Smokehouse

Lloyd Street, Manchester

Manchester Smokehouse & Cellar is an American inspired BBQ restaurant tucked away on Lloyd Street. If you’re a meat lover, then this is the kind of place for you. It’s basically an indoor BBQ, with burgers, steaks and hanging skewers all cooked on an Argentinean Grill over a live fire.

It may be a cellar with an underground club vibe, but it’s not dark or dingy. It’s a vast and comfortable space with plenty of tables, both for eating and drinking.

The menu is vast and varied, but primarily meat based. It’s all about social eating. The starters are large and designed to be shared. We had the Onion Bomb: a huge Spanish onion, dusted in Smokehouse’s very own house sauce, lightly fried in crispy batter. It arrived looking mightily impressive. It was the biggest onion I’ve ever seen in my life. It was presented very artistically, with each piece of skin symmetrically separated. The batter was light and not in the slightest bit greasy. Delicately placed in the centre of the onion was a pot of Alabama sauce, which was the perfect accompaniment.

We were so excited by the arrival of this genius creation, not to mention absolutely famished, that it resulted in the worst food photo I’ve ever taken. We demolished the whole thing in record time and it was worth every single bite. It could easily have served as a main course for one or even a sharing starter for three or four people. Unbelievably, it only cost £4.95. You can add cheese sauce for an additional £2.50, but trust me, it really isn’t necessary.

Onion Bomb

We were already on our way to being half full by the time our main courses arrived. We opted to dine from the weekend lunch menu, which offers a burger and a beverage (a glass of house wine, a beer or a soft drink) for £10.95, which is a decent saving when you look at the a la carte prices. There’s a handful of burgers you can choose from, though obviously not many of the most impressive-sounding ones.

We both had the Return of the Mac burger: a 6 oz steak patty topped with smoked cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce and mac and cheese. The burger was full of flavour and tasted like it had come straight off a charcoal BBQ in the middle of summer. The meat, however, was a little dry, but with the smoked cheese and bacon it didn’t matter. Mac and cheese is always a delightful addition of flavour and texture to a burger. This homemade version wasn’t rich, sickly or even overly creamy, so it wasn’t too heavy. Served on a brioche bun with fries, they were a good size for main courses.

Return Of The Mac Burger

It’s refreshing to receive fries with your burger as standard. These days, most restaurants charge you extra for your fries as a ‘side’, which, in my opinion, is wrong, as a burger alone is not a complete meal. I swapped my fries for sweet potato fries for an extra £1.85, but, to be honest, it wasn’t worth it. They were too thin, a bit soggy and not very well seasoned. Still, I was on such a high from the Onion Bomb that it really wasn’t going to bother me if the sweet potato fries weren’t quite perfect.

The saddest part was that we were stuffed by the time we reached the end of our main courses; my friend couldn’t even manage to finish her fries. We were gutted, as the dessert menu is also mightily impressive. There isn’t just one but two types of cheesecakes – golden nugget and honeycomb and strawberries and cream – as well as a triple chocolate fudge cake and handmade carrot cake, which you don’t very often see on a dessert menu.

So dedicated were we to our cause that, after much deliberation, we ordered a golden nugget and honeycomb cheesecake to share. The menu said it was served with whipped cream, but we were actually given the choice of whipped cream or ice cream in several different flavours – bonus! The cheesecake was the perfect texture: firm but creamy, filled with pieces of honeycomb and topped with Maltesers, drizzled in chocolate sauce. The salted caramel ice cream was the perfect accompaniment. My already fit-to-bursting stomach didn’t thank me for it, but my heart, and my friend, certainly did.

Golden Nugget and Honeycomb Cheesecake

We were thoroughly impressed by the quality and the quantity of the food at Manchester Smokehouse. If I could offer any advice to a first-time visitor it would be this: order the Onion Bomb to start, but we aware that it’s huge, so don’t over-order on your main course. They do all sorts of delicious-sounding loaded fries and sides of mac and cheese and onion rings, but the Onion Bomb is almost like a meal in itself, so you won’t need any additional sides. Also, try to save room for dessert, because it’s well worth it.

With 50% off main courses every Monday, 50% off burgers on a Thursday and two-for-one cocktails on offer all day on Sunday, there are plenty of opportunities for you to give Manchester Smokehouse a try on a budget. It’s well worth giving it a go.

