The Good Food Guide has revealed its list of must-try new restaurants, and two local spots have soared above the rest to make it into the esteemed list.
The guide has recently released its Platinum List for the best newcomers – all of whom opened pre- or mid-pandemic – and there are two brilliant local eateries featured.
Erst in Ancoats and Hyssop in Glossop both appeared on this year’s Platinum List, alongside 16 other restaurants from up and down the UK.
Image: Erst
Only three restaurants in the northwest appear in all, the third being Henrock, Linthwaite House in Cumbria.
“All have been chosen for their remarkable resilience, thriving in the face of the shifting realities of dining out during the pandemic,” says the Guide.
ADVERTISEMENT
“They are all are notable newcomers and were earmarked for entry in The Good Food Guide 2021-2022.”
It’s not the first impressive accolade Erst has earned this year, either. The restaurant’s focus on natural wine and seasonal small plates also caught the attention of judges for the National Restaurant Awards, leading it to make number 47 in this year’s prestigious list of the top 100 restaurants.
ADVERTISEMENT
It also featured in the 2021 Michelin Guide, with inspectors saying it offered “something refreshingly different in the city.”
Image: Erst
Image: Hyssop
Image: Hyssop
Hyssop, meanwhile, operates slightly more under the radar – or at least, it did before making it into the Good Food Guide. Initially launched as a pop-up in and around Manchester by owners Paul and Jess Sykes, it’s now based at The Bulls Head pub in Old Glossop.
Before opening Hyssop, chef Paul Sykes trained under the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Michael Caines and Simon Rogan and is now serving up some serious grub – also in the form of small plates, split into sections like ‘Sea’, ‘Land’ and ‘Earth’.
ADVERTISEMENT
DIsh-wise, think Onglet steak with herb butter; beetroot cured salmon, walnut and granny smith; lemon sole with brown shrimp, buttermilk and chive; plus puddings, steak nights, and plenty more besides.
Onglet steak with herb butter (£11) / Image: Hyssop Glossop
First published in 1951, the guide is considered one of the most trustworthy publications when it comes to eating-out guides in the UK.
A Which? guide that was purchased by Waitrose in 2013, the Guide ceased publication during the pandemic – but has now been given a new lease of life, after being bought by hospitality community CODE.
It keeps as its editor Elizabeth Carter, who has worked with the Guide since the 1980s and held the position of editor since 2007.
“Every one of the restaurants on this list is a shining example of the resilience and sheer talent to be found in the UK,” said Carter.
“It may have been a tough 18 months for the hospitality industry but these restaurants were undaunted.
“They continued to do the two things we ask of a good restaurant – serve fabulous food, that stayed in the mind during multiple closures, and offer great hospitality.”
Feature image – Erst / Hyssop
Eats
The Greater Manchester book café serving literary afternoon teas and build-your-own bouquets
Daisy Jackson
If you like your afternoon tea with a side of good books, there’s a Greater Manchester café where you can quite literally have your cake and read it too.
Tucked inside this charming bookish spot, afternoon tea arrives with an unexpected twist. Rather than being presented with the usual three-tiered stand, you’re handed a stack of heavy hardback books.
But don’t start worrying that you’ve accidentally wandered into a very niche library club. The books are hiding something.
Lift the covers in Peony & Parchment – or, more accurately, open the book-shaped boxes – and you’ll discover a full afternoon tea concealed inside.
There are dainty sandwiches to get stuck into, including tiny egg mayo, herby chicken salad, ham and mustard, and cheese and tomato focaccia, alongside a little quiche.
Then comes the scone – classic, fluffy and ready for the obligatory dollop of clotted cream and jam. And, because no afternoon tea should leave you feeling like you’ve been short-changed in the cake department, there are five miniature slices to work through.
Afternoon tea concealed in a stack of booksSome of the other bakes on display
There’s a Victoria sponge with a dreamy vanilla cream, lemon drizzle, rich chocolate cake, a Bakewell slice and a pecan pie, all sourced from a local bakery just across the alleyway.
It’s all served with a pot of tea or coffee, with the option to add a glass of prosecco.
And the bookish theme doesn’t stop at the afternoon tea.
Downstairs you’ll find shelves packed with books, including the intriguing ‘blind books’. Instead of judging a book by its cover, you’ll be given clues and a short summary of what lies inside before taking a gamble on your mystery read.
Downstairs in Peony & Parchment‘Blind books’A role playing village for kids
There’s also plenty here to keep younger visitors entertained, thanks to a children’s area complete with a mini role-playing village.
And if books and cake weren’t enough, there’s another string to this café’s bow.
The Bloom Bar lets you build your own bouquet. Choose the size you want, then wander around selecting your own stems and foliage to create something that’s uniquely yours.
You can build your own bouquetThe Bloom Bar at Peony & Parchment
Of course, you don’t have to be visiting specifically for the afternoon tea. The wider menu includes tapas, full breakfasts and sandwiches, making it just as suitable for a leisurely brunch, lunch or coffee-and-cake stop.
So whether you’re there to discover your next favourite novel, assemble a bouquet, entertain the kids or simply eat your way through five different miniature cakes, this is one café where there are plenty of chapters to explore.
Major pop star crowns humble rice and three cafe as ‘Jewel of Manchester’ ahead of sold-out gig
Thomas Melia
A beloved city centre takeaway has been given the title of ‘Jewel of Manchester’ by chart-topping UK singer Sam Smith.
Known for hits like ‘Stay With Me’, ‘I’m Not The Only One’ and more recently ‘Unholy’, UK pop-ballad act Sam Smith also likes to drop a food review every once in a while.
Currently on the road with a run of shows in Manchester and London for their ‘To Be Free’ live shows, Sam Smith is stopping off at some of our city’s much-loved spots.
On their food-reviewing account titled ‘Sam Served’, where they adopt the aptly-fitting nickname ‘Ham Smith’, Sam has visited restaurants across the globe – and most recently turned their attention to Manchester’s own This & That.
Smith decided to pop in and grab a cheeky rice and three from long-standing backstreet food business This & That, and it certainly went down a treat.
After sampling their amazing selection of meat, vegetable and vegan curries, the musician crowned this family-run Indian takeaway a ‘Jewel of Manchester’.
The hitmaker described this Northern Quarter Indian eatery as ‘Everything food should be’ and definitely enjoyed all the curries on offer ‘leaving belly and heart full’.
This & That prides itself on affordable and comforting food with its ‘Rice and Three Curries’ starting from just £6 – not bad for a city centre foodie spot.
Sam has racked up an impressive 490k followers via their ‘Sam Served’ profile, with famous faces like Lily Allen, Denise Welch and CMAT all wanting to know the superstar’s foodie thoughts.
After enjoying a curry or three, Sam Smith also made sure to feed their soul to by venturing down to Afflecks and getting lost in the music at Mars Tapes.
Recognised as one of the UK’s only cassette and tape shops, Mars Tapes lets you flick through their crates of physical media and even preview tracks before you buy with its dedicated listening areas.
It’s safe to say that Smith has ‘Latched’ onto Manchester’s independent business scene and we’re here for it.
The London-born artist has just released their latest album Hazel Eyes and is currently amid a UK residency tour with two dates in Manchester’s Albert Hall and eight shows set for London Coliseum.
Georgina Pellant -
8th December 2021 
