The Good Food Guide has revealed its list of must-try new restaurants, and two local spots have soared above the rest to make it into the esteemed list.
The guide has recently released its Platinum List for the best newcomers – all of whom opened pre- or mid-pandemic – and there are two brilliant local eateries featured.
Erst in Ancoats and Hyssop in Glossop both appeared on this year’s Platinum List, alongside 16 other restaurants from up and down the UK.
Image: Erst
Only three restaurants in the northwest appear in all, the third being Henrock, Linthwaite House in Cumbria.
“All have been chosen for their remarkable resilience, thriving in the face of the shifting realities of dining out during the pandemic,” says the Guide.
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“They are all are notable newcomers and were earmarked for entry in The Good Food Guide 2021-2022.”
It’s not the first impressive accolade Erst has earned this year, either. The restaurant’s focus on natural wine and seasonal small plates also caught the attention of judges for the National Restaurant Awards, leading it to make number 47 in this year’s prestigious list of the top 100 restaurants.
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It also featured in the 2021 Michelin Guide, with inspectors saying it offered “something refreshingly different in the city.”
Image: Erst
Image: Hyssop
Image: Hyssop
Hyssop, meanwhile, operates slightly more under the radar – or at least, it did before making it into the Good Food Guide. Initially launched as a pop-up in and around Manchester by owners Paul and Jess Sykes, it’s now based at The Bulls Head pub in Old Glossop.
Before opening Hyssop, chef Paul Sykes trained under the likes of Gordon Ramsay, Michael Caines and Simon Rogan and is now serving up some serious grub – also in the form of small plates, split into sections like ‘Sea’, ‘Land’ and ‘Earth’.
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DIsh-wise, think Onglet steak with herb butter; beetroot cured salmon, walnut and granny smith; lemon sole with brown shrimp, buttermilk and chive; plus puddings, steak nights, and plenty more besides.
Onglet steak with herb butter (£11) / Image: Hyssop Glossop
First published in 1951, the guide is considered one of the most trustworthy publications when it comes to eating-out guides in the UK.
A Which? guide that was purchased by Waitrose in 2013, the Guide ceased publication during the pandemic – but has now been given a new lease of life, after being bought by hospitality community CODE.
It keeps as its editor Elizabeth Carter, who has worked with the Guide since the 1980s and held the position of editor since 2007.
“Every one of the restaurants on this list is a shining example of the resilience and sheer talent to be found in the UK,” said Carter.
“It may have been a tough 18 months for the hospitality industry but these restaurants were undaunted.
“They continued to do the two things we ask of a good restaurant – serve fabulous food, that stayed in the mind during multiple closures, and offer great hospitality.”
Feature image – Erst / Hyssop
Eats
Inside The Black Friar as Salford pub unveils incredible floral display
Daisy Jackson
Spring has really sprung in Salford – legendary pub The Black Friar has just revealed a sensational makeover, with gigantic flowers sprawled across its frontage and a new seasonal menu to go with it.
The historic pub is celebrating the changing of the seasons with both a striking floral installation and a menu that celebrates spring and Salford in equal measure.
Most Mancs will by now have spotted the 4,000 flower-strong installation that now adorns the front of The Black Friar, with bright pink, yellow and purple flowers spilling from a gigantic pink tap.
And all those florals continue inside, with the pub’s Tavern – previously a cosy winter hideaway – now filled with trailing blooms and woodland installations, just off their award-winning garden.
Cheshire-based artist Kelly Louise Chapman is the woman behind this sensational transformation of the much-loved gastropub.
As for the pub’s kitchen, they’ve crafted a new very seasonal and very British menu, with plenty of nods to Black Friar’s Salford roots.
There are dishes like a Boddingtons braised ox cheek (the pub still proudly displays its Boddingtons sign outside), aged beef tartare, butternut squash and ricotta tortellini, and pan-roasted cod fillet.
Spring small plates at The Black Friar pubDelicious spring drinksInside The Tavern at The Black Friar
A popular item from the Valentine’s Day menu – the Cornish crab vol-au-vent – will be sticking around on the spring menu, along with an enhanced grill section that includes a lamb Barnsley chop cooked over coals.
Then for desserts, you’ll be spoilt with a banoffee knickerbocker glory, and passionfruit panna cotta.
And for drinks (because this is a pub, after all), The Black Friar has put together a range of seasonal drinks like a rose sangria sharer, and non-alcoholic sodas like kaffir lime and coconut.
Ben Chaplin, head chef at The Black Friar, said: “This new menu is all about celebrating the best of spring produce.
“We’ve carefully crafted each dish to highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold flavours, adding new depth to our offerings while still delivering the comfort that will always be associated with The Black Friar.
“My top recommendation and personal favourite dish is the Slow-Cooked Boddingtons Braised Ox Cheek.”
Neil Burke, owner of The Black Friar, commented: “We wanted to bring a taste of spring to The Black Friar, inside and out. This floral installation will transform the space and bring sunshine and smiles, whatever the weather!
“My top recommendation on the new menu is the Cumbrian Spiced Lamb Scotch Egg. It’s EXCEPTIONAL.”
To find out more about The Black Friar and to book a table, visit HERE.
Team behind award-winning Higher Ground to open new Bar Shrimp seafood bar in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Higher Ground, one of Manchester’s very top restaurants, is to open a brand-new seafood bar later this year.
With Bar Shrimp, they’ll be bringing a brand-new offering to town, with cocktails, beers on tap, British seafood and snacks.
Bar Shrimp will come from Daniel Craig Martin, Joseph Otway and Richard Cossins, who at this point are a well-oiled operational machine.
They’re the team behind proudly British bistro Higher Ground, which grows much of its own produce at its Cinderwood Market Garden and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand within a year of opening.
The same team are also behind Flawd, the beautiful waterside wine bar at Ancoats Marina.
And they’ve cemented themselves as one of Manchester’s most widely acclaimed hospitality teams – even Rick Stein says Higher Ground is one of the best places to eat in the entire country, which is high praise indeed.
Bar Shrimp, set to open in Manchester this winter, aims to be a ‘relaxed and focused bar with delicious food’.
They say: “Whether it’s a beer after work, some food with friends or after dinner drinks late into the night, Bar Shrimp will be a dynamic space where the music and energy evolves throughout the evening where everyone and anyone can come together for a memorable experience.”
They announced the news this morning on Cerys Matthews’ BBC 6Music Show.
British seafood with a side of cocktails? Sounds alright to us.
A location, opening date and more info on Bar Shrimp will follow – stay up to date with their latest HERE.
Georgina Pellant -
8th December 2021 