Website: https://www.manchestersmokehouse.co.uk/

Six by Nico - 'The Chippie'

Spring Gardens, Manchester

Six by Nico brings a brand new concept to Manchester. There’s only one menu. It’s six courses. It’s available for six weeks. Then it changes, never to be seen again.

Scottish-Italian chef Nico Simone brings his unique gourmet experience to Manchester, with a new restaurant occupying the old site of Roc & Rye in Spring Gardens, alongside the likes of Rosso and Brown’s. He’s already established restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast. 

He’s already established restaurants in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast, and his first menu couldn’t have been more appropriate for his Manchester debut. It was ‘The Chippie’: six courses all themed around the tastes, scents and sensations of the Great British Fish and Chip Shop. Forget your battered sausage, giant cods and steak and kidney puddings; this is your chippy tea recreated and reimagined.

Each standard tasting menu is £29 per person, which is quite good value given the vast array of foods and flavours that you’re sampling. There are some additional ‘snacks’ which you can add for an extra £5 to kick-start your feast. Each course has an accompanying wine recommendation, which you can choose to pair with each course for an additional £25. If you want a drink, it’s probably worth doing, as the drinks menu is rather pricey.

The optional extra snack at the top of The Chippie menu was a Manchester Egg: a hard-boiled egg coated in a soft black pudding and breadcrumbs, with home-made brown sauce piped onto the top of it. The egg was served in two halves, making it perfect for sharing – you didn’t really need a full one given that you had so many other flavours on the way. There were also two pieces of sourdough bread with creamy chicken fat butter. The Manchester Egg was actually bigger than most of the courses, but it was an extra £5, so it’s good that they gave you your money’s worth. 

Manchester Egg

Appetite well and truly whetted, it was time to get stuck into the meal itself. Each course had a title which associated with a fish and chip shop. There were vegetarian alternatives to each course, but the themes remained the same. 

The first course was ‘Chips and Cheese’, something that’s never really appealed to me. This was a salt and vinegar potato croquette, nestled on parmesan espuma (that’s Spanish for froth) and curry oil. What a way to kick things off: creamy, cheesy and delicious.

Chips and Cheese

Second was ‘Scampi’: the closest thing to the classic fish, chips and mushy peas. This consisted of breaded monkfish cheeks served with gribiche, herb butter and pea emulsion. Gribiche is a Spanish mayonnaise-style sauce made with eggs and mustard and is bright green, resembling mushy peas. This course was one of my favourites. It was exactly what it was supposed to be. 

Scampi

Course number three was the ‘Steak Pie’. This was beef shin with mushroom duxelle, burnt onion ketchup and a red wine jus. The beef was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth. Mushroom duxelle is a mixture of chopped mushrooms, onions, herbs and black pepper, sautéed in butter and cream and reduced to a paste. It had a moose-like texture but was extremely flavoursome and complimented the beef and the tanginess of the burnt onion ketchup extremely well. This course was a flavour sensation and very rich in comparison to the previous one. 

Steak Pie

Next up was the ‘Fish Supper’: cod with confit fennel, samphire, beer, picked mussels and brandade. This course boasted a decent sized piece of fish, with the fennel, samphire and pickled mussels forming a bed underneath. The cod was deliciously salty, contrasting beautifully with the acidic flavours of the accompaniments. Brandade is a mixture of salt cod and olive oil. 

Fish Supper

The penultimate course, and the final savoury dish, was ‘Smoked Sausage’: pork belly with salt baked celeriac, caramelised apple and black pudding. This course was a treat for the eyes and the nose as well as the mouth. It was served under a glass dome, which, when removed, revealed a powerful meaty smoke, sending all your senses into overdrive. The pork was actually a conglomeration of pork belly and pulled pork, rolled into a cylindrical sausage and wrapped up in a crispy potato sheath. The sweetness of the caramelised apple and the saltiness of the baked celeriac was a sensational combination. I was a little sceptical about this course, as I’m not the biggest fan of pork, but it was definitely one of the most flavoursome of the courses. 

