Celebrity chef Rick Stein has paid a visit to Greater Manchester and fallen head-over-heels in love with one of the city’s newest restaurants, Higher Ground.
The legendary chef and food writer had already named Higher Ground as one of his favourite places to eat in the entire UK, but with the premiere of his new BBC series Rick Stein’s Food Stories, we can finally see him fawn over it with our own eyes.
Rick’s Manchester episode has aired on BBC Two on Friday 16 February, and also includes a visit to Bury Market.
Meeting with Higher Ground head chef Joseph Otway for lunch, Rick praised him for ‘using every part of the beast’.
Joseph had chosen to cook him a portion of homemade pasta made with a pork offal ragu, which had been a surprise hit and has become one of Higher Ground’s best-selling recipes.
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He said: “We needed a pasta dish for that evening, and we always cook with what we have available. We put the offal ragu on and I was pretty nervous about it, but it sold very well, and people loved it.”
The dish is made with pig’s heart, lung, kidney and liver, which is minced on site before being cooked in lashings of red wine and beef stock.
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Higher Ground chef Joseph Otway chatting to Rick Stein in his Manchester episode of his new BBC series. Credit: BBCRick Stein watching Higher Ground chef Joseph Otway preparing their offal ragu. Credit: BBC
Rick said of Higher Ground: “Walking into this restaurant, it’s really cutting edge. It could be in any city in the world really.”
He also told Joseph: “You’re on the money, and I’ve been in the business for a while!”
Since the episode of Rick Stein’s Food Stories dropped on iPlayer, Higher Ground has shared a statement about meeting with a ‘culinary hero’.
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They wrote: “Last year we had the pleasure of welcoming Rick Stein, one of my culinary heroes, to Higher Ground. I cooked a recipe with Rick and talked at length about how exciting it is to be based in Manchester and creating a restaurant that works with whole animal butchery and produce from our own farm, @cinderwoodmarketgarden.
“The series focuses on artisanal food producers around the British Isles and some forgotten food items. In this episode I made a ragu from all of the offal of one of the pigs we took from @janesfarmuk – a dish we had on the menu at the time.
The pork offal ragu prepared for Rick Stein by Higher Ground in Manchester
“We’re taking a pig at the end of this week so it might be back on the menu soon!”
Higher Ground started life as a pop-up at Kampus but has since put down roots on New York Street.
It’s a modern space with floor-to-ceiling glass windows on two sides, and a whole wine room where diners can pick out a bottle to take home.
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Also behind the restaurant is front-of-house man Richard Cossins and wine expert Daniel Craig-Martin. Rick said they are ‘young and just wonderful’.
And it’s not just Rick who approves of it – Higher Ground has already been added to the Michelin Guide and placed in the top 100 in the UK within months of opening.
Rick Stein just named Higher Ground as one of his favourite restaurants in the UK. Credit: Sam Harris
Speaking of Higher Ground to Conde Nast Traveller, Rick said: “This is in a really trendy part of Manchester, but I love it because Joe is one of those chefs who won’t cook anything that isn’t local.
“Of course, it’s not one of those places that won’t use olive oil because it’s not local, but the main ingredients are strictly local. I really liked it, but it’s so unlike the sort of place that you would expect me to like.”
The legendary chef said he first visited when in Manchester for the cricket, and says Higher Ground ‘really shows how much food is improving in Manchester’.
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Rick Stein named Higher Ground in Manchester as one of his favourite restaurants in the UK. Credit: The Manc Group
Rick said of the food: “I had the most delicious homemade pasta, a pappardelle with heart, liver and lungs of lamb made into a Ragu. You wouldn’t know it was made of heart, lungs and liver if you didn’t know; it was really, really tasty.
“They do organic wine, which is unusual for me, but currently trendy and apparently gives you less of a hangover.”
Rick Stein has travelled the length and breadth of the UK filming a new series Food Stories, where he’ll ‘meet the pioneers of the twenty-first century British food scene’.
And the Higher Ground team certainly fit that description.
Wilmslow Street Fest returns for a trio of sunny dates later this year
Danny Jones
Down the road in Cheshire and just beyond the reaches of Greater Manchester, the Manc-adjacent market town of Wilmslow is once again hosting a big street festival this summer.
The stylish suburb might be a short trip out of 0161, but this popular and now annual celebration is well worth the journey.
Following a smash-hit inaugural event last year, Wilmslow Street Fest is back for 2025 and what we’re sure will be an even more successful second series of dates.
