Must-visit bakeries in Manchester
A carb-coma-inducing safari of Manchester’s artisan bakeries would take a whole day in itself, and would be a day extremely well spent. The Brutalist grey concrete and silver interiors of Pollen Bakery at KAMPUS, near Picadilly Station – co-founded by Hannah Calvert and Chris Kelly – radiate with the confident creativity that defines Manchester’s culinary character today. Their immaculately laminated croissants are shatteringly crisp on the outside and lace-like on the inside; their seasonally changeable Danish pastries come in wow-inducing combinations like tonka creme patisserie, torched pear and oat crumble; and their jarred Croissant Butter® (made with caramelised crumbs and toasted white chocolate) has become so notorious it has a registered trademark. Half Dozen Others’ coral-pink bakehouse in Red Bank has an ‘IYKYK’ cachet to it, yet still sells out daily, making it essential to get there before 10am if you want to try their Instagram-immaculate burnt-sugar-cracked Crème Brûlée Croissants. Exceptional bread is another signature of the city’s new culinary identity, like at Holy Grain Sourdough just off Deansgate (a microbakery from Danny Foggo), where loaves undergo a two-day fermentation to create a dark crust and satisfyingly tangy crumb; or at Companio Bakery in Ancoats, where sustainable-grain loaves like their Salford 5-seed and Pennine Rye, compete for counter space with their ludicrously delicious extra-soft topped focaccias.
Manchester’s diasporas are cooking the city’s most exciting food
Rusholme’s famous Wimslow Road “Curry Mile” is a must-visit destination for remarkable Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi restaurants that collectively welcome you with an infectious aura of commensality. The classic curries at Sanam, blended British-Asian fusion at MyLahore and the sizzling fire-charred grills at Mughli Charcoal Pit are all must-trys; whilst, in a rebelliously progressive manner that Manchester has become so renowned for, Bundobust upends the standard curry house trope altogether. It’s two invitingly boisterous establishments that merge Indian street food with craft beer: think okra fries dusted in tangy black-salt masala, served up with 4.5% Mango Lassi Pale Ale brewed up by Northern Monk. Unapologetically flavoursome and so very modern Mancunian.
The expansive multitudes that Manchester’s palate today embodies surface most deliciously in the form of Cantonese roasted duck at Happy Seasons and spicy Sichuan poached tofu at Red Chilli in bustling Chinatown, one of the biggest in Europe. It’s an energy that’s excitingly encapsulated at the three-story Hello Oriental Food Hall in Circle Square, which celebrates diasporic dishes from across Asia with vendors spanning the cuisines of China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Korea with lip-licking flair. Don’t miss the tangy-hot smacked cucumber salad, the morish bun hue short rib, and the epically flavoured Singapore chilli pork belly fried rice. Mackie Mayor is another notable destination that brings to life the very specific Mancunian collectivist buzz – an edible manifestation of the city’s logo, a hive-minded, community-centred worker bee. Set in a restored Grade II-listed former Victorian meat market building on the edge of the Northern Quarter, the lively 500-seater foodhall is filled with rotating independent food vendors and bars. Loading up a bench with a mix-and-match cornucopia of New Wave Ramen noodle bowls, Pico’s Mexican street food, Honest Crust woodfired pizzas, and Chilli B’s pad Thai.