Smoked Sausage

The final course, the dessert, was an innovative take on the ‘Deep Fried Mars Bar’, the Scottish chip shop staple, allowing Nico to pay homage to his Celtic routes. There was Caramelia Chocolate Mousse with orange sorbet and cocoa nibs. There were so many different elements to this dessert, it was almost like a three in one. The mousse was light but had a rich, chocolately depth to it. The zingy orange sorbet really refreshed the palate and was the perfect way to round things off after six courses of rich, intense flavours. 

Deep Fried Mars Bar

Six by Nico has brought an entirely new dining concept to Manchester and, unsurprisingly, it’s proving very popular. Despite being six courses, nothing was overly rich, meaning you could manage all the food quite comfortably and you’ll feeling satisfied but not stuffed.

It’s a shame I’m writing this at a point where The Chippie is no more. That’s the unique thing about Nico’s enterprise: once a particular menu has been served for six weeks, it’ll never be cooked or tasted ever again.

Sadly, this means it’s too late for you to try The Chippie. This month, they’ve moved onto Mexico. You could make return visits to Six by Nico and travel all around the world on a culinary cruise. Not to mention, it’s quite possibly the best value fine dining restaurant the City Centre has to offer. A must for any enthusiastic foodie.

https://www.sixbynico.co.uk/manchester/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 19 August 2019

"You can't go wrong with fish and chips."

Michael Sandel

American political philosopher

National Afternoon Tea Week - Nutter's

Edenfield Road, Norden, Rochdale

As we reach the end of National Afternoon Tea Week, I thought it was only right for me to save the best for last.

Back in November 2017, I treated my mum to afternoon tea at Nutter’s Restaurant in Rochdale, the fine dining destination which has become famous locally for serving the finest quality cuisine.

Andrew trained at The Savoy in London and has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in France. His sideboard boasts an impressive array of silverware, having won an award for Lancashire Chef of the Year and the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival. Nutter’s was voted one of the best restaurants opened by a celebrity chef in the country by The Times newspaper.

Afternoon tea is served from Tuesday to Friday between 3:00pm and 5:00pm. There’s a dedicated section of the enormous restaurant where everybody sits down together, with tables dressed in crisp white cloths and laid with silver cutlery. There’s something rather charming about everybody being served at the same time, harking back to the days of good old-fashioned silver service. 

Nutter's Traditional Afternoon Tea

As traditional as you could possibly expect from such a local institution, there were three tiers of sandwiches, scones and cakes. Simple yet sophisticated, we each had three finger sandwiches and a slice of quiche. The sandwiches were cured beef and horseradish, ham and chicken with lettuce; all very simple but very tasty. The slice of cheese and onion quiche was delicious and a delightful addition to the sandwiches, making the savoury course a little bit heartier. 

Sandwiches

Scones are at the heart of an afternoon tea. We were treated to two scones each. Well, let’s be honest, you can always manage a second one, can’t you? One was a fruit scone with sultanas and raisins, the other contained chunky Belgian chocolate chips. At the time, this was a first for me, but it was delicious and worked really well. Served with jam and clotted cream, there really is nothing more perfect than a cream tea of an afternoon. 

Scones

We finished off with four very decent sized cakes, and there was a nice mixture of flavours. There was a dark chocolate tart, a meringue nest topped with cream and berries, a mini chocolate éclair and a slice of carrot cake. The chocolate éclair looked stunning, topped with a chocolate ribbon adorned with the Nutter’s logo. Carrot cake is one of my favourite cakes of all time, so I’m pleased that this was near-perfect carrot cake: moist, flavoursome, topped with cream cheese frosting. 

Cakes

At the time, it cost us £15 per person, with unlimited tea or coffee. For the quality of the food, the service and the overall experience, this was sensational value. The menu has since changed and it’s now £18 per person, but I guarantee it would still be worth every penny.

Nutter’s provided one of the afternoon tea experiences I’ve ever had. If it’s your thing, you need to go out of your way to make an afternoon tea date at Nutter’s.

Book your afternoon tea experience now. Gift vouchers are also available:

https://www.nuttersrestaurant.com/

National Afternoon Tea Week 2019 - Cloud 23

The Hilton Hotel, Deansgate, Manchester

Today, I’m revisiting an afternoon tea that was spectacular on a whole different level, quite literally. Yes, allow me to take you 23 floors above ground level at Manchester City Centre’s iconic Hilton Hotel. Cloud 23 is the cocktail bar in the skies which serves food and drinks for every occasion.

