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.
New croissants-by-day, pizza-by-night cafe and bar opens in Altrincham
Daisy Jackson
A new food and drink concept is opening its doors in Altrincham today, serving perfect personal-sized pizzas by night, and coffee and croissants by day.
The much-loved Irish Deli has sadly closed its doors, but the team are immediately rolling in a brand-new concept for the town.
Under one roof, Paddy’s will be the new home of Flakey (famed for their enormous, filled sweet and savoury croissants) as well as a pizza and cocktail bar.
The two concepts will share the cosy space beside Kennedy’s Irish Bar, right in the heart of Altrincham.
Customers will be able to pop in Monday to Sunday to pick up Flakey’s stuffed croissants, along with speciality coffee and matcha.
There’ll be savoury fillings like the Buff Italian (vegetable caponata, buffalo mozzarella, and pesto) and the New Yorker (Emmental, pastrami, sauerkraut and pickles), plus sweet options like the Sticky BC (vanilla Basque cheesecake and Biscoff).
Speciality drinks and stuffed Flakey croissantsThe team outside Paddy’sAn individual pizza with Paddy’s Punch frozen cocktail
By night, Paddy’s will take the stage, named after the former Irish terrier of the owner’s grandmother.
These individually-sized, handcrafted pan-pizzas will be loaded with toppings like the Paddy’s Pep with chilli and burrata, and The Dubliner with Irish sausage and pickled red onion.
During opening week (30 July – 2 August) Paddy’s is offering 50% off all pizzas for guests at Kennedy’s between the hours of 3pm-5pm.
Owners, Dan Mullen and John Kennedy said: “We’ve designed it to evolve throughout the day – start with coffee and croissants, come back for pizza, and stay for a pint or a cocktail. It’s one site, two distinct food experiences, and neither compromises the other.
“Two brands sharing one building with completely different moods, and we think Altrincham is going to love both. Our goal is to create a venue that’s full of life from open til close.”
Ahead of opening, Paddy’s is hosting a pizza hunt, where twenty branded Pizza-Pan boxes will be hidden around Altrincham, each containing a voucher, t-shirt, drinks voucher or – for the lucky few – a “pizza for life” keyring. Clues will be revealed daily on Instagram, with finders posting under #PaddysPizzaHunt to claim their prize and a free pizza on opening night.
Manchester institution Salvi’s announces closure of original city centre restaurant
Danny Jones
One of Manchester’s oldest and most loved Italian restaurants, Salvi’s, has sadly announced that they are closing their original restaurant after more than a decade and a half.
Having served authentic recipes from Naples and been at the forefront of the cuisine in this city for well over 15 years, it can be hard to remember a time before Salvi’s.
With that in mind, we’re gutted to hear that their OG location over in the Corn Exchange is now shutting its doors imminently.
But fret not: it’s not all doom and gloom, as they promise this isn’t the last you’ll see of them.
Often considered the first true Manc-Neapolitan eatery, which turned from a small counter and deli into, at one point, a big and beloved group of local independent restaurants with multiple locations, most people know the name and the sign, and plenty have patronised them since day one.
Sharing an emotional message in the caption of the post above, founder Maurizio Cecco and his wife Claire said: “For sixteen years, Salvi’s has been part of Manchester’s story. We’re incredibly proud of everything we’ve built together.
“As the city changes, independent businesses have to change too. Today will be our last day of trading at Corn Exchange. Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey all these years.
“This isn’t the end of our story; it’s the beginning of a new chapter – stay tuned. Grazie Mille.”
Unsurprisingly, the reaction to the news has been bittersweet, with people obviously saddened to hear of this latest closure but also looking back fondly on its past.
One person wrote in the comments: “I remember launching this amazing place all those years ago and have continued to watch you thrive!! Best of luck for the future!” Another added: “Will miss Salvi’s great food, great staff, not forgetting the Italian festival. All the best, Maurizio and family in your new adventure
As mentioned, it’s also worth noting that Maurizio and Claire are also behind the equally famous Festa Italiana, which draws crowds of tens of thousands across a full weekend every single year.
Having been regulars and firm fans of both their first family-owned flagship site and the aforementioned festival for many years, we’re equally gutted to see it go.
But as they made clear, this is not a definite ending for the brand, and it’s safe to say we’ll be eagerly awaiting whatever comes next.
Thanks for the memories and all the incredible food and drink you’ve served us – we hope we hear from you again sometime very soon.
Daisy Jackson -
16th February 2024 
