Diggle Lock is a hidden gem – hidden, that is, in the same way that a lot of things in Saddleworth are hidden.
It’s a bit of a faff to reach from public transport, concealed in an ancient stone building, and often visited by walkers following routes along the canal.
But much like Grandpa Greene’s ice cream parlour (its neighbours a bit further down the canal), this place has earned itself a reputation for serving some of the best food in the region.
Its selling points include its stunning setting within an old textile mill in the village of Diggle, where the bare form of its past (concrete floor, stone walls, huge ceilings) are softened with Persian rugs scattered everywhere, fairy lights, and plants hung from the ceiling.
When Jamie Collins opened Diggle Lock back in 2019, they actually had the extension space tacked on the back of the mill.
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But when Wooly Knit decided to move of their huge industrial unit, Diggle Lock expanded, increasing their capacity into triple figures… right before Covid hit.
Thankfully, the business pivoted and turned its newer space into a shop, hooking locals up with all those things we were squabbling over in those days – eggs, pasta, flour – plus locally-made products like soaps, sauces, and even chocolate.
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The DLFC club sandwich at Diggle Lock in SaddleworthFrench toast at Diggle Lock in SaddleworthHalloumi fries at Diggle Lock in Saddleworth
The retail space remains today, still selling fresh bread and zero-waste refills, but it’s joined by cosy corners of leather seating and plenty of space for diners to tuck in to brunches and lunches.
And the brunches here are world-class.
Their French Toast is almost cuboid, it’s so large. A doorstop of brioche is drenched in white chocolate sauce, vanilla mascarpone, macerated berries, caramelised chocolate crumble, slithered almonds, and pure joy.
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There’s their best-selling ‘DLFC’ club sandwich, which sees fried chicken (their own homemade original recipe), bacon, garlic mayo, lettuce and tomato served in pillow-soft white bread.
Jamie Collins and Samedi KirkbrideDiggle Lock in SaddleworthHash browns at Diggle Lock in SaddleworthDiggle Lock in SaddleworthDiggle Lock in Saddleworth
Sides include homemade hash browns, crisp on the outside with a satisfying mosaic of potato on the inside, and crispy halloumi fries topped with pink pickled onions.
There’s a full vegan menu, there are eggs anyway you could want them, proper English breakfasts, and more of those massive sandwiches.
Its clientele is vastly varied – there’s a lot of local tourism from walkers (because what city-centre dweller doesn’t love an escape to the Saddleworth countryside?), a good handful of regulars, and even a bit of international tourism (including a New Yorker who told Diggle Lock that their pancakes are the closest they’ve had to those back home).
The knitting group who used to meet here when it was Wooly Knit still come by, to chat and create clothes over a glass of wine.
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Diggle Lock’s even found fame thanks to competitive eater and YouTuber Beard Meets Food, who decided to take on an entire tray of their French toast (that’s 3.5kg of the stuff and a 30-minute time frame).
The video racked up almost three million views – so naturally, that French toast challenge is now on the menu.
This is a world-class brunch served in a world-class corner of northern countryside.
With rain absolutely lashing down outside and a sandwich in front of you so big you could wear it like a pair of wedges, it’s a cosy hideaway and a proper Oldham treasure.
Get Baked owner offers lifeline to hospitality staff after sudden closure of Almost Famous
Danny Jones
The owner of viral sweet treat brand, Get Baked, has given a potential lifeline to local hospitality staff in Manchester following the sudden news of Almost Famous’ nationwide closure.
Confirmation that the Northern foodie favourites and dirty burger pioneers would be shutting down all of their sites across the country hit the likes of Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool like a freight train on a truly sad Monday mourning.
Although countless customers expressed their condolences online and bid farewell to the more than decade-old institution, the question of what is/will happen to their numerous staff was quickly put to the forefront.
With Almost Famous employees informing The Manc that they had been given no notice of the immediate closure and some still being owed wages, many have sadly found themselves in a crisis. Step up, Leeds-born baker and businessman, Rich Myers.
Yes, Yorkshire’s very own ‘Mr Sprinkles’ – who is slowly building a small but solid and superbly sweet dessert empire in the North – dropped a comment underneath our announcement post and kindly slid into our DMs to help get the word to those who need it most.
With Get Baked’s first-ever Manchester store set to open this year, Myers and his team are on the lookout for staff to make sure it hits the ground running.
That being said, upon learning of AF’s gutting closure, Myers messaged: “Hi everyone. We are opening a new site in NQ on February 28th, and want to do what we can to help any ex-AF staff get into new employment.
Although Get Baked is now planning to move to a different location in Manchester city centre, the opening date is still edging ever closer and we literally cannot wait.
The brand’s original home in Headingley has become internet-famous for its viral take on the legendary ‘Matilda cake’.
It’s unclear as to whether Get Baked have vacancies beyond Manchester but it’s still well worth expressing your interest if you don’t mind a job switch that revolves around sweet instead of savoury.
As for those who have unfortunately been let go by the long-standing burger joint, we sincerely hope that as many of them are snapped up by other local hospitality businesses as possible – and fast.
Almost Famous has been hit with a fair amount of criticism following the mass shutdown; reflecting on this and a raft of recent closures, one person wrote: “I feel sorry for the hospitality industry as a whole and Manchester. But not for AF if they treat their staff with such contempt!
A former employee added: “As a staff member who hasn’t received any direct communication from the business about the immediate redundancy of my contract and no payment of owed wages – the ‘top priority’ comment doesn’t exactly ring true.”
Featured Images — Get Baked (via Instagram)/The Manc Group
Eats
Beloved Deansgate bar shares CCTV footage of customers stealing their… cushions?
Danny Jones
Beloved Manchester gin venue Atlas Bar has shared CCTV footage of two customers caught red-handed stealing their cushions this past weekend.
Firstly, don’t do that and secondly, what a random thing to steal.
Atlas on the corner of Deansgate has been an institution of the local hospitality scene for nearly three years, opening back in 1996 as one of the go-to pre-drinks destinations for those heading to the Hacienda.
Taken over and turned into the gin bar that’s popular day and night as we know it today back in 2012, it remains one of Manchester’s longest-standing independent boozers, so we were gutted and more than a bit puzzled to see them sharing images of patrons stealing property from their premises.
Sharing an understandably frustrated post, the bar wrote: “These two women decided that they needed to borrow (or maybe steal) two of our cushions last night [Sunday].
“We would be grateful if they brought them back soon! Hospitality is hard enough, without people taking what isn’t theirs to take! We would hate to have to involve the police.”
Now, we’re not going to play dumb and pretend people don’t nick the odd coaster or maybe even a pint pot from time to time – many of you reading might even be guilty of this minor sin (don’t worry, this isn’t an official investigation) – but we don’t think we’ve anyone try to sneak out with fabrics.
Petty theft it may be but it’s still theft nonetheless.
One commenter wrote: “Life is hard for hospitality at the moment and if they can afford to go out and drink they can afford to buy their own cushions”; another asked: “Are they expensive? – not the point I know but wondered why they would steal them.”
A third simply added, “What are people like? Fancy stealing a bloody cushion.”
As rightly pointed out by followers, there is plenty of stuff going against the food and drink sector as it is at the moment, so completely avoidable inconveniences like this are just as thoughtless as they are daft.
Atlas has been serving the local community for nearly thirty years, so we think it’s safe to say don’t deserve this kind of treatment, no matter how small it may seem to some.
Luckily for the mystery women pictured in the screengrab, the owners appear willing to welcome the pillow pillagers back to return the cushion without taking any further action and just be done with the whole thing.
Daisy Jackson -
21st September 2023 