It’s the highest point in the city, with floor-to-ceiling windows providing the most stunning backdrop to an afternoon of indulgence. Be sure to dress to impress, as the Cloud 23 experience is pure class.

 There are a range of different afternoon tea experiences on offer, from a basic Cream Tea (£14) to the full traditional fare (£25).

We had the traditional afternoon tea with a cocktail each – or, in my case, a ‘mocktail’. The cocktail menu is innovative and full of theatrical creations, including a fine selection of non-alcoholic alternatives in the ‘Blue Sky Drinking’ section.

I had a ‘Cherry Blossom Skies’: a light and fluffy cream fizz flavoured with cherry, almond and citrus. Reminiscent of a Bakewell tart with added zing, it was deliciously refreshing, although very indulgent. It certainly wasn’t the kind of drink to quench your thirst, but that didn’t matter, as the afternoon tea comes with an unlimited supply of hot drinks – tea, coffee or hot chocolate. 

Mocktails

The selection of sandwiches were roast ham on brown bread, prawn mayonnaise with bistro salad on a tortilla wrap, a goat’s cheese and beetroot wrap and a Croque Monsieur. All the sandwiches were fresh and flavoursome and there was a good cross-section of flavours. 

Traditional Afternoon Tea

Our scones were served warm, although by the time we’d finished the sandwiches, they’d gone cold. They were filled with dried apricots, which didn’t bring much to the scones in terms of flavour. I prefer the more traditional sultanas. 

Scones

Sitting aboard the top tier of the three-tiered cake stand in all their glory were some truly scrumptious cakes. There was a vanilla and chocolate sponge cake, a strawberry and white chocolate tart and a cheesecake in a shot glass. The vanilla and chocolate sponge was my favourite: not at all rich and very moreish. The cheesecake was disappointing. Cheesecake is my ultimate favourite dessert, so I was expecting great things. The texture was wrong. It was too airy, making it more like a mousse, and it lacked a crunchy biscuit base.

If you love an indulgent afternoon tea, Cloud 23 is an experience you simply can’t afford to miss. The views and ambience make it well worth the £25 per person, especially when you can have an unlimited supply of cappuccinos, lattes or hot chocolates as well as a wide range of tea blends. 

Relax in stylish and sophisticated surroundings with unparalleled views, delicately prepared sandwiches and cakes and decadent cocktails. Whatever the occasion, it’s the perfect way to celebrate.

Pre-booking is essential. Gift vouchers can be purchased online. 

Website: https://www.cloud23bar.com/

National Afternoon Tea Week 2019 - One88

Bury New Road, Whitefield

Today’s featured Afternoon Tea is a twist on the traditional, as I take a look back at One88’s Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea.

For reasons I’ll never be able to fathom, many men simply don’t ‘get’ cake. So, One88’s Gentleman’s offering does away with the scones lathered with heaps of jam and clotted cream and instead serves up a selection of savoury alternatives.

You’ve still got your selection of sandwiches: roast beef, onion and horseradish wraps, smoked ham on soft white bloomer and mini egg mayonnaise bagels. They’re a satisfying size too, bigger than the usual finger sandwiches, although not quite as dainty.

Alongside the hearty sarnies, we were given a slice of homemade pork pie, complete with perfect pastry and tasty meat, nothing like the chewy, processed version that often comes out of a supermarket, a bucket of fish goujons and two halves of homemade sausage roll.

The pork pies, sausage rolls and goujons were a welcome change, but without the scone, it did feel like the heart of the afternoon tea was missing. 

That said, the sweet side was just as impressive. We had two triangles of chocolate fudge brownie and two slices of cherry and almond bakewell tart. That’s two slices each, so definitely enough to balance out the carb-heavy savoury course. These cakes were absolutely spectacular, with the rich, gooey chocolate fudge brownie balancing out the light, fluffy, fruity bakewell perfectly.

The Gentleman’s Afternoon Tea is £20 per person, including a pot of tea and a bottle of beer, which makes it sensational value for money, especially given the quantity of the sandwiches and savoury snacks.

