The great British countryside – rolling hills, bleating sheep, lush greenery, and… plump little Vietnamese dumplings.
It’s quite a switch-up on the usual post-hike pub lunch, but the picturesque village of Marsden is now home to authentic gem of a restaurant specialising in dimsum.
Since Oi Dumplings opened earlier this summer, it’s been doing a roaring trade, with groups of people queuing up for a perch on their wooden benches.
Some are in hiking gear – the restaurant is right at the edge of the beautiful Marsden Moor, after all – others are dressed up for dumplings, and dumplings only.
The dinky restaurant is operated by Mollie Power and Maisie Davies, out of a cabin jammed into a courtyard beside the river.
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I’ve seen bigger kitchens in Toys R Us, but while they might be limited on square footage, they’re definitely not short on talent.
Vegan dumplingsThe courtyard at Oi DumplingsLoaded peanut friesOi Dumplings in Marsden. Credit: The Manc Group
Mountains of dumplings, loaded fries, wonton skins, puffed tofu and bao steadily make their way over to our sunny corner of the courtyard (the entire restaurant is currently al fresco).
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Big bully flavours like kimchi, pickled ginger, and crispy shallot are all balanced with impressive precision, for a Sunday lunch experience that will make you forget all about your Yorkshire puddings and gravy.
The stars of the show are the mushroom, kimchi and peanut dumplings, neatly folded into soft wheat wrappers and topped with hibiscus pickles.
Deep-fried bao with condensed milk ice creamSticky rice
A mound of bright yellow Xôi Xéo (Vietnamese sticky rice) come on top of a banana leaf (a nice touch) scattered with peanuts and shallots.
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We go right ahead and dump a side of Chinese puffed tofu on there too, all sticky with hoisin and chilli.
Then there are the loaded fries – seemingly a compulsory item on British-pan-Asian menus these days (not that I’m complaining) – which groan under the weight of their rich, sweet and spicy peanut sauce.
For dessert, there’s currently one option only, but it’s a good one – a deep-fried bao wrapped around condensed milk ice cream. You will end up with melted ice cream down your chin and forearms, and you won’t even care.
As for drinks, Oi Dumplings is currently BYO – which means a trip to the Co-Op around the corner for a nice chilled bottle of £7 prosecco will see you right.
If you, like us, are clinging onto the last dregs of summer with the very tips of your fingers, we might have stumbled upon the greatest day out the north of England has to offer.
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This one’s well worth a trip across the border. Trust us.
Featured image: The Manc Group
Eats
Inside Manchester’s new padel club with a Pot Kettle Black cafe and courtside cocktail bar
Daisy Jackson
Padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world, and it’s really picking up speed in Manchester now too with another city centre club opening this month.
The Pollen Club is a little different to the others, in that it’s fully undercover and protected from Manchester’s less-than-favourable weather.
And another thing that makes it a must-visit is the cafe attached to it – a third site for the beloved Pot Kettle Black.
The Pollen Club and Pot Kettle Black have both taken over a prominent city centre spot just off Deansgate, at the foot of the recently-opened Treehouse Hotel.
There are two state-of-the-art padel courts inside, with a mezzanine terrace for enjoy Pot Kettle Black’s offerings.
In summer, there are plans to launch a bar downstairs too, where you can sip spritzes courtside from loungers and swing seats.
The exciting new Manchester padel club will host pop up events, DJ takeovers and an extended evening food offering.
Pot Kettle Black are part of the new padel clubInside Manchester’s new padel club, The Pollen ClubPot Kettle Black are part of the new padel club
And even if you’re not heading inside The Pollen Club, Pot Kettle Black has a grab-and-go hatch facing onto Blackfriars Street, making their delicious coffees, sandwiches and pastries (from their own bakery Half Dozen Other) even more accessible.
Commenting on the opening of the new site, Pot Kettle Black co-owner, Mark Flanagan said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have opened our third Pot Kettle Black site at The Padel Club. This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.
“After ten years in the city we’ve been enjoying seeing some familiar faces stopping by for a coffee and we can’t wait to get started on our programme of summer events!”
Insomnia Cookies is giving away FREE cookies to anyone with these two names
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s late-night sweet treat spot Insomnia Cookies is dishing out freebies this week… but there’s a catch.
You have to be called one of two specific names to get one.
With the long bank holiday weekend upon us, those in-the-know will also have noticed that this Sunday isn’t just Easter Sunday, it also happens to be 4/20… and that means Insomnia Cookies is back with its ‘blazing’ £4.20 deal, giving you the chance to bag a box of four warm cookies while saving nearly £7 at the same time.
But even better still, if you happen to have either the first or middle name ‘Mary’ or ‘Jane’, then you can also get yourself a warm tasty cookie for free.
To mark both 4/20, and celebrate the launch of its newest strain of mouthwatering cookie, the Mary Jane, anyone called Mary or Jane can pop into either of Insomnia Cookies’ two Manchester city centre sites – Cross Street and University Green – show their valid ID with their name on, and walk alway with a cookie free of charge.
If you want to try the new Mary Jane cookie, then this limited-edition special is made up of a cookies n cream dough base, packed with rainbow sprinkles.
The freebie deal has been running all week, and you have up until 3am on Monday 21 April to take advantage of it.
Customers will be limited to one free cookie per day.
Insomnia Cookies is giving away free cookies to anyone with these two names / Credit: Insomnia Cookies UK
If you aren’t lucky enough to be called one of those two names though, then thankfully you can still make some great savings on a classic four-pack of cookies over the spring bank holiday weekend, and for every four-pack sold, £1 will be donated to Groundwork – a charity helping make Manchester greener for nature and for local people.
“We’re calling for Marys and Janes to join us to live the high life with free cookies all week,” commented Millie Ralston, Head of Marketing at Insomnia Cookies.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd September 2022 