Consider our train tickets booked already.
Credit: Wilmslow BID (supplied)
Set up by Market Co. in association with Wilmslow’s Way Better organisation, which is funded through the Wilmslow BID (Business Improvement Districts) and aims to develop the town centre with local business at the forefront, it’s part of a wider programme of events and activities each year.
Most importantly, the festival is completely free to attend and designed to capture that community spirit at its highest: when the sun is out and shining bright – touch wood.
Based around a main hub on Wilmslow‘s Bank Square, natives and visitors from around the North West have not just one, not just two, but three different chances to enjoy the festivities.
And since you’ll be there all evening, you’ll be glad to hear there’s plenty of scran to be enjoyed. Expect Jamaican delicacies from Hungry Little Critters, a delicious Cheeky Swine Hog Roast, delights from the Thai Food Van and tonnes more. *Deep inhale*…
Cheeky SwineCan’t go wrong with a hot dogOr a burgerCredit: Supplied
And it doesn’t stop there – not even close: there’ll be crepes from Flippen Good and top-tier ice cream from Gingers Comfort Emporium (big fans), as well as all the drinks under the sun from Vintro Bar.
Besides eating and drinking your weight like we do in summer, there’ll also be plenty of free entertainment, including live music performances and DJs, stilt walkers and even a bubbleologist.
Yes, that is someone who blows giant bubbles.
Put simply, there’ll be something for everyone and having heard strong reviews from the debut event last year, we won’t be missing out on it this time.
Wilmslow Street Fest 2025 is taking place on Friday, 25 April, Fri 27 June and Fri 29 August 29th, all of which will kick off from 5pm and start wrapping up at 9pm.
Speaking on the upcoming sophomore event, Verity LeChapois of Wilmslow BID said: “We’re so excited to collaborate with Market Co. again to bring Wilmslow Street Fest back for 2025. These events are all about showcasing Wilmslow at its best – live music, great food and an unbeatable community vibe.
“Street Fest offers something for everyone, whether you’re a foodie looking to try something new, a music lover eager to hear live music from talented performers, or you’re simply looking for a great night out with friends and family.
“We’re hoping to build on the success of last year’s events and make them bigger and more successful than ever. Entry is free – bring your friends and family and join us in Bank Square for a fantastic celebration in the heart of Wilmslow.”
Featured Images — Press Images (supplied via Wilmslow BID)
Eats
Manchester’s newest Mexican restaurant is giving away 1,000 FREE margaritas to celebrate its launch
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s newest Mexican-inspired restaurant is getting ready to open its doors with an exciting giveaway.
In case you hadn’t heard, the former Sunset by Australasia bar and terrace in Spinningfields is being transformed into a colourful new Mexican spot called OCASA, and it’s set to open just in time for this upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend.
The 80-seat sun terrace on The Avenue – just behind Australasia itself, which recently reopened after a stunning refurbishment at the end of last week – will take inspiration from the shores of Tulum, to the street food scene of Mexico City.
You can expect to see it serving premium tequila, cocktails, and Mexican-inspired food.
Manchester’s new Mexican-inspired restaurant OCASA is opening in Spinningfields this Friday / Credit: Supplied
Diners can look forward to plenty of music and entertainment, including mariachi bands, ice-cold frozen margaritas, and tableside guacamole, plus BBQ tacos fresh off the grill, Sunday feasts, and loads more.
Not to mention, it will also become the city’s ‘ultimate tequila destination’ with one of the country’s most extensive collections of premium spirits.
Oh, and if you go the launch day, you can also look forward to free margaritas too.
Running this Friday from 3pm through to 6pm, all with ‘no strings attached’, the first guests to arrive will be invited to enjoy an expertly-crafted frozen margarita, made with the signature Casamigos tequila, for completely free of charge.
You can kick off your bank holiday in style with an icy margarita on OCASA’s sun-drenched al fresco terrace, soaking up the city’s vibrant charm and spring sunshine… if it sticks around and shows its face, that is.
Alongside those free frozen margaritas, OCASA’s new menu will feature a mouth-watering selection of small plates all made for sharing while savouring and soaking up the atmosphere.
OCASA officially opens to the Manchester public on Good Friday (18 April), so if you want to be among the first to experience the city’s boldest new restaurant and bar, and claim your free frozen margarita of course, then get on down there from 3pm.
Daisy Jackson -
16th February 2024 