Back in May, I approached it with trepidation. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the concept – I’m a firm believer that some traditions just shouldn’t be tampered with. However, it turned out to be one of the best afternoon teas I’ve ever had.

I’ve previously also had One88’s Traditional Afternoon Tea (£15 per person) on a couple of occasions. The first time, we were bowled over by the quality and the quantity of the food. However, when we returned, they had downsized significantly. There was more or less half of what we received the first time. Here’s hoping they don’t go the same way with the Gentleman’s version.

If you’d like to introduce, or convert, the men in your life to the joys of an afternoon tea, then this is certainly the way to do it.

Advance booking is required.

http://www.one88whitefield.co.uk/

National Afternoon Tea Week 2019 - The Midland Hotel, Manchester

The Tea Room at The Midland Hotel

Peter Street, Manchester

Today’s featured afternoon tea is an extra-special experience I had at Manchester’s Midland Hotel back in August 2017.

The Tea Room is a special restaurant dedicated entirely to serving afternoon tea. It’s opulent, glamorous and sophisticated. Our afternoon tea at the Midland was a present from me to my Grandma for her 80^th birthday. 

Each table is dressed in a crisp white table cloth with silver cutlery and China cups and saucers. There’s a floor-to-ceiling cake stand next to each table: a genius idea, as it means that your table doesn’t become cramped and you can actually see your companions.

They serve a selection of afternoon teas. The Traditional one was £25 per person at the time. Now, almost two years later, it’s £27. For the price, you got five miniature sandwiches, two scones and four delicate cakes.

For the sandwiches, we had duck egg and mustard cress on white bread, smoked salmon and lemon verbena crème fraiche on dark malt bread, honey-baked gammon and garden pea mousse on granary bread, goat’s cheese with beetroot chutney on walnut bread and Goosnargh chicken with barbecued sweetcorn on a brioche bun. A little bit more up-market than your standard egg and cress; your palate needs to be just as sophisticated as the surroundings. 

The scones were covered up in order to keep them warm – an excellent idea. We had a plain and a sultana scone each – let’s be honest, on an afternoon tea, two scones are always better than one. You could have, instead, opted for the ‘scone of the day’, which in our case was strawberry. They were a little bit stingy on the jam though: you were served a scoop onto your plate and that was your lot. You can never have too much jam and cream on your scones. We were given a choice of three preserves: strawberry, raspberry or lemon curd. They were, quite possibly, the best scones I’ve ever tasted. They pulled apart on the seams effortlessly, without crumbling, and had the perfect crunch on the outside.

For the cakes, there was a passionfruit and white chocolate tart, a dark chocolate delice with a cranberry filling, a pistachio and olive oil sponge cake topped with orange curd and a Scottish strawberry and champagne mousse with a Victoria sponge base. A fine selection of flavours and textures.

Afternoon tea at The Midland Hotel is one of the finest examples of this great British tradition I’ve ever experienced. It oozes glamour and elegance, putting a contemporary stamp on this conventional pastime whilst remaining traditional. The staff are trained to carry off the service with slick perfection and there’s an unlimited supply of tea – what could be better?

The quality of the food is stunning and the quantity is also excellent. Afternoon teas are often over-priced for the amount of food you actually receive, but the £25 was more than worth it for the whole experience here.

Make a special occasion that extra bit special with afternoon tea at The Midland’s Tea Room. With vegetarian, vegan and children’s versions available, as well as a recently-launched brunch alternative, there’s something to suit everyone’s tastes.

Up-to-date menus are available here: https://tearoomatthemidland.co.uk/

National Afternoon Tea Week 2019 - Bartisserie2

Bartisserie2

Market Place, Ramsbottom

Ethan Ballan’s masterfully created afternoon tea at Bartisserie² in Ramsbottom is very much a sophisticated, traditional afternoon tea, with finger sandwiches, scones and a selection of miniature cakes and patisseries.

What makes it unique is that it’s served in three courses. Rather than everything arriving together on a three-tiered cake stand, the savouries are wheeled out first, followed by the scones and finally the cakes. This is a genius idea, as it means the scones are served freshly baked, still warm and crunchy on the outside. A scone is the heart of an afternoon tea, but, normally, by the time you’ve eaten the sandwiches, they’ve gone cold.

