Squirrels, for me at least, have always been a friend of the park, not the plate. Still, when I saw a dish of crispy fried wild squirrel appear on the menu at Street Urchin I knew it was inevitable that I would try it.
Served over a creamy pulled ham hock cassoulet with hazelnut bread croutons and nettle pesto – the squirrel deep-fried and crispy, chicken wing-style, in a buttermilk batter – at £22.50 a plate, this is certainly no roadkill barbecue.
The dish has been a smash hit since its introduction and shortly after making its first appearance on their specials board, it quickly sold out.
In fact, the crispy fried squirrel here has proven so popular that by the time I got down the specials plate had changed altogether.
Reimagined with homemade black pudding, puy lentils, wild garlic and new potatoes, with a tart little pickled blackberry and rocket salad, whilst some elements were different, the crispy fried wild buttermilk squirrel was still the same – and that’s what I really came for.
So, being pretty much game for anything, I left my mixed feelings about the cute little pests at the door and ventured inside to find out if these squirrels are as delicious as I had heard. Spoiler alert, they kind of are.
Nutty and mellow, a bit gamey, you’re encouraged to eat the meat as you would a piece of fried chicken -and so I did. For a moment, I even forgot what it was that I was eating.
With all the flavour in the crispy buttermilk coating, and more from the combination of black pudding, puy lentils, salad and wild garlic, the only thing to bring me back to reality was the little bones I kept having to pick out.
According to husband and wife time Rachel and Kevin Choudhary the dish has proven a hit with customers and staff alike, leaving them ‘really surprised’.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
“We were looking for something new for the game options on the menu. Kev was speaking to our game supplier and randomly asked if he had any grey squirrels. Happily, he did,” Rachel told The Manc.
“The whole team tried the dish the day it went on and the majority thought it was really good.
“We weren’t sure if it would sell, but have been really surprised. So many people have tried it and given good feedback. We’ve recommended that they eat it like chicken wings and pick it up, that way you get most of the meat.
“I’d never tried squirrel before and I absolutely loved it, it has great flavour, rich buttery texture, and it’s wild, free-range meat.”
In the UK the culling of grey squirrels is perfectly legal, and some chefs are even adopting the mellow, nutty meat as a sustainable alternative to factory-farmed products – arguing it’s better to eat it than let it go to waste.
Part of a new trend in what’s being called ‘ethical dining’, I personally found the squirrel to be bony but delicious. If asked to try it again, I absolutely would – no hesitation.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Food & Drink
The old fire station in Salford that’s now home to a bakery, brewery and bar
Daisy Jackson
A former fire station in Salford has been turned into a bustling base for some of the North West’s finest baking and brewing talents.
The Old Fire Station, right beside the University of Salford, is now operating as a bakery, brewery, bar, cafe and restaurant.
That means pastries, bread, pizzas and even beers are made within a few feet of where you’ll be eating and drinking them.
The space is beautiful, still boasting those gigantic red fire station doors and the traditional ceramic tiles that would have been here when the space was still home to fire engines instead of bread mixers.
Around half of the pastries coming out of the bakery, headed up by Erick Molero Delgado (his CV includes top bakeries across the USA and Europe), are completely vegan – not that you can tell from looking at their glossy, laminated layers and extravagant fillings.
We’re talking perfectly cubed laminated brioche with sweet maple flavours, mini pizzettes with olives and tomatoes dotted inside a pastry wall, and striped pain suisse stuffed with nuts and chocolate.
Then there are the not-very-vegan-at-all pastries, like a spandaeur, which is like a croissant and pastel de nata hybrid, and thick slices of Basque cheesecake.
There are new signature ‘Salford bagels’ too developed by assistant head baker Scott Shannon, which are a fusion of North American, German and Jewish styles, fermented for up to 48 hours with a crisp outer shell and a chewy centre.