Serving the afternoon tea in courses really enhances the experience and helps to set the pace. It’s a genius idea.

Each course was delivered to our table by Ethan himself, and he talked us through what he’d prepared, in a nice, personal touch.

The four finger sandwiches were smoked salmon, sliced chicken with pea puree, tomato and mozzarella and cucumber with cream cheese: a good mix of meat, fish and vegetarian options. The two mini quiches were creamy goat’s cheese and caramelised red onion. The addition of the quiches helped to bulk out the savoury side, which is necessary, as an afternoon tea can often be quite sweet-heavy. 

Sandwiches

Next were two small scones – one plain, one fruit – served with homemade chunky raspberry jam and whipped cream. I prefer whipped cream to the clotted alternative, as it’s lighter and fluffier. 

Scones

The third and final course was a spectacular finale which really showcased Ethan’s skills as a pastry chef. There was a passionfruit tart topped with Italian meringue, a raspberry macaron, a chocolate mousse in a solid chocolate and hazelnut dome and a millionaire’s shortbread with chocolate orange piping. These elegant, perfectly crafted miniatures were so much more than bog-standard cakes. 

Cakes

Each of Ethan’s afternoon teas is unique; you’d never receive the same combination twice.

With hot drinks of your choice, it’s £20 per person. For the quality of the food, the attention to detail in the cakes and the impeccable experience, it’s well worth the money.

Unfortunately, due to recent adverse weather conditions, Bartisserie² is currently closed following a flood. Once they’re back up and running, why not book yourself in for an afternoon of indulgence?

Website: http://www.bartisserie2.co.uk/

Allotment

Dale Street, Manchester

Allotment is a botanical themed bar and restaurant in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Decorated like a boutique garden, complete with garden furniture, hanging fairy lights and watering cans on the walls, it has a cosy outdoors/indoors feel.

It’s primarily a bar, with a white Lilliputian garden fence sectioning off a corner for the restaurant area, where there are only a handful of tables.  The bar stocks an extensive range of beer, wine, cider and cocktails, with a particular emphasis on gin. They have a ‘gin journal’ on the table and they hold regular gin tastings.

Allotment Interior

Food-wise, it’s traditional British cuisine with a few quirky twists. The main bulk of the menu consists of ‘small plates’, of which our waiter recommended ordering three per person to constitute a decent sized meal. The small plates are categorised into ‘From The Land’, ‘From The Sea’ and ‘From The Allotment’: cleverly segregating the vegetarian, meat and fish dishes. Plates ‘from the allotment’ include salt and pepper tofu and jackfruit pakora, meat options ‘from the land’ include coffee rubbed steak and mini chicken kebabs and plates ‘from the sea’ include cod cheek sliders and coconut prawn curry. 

There are also a handful of ‘large plates’, which are main courses to you and I, and during the daytime there’s a selection of hot sandwiches. We opted for the Fish Finger Butty: a simple, yet classic, sandwich, when done well, is a solid lunch option and one of the most enjoyable sandwiches out there.

I’m happy to report that this was an exceptionally good attempt at this beautiful Great British butty. There were three beer-battered fish goujons (batter is always preferable to the breadcrumb-covered variety that is most often a feature of the frozen fish fingers) with watercress, pickled shallots and tartare sauces on two slices of doorstop white bloomer bread. White bread is the only way to serve a fish finger butty. Forget your muffins and your trendy sourdoughs, it has to be on good old-fashioned white sliced bread. I had to ask for some extra tartare sauce, as I like it slathered on thick.

Fish Finger Butty

It was served in a wicker picnic basket, which was a nice touch and in-keeping with the theme of the bar, but it screamed ‘bar snack’. There was an accompaniment of pickled red cabbage, which was sweet and crunchy. I think it should have been served with some thick cut chips as standard, making it a more complete meal. It was only £6.50, which was more than reasonable, but you shouldn’t have to then pay an additional £3.50 for chips as a side. After all, fish fingers and chips belong together.

My friend ordered a side of halloumi fries and the portion size was exactly that: a side. Certainly not worth the additional £3.50.

The fish finger butties may have been something worth shouting about, but the service certainly wasn’t. When we were first seated, we were informed that there could be a bit of a wait for food as the kitchen was a chef down. However, there was only one table in front of us waiting to be served, so we didn’t think it would be too much of a problem. We ended up waiting over 40 minutes, which is far too long for a couple of sandwiches. They offered us a complementary beverage, but neither of us were drinking, so instead we gratefully accepted a discount. It softens the blow when they make an effort to apologise.

Considering the restaurant area is so small and there were only three of four occupied tables, it really shouldn’t have taken them so long.

Before visiting, I had my eye on their afternoon tea. Served in a picnic basket, priced at £32.50 per person, you can select three of their sandwiches to share, plus either a deli board or scones and cakes. Sandwiches include a Reuben Stack, a chicken BLT and a wild mushroom and asparagus flatbread. The price also includes tea or coffee and a glass of sparkling wine or house gin. It sounds very appealing, but I’d think twice after the slow service.

It seems Allotment is more of a botanical gin bar, with the food not a priority for them.

https://allotmentbar.co.uk/

Quote of the Week - Week commencing Monday 5 August 2019

"Life is like a sandwich - the more you add to it, the better it becomes." 

 Anon

Brunch at The Midland Hotel

Peter Street, Manchester

Afternoon tea is great British tradition which is still as popular as it has ever been. But trendy cafes serving up brunch are on the rise. For those unaware, ‘brunch’ is a combination of breakfast and lunch, generally eaten at anytime in between, although why you’d choose to combine two meals to form one is something I’ll, personally, never understand.

Thus, The Midland Hotel, one of Manchester City Centre’s premier hotels, has combined these two past times to create a brand new concept: brunch in the style of afternoon tea.

How exactly does this work?

It’s a selection of miniature dishes served on a three-tiered cake stand, much like a traditional afternoon tea. There’s a mixture of savoury and sweet options. The only real difference is that all the dishes are breakfast themed.

Brunch: Afternoon Tea Style

The savoury course consisted of Spanish-style baked eggs with chorizo, spinach and Portobello mushroom, a mini Belgian waffle with streaky bacon and maple syrup and a mini open bagel with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. All three were delicious, with the smoked salmon and scrambled eggs my particular favourite. I’ve always been sceptical of bacon and maple syrup, a staple American breakfast combination. I’m not a fan of mixing savoury and sweet in one dish, however, I admit that it works perfectly well together. It was a bit dry, though, it definitely needed more maple syrup to drizzle over the top.

Top Tier: Baked Eggs and Cinnamon French Toast

In the middle was a cheese scone served with butter containing bits of crispy pancetta. This, I’m afraid, didn’t work for me. Scones should be sweet. Whether they’re plain or made with fruit, the way to enjoy them is with jam and cream – though we perhaps shouldn’t talk about which way round. The pancetta butter was nice enough, but the cheese scone was a little claggy and I found it quite difficult to digest.

Middle Tier: Bacon and Maple Syrup Waffles and Smoked Salmon Bagels with Scrambled Eggs

For the sweet course, there was a triangle of brioche French toast with cinnamon, pancakes with clotted cream and blueberries and a granola and yoghurt pot, all washed down with a shot of kiwi and lemon smoothie. There was nothing particularly remarkable about any of the sweet options. The French toast was nice enough, but I wouldn’t have known whether it was supposed to be savoury or sweet, as there wasn’t much taste to it, definitely no hint of cinnamon. The texture was a little bit eggy and sloppy. The pancakes were fluffy but by the time we got round to eating them, they’d gone cold, so weren’t the most enjoyable, and could have done with an additional topping. The clotted cream was a little too heavy. The granola pot was delicious: crunchy, refreshing and tangy.

Lower Tier: Pancakes, Granola and a Lemon and Kiwi Smoothie Shot

This afternoon tea style brunch is £19 per person and includes a range of premium loose leaf tea from the hotel’s selection. For an additional £20 per person, you can turn into a Bottomless Brunch, with unlimited Prosecco, Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Bellinis on offer.

It was a unique experience which I’m glad I’ve tried, but overall the food was unremarkable. Although it’s a unique idea, the concept is still finding its feet.

Afternoon tea is just something that perhaps shouldn’t be tampered with.

For more information on visiting The Tea Room at The Midland Hotel, go to:

https://www.themidlandhotel.co.uk/tearoom