A spandaeur pastry and a pain suisseHeirloom tomato bruschetta on sourdoughThe bakery line-upThe ‘Salford Bagel’ with smoked salmon
We had ours stuffed with smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers and raved about it all the way home.
Erick says: “Our new menu is a true labour of love by the whole team – from early ideas and experiments right through to the final bake.
“If someone has an idea, we run with it. That creative freedom is priceless. It keeps the work exciting, and it means our customers have the opportunity to get something fresh every time they visit.”
As for the beers, they’re all made on site too – on the opposite side of The Old Fire Station is Lark Hill Brewery, headed up by Jack Dixon, who’s able to experiment and explore new flavours in this top-spec microbrewery.
Jack Dixon in the Lark Hill BreweryLaminated briocheThe Old Fire Station bakers at work
There are experimental beers, sometimes made in collaboration with researchers at the University, as well as true-to-style classics like a New England Pale Ale and the Lark Helles, a fresh take on a classic German lager.
Jack said: “Having the autonomy to design and brew what I want, without limits, is rare and exciting,.
“It means every beer we pour here has a story and a personality. We’re proud to bring something new to Salford’s craft scene.”
This summer, they’re launching New York-style pizzas, made on slow-fermented, hand-stretched pizza dough.
And very little goes to waste here – the trimmed-off croissant pastry is now being turned into their own croissant loaf, which they’re whipping into French toast for the brunch menu.
Everything at The Old Fire Station is crafted with talent and love, and you can really taste it.
Lord Mayor of Manchester opens crucial new community kitchen in Blackley
Danny Jones
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Carbine Grimshaw, has opened an upgraded community kitchen in the heart of Blackley.
Recently refurbished and officially unveiled last week, the uplifting new space, based out of the GM ward’s Higher Blackley Community Centre (HBCC), aims to be a key outlet and amenity for the area.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, which took place on Thursday, 17 July, was attended by local councillors, centre staff, as well as local community members and volunteers.
Christened with a commemorative plaque celebrating the completion of the important renovation, the work has been carried out by North West-based perimeter physical security specialists, ATG Access.
A wholesome moment with the Lord Mayor.
Having sat virtually untouched since the 1960s, the kitchen space was long overdue for some TLC, and now it has been reopened as a modern, purpose-built and community-driven facility.
Speaking at the event, the Lord Mayor said: “The work that has been done here is fantastic, especially the social value aspect of it. It’s clear to see it’s far more than just a community centre; it’s the hub of the community. The support it provides to so many people is remarkable.
“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of the unsung heroes behind it all, from centre manager Kate and her dedicated team, to the board of trustees and all the volunteers. It’s a shining example of what community spirit can achieve, and I’d love to see it replicated right across Manchester.”
The kitchen itself is now kitted out with entirely new units, fresh flooring and splashback surfaces, as well as large appliances including a big range cooker, American-style fridge freezer and commercial dishwasher – all donated by ATG and its supply chain partners, Van Leeuwen and Welding Engineering.
But it isn’t just a place to cook; the sizeable room will host workshops, events, meet-ups and various other activities, from toddler groups to adult learning programmes, as well as offering services to various classes and groups.
BeforeAfter
In just its first week of being put to use, the kitchen has already helped provide meals for 11 families who would otherwise have gone without – nothing short of brilliant news for the district.
As for ATG, Managing Director, Richard Ellis, went on to say: “From our first visit, it was clear this was a place where we could make a real impact. The building was well-used and worn, but the people and the work being done there were inspiring.
“We felt a responsibility to help and were delighted to do so, getting ‘hands on’ through our volunteering programme.”
Finally, HBCC Manager Kate Shannon added: “It’s been a huge lift for the community. The new kitchen means we can do more, support more people, and take pride in our space again. It’s been a real team effort, and we’re so grateful to ATG.”
Well done to everyone involved in bringing the Higher Blackley Community Centre Kitchen to life.
Well done to everyone involved in bringing the Higher Blackley Community Centre Kitchen to life.
Georgina Pellant -
28th April 2023 
