Up here in this corner of the Peak District, there’s not much in the way of civilisation. No coffee shops (no shops of any description, actually), no restaurants, no train stations.
But there is, weirdly, a pretty unusual boozer, perched way up high on the Cat & Fiddle Road.
In fact it’s so high up along the road that it’s officially home to the UK’s highest distillery.
The old Cat & Fiddle pub dates back more than two centuries but in the last couple of years found itself under the steer of the family behind Macclesfield’s Forest Distillery.
Until Lindsay and Karl Bond got their hands on it, it had been empty for years and was sadly falling into a state of disrepair and neglect.
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But now, those who make the trip up to this remote pub, with sweeping views of the national park, are treated to a cosy bar, cracking cocktails, and a behind-the-scenes glimpse at how the distillery crafts its gin and whisky.
There are distillery tours and tastings running every weekend, which show off how this family have developed one of the country’s most highly-regarded range of spirits.
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Cocktails at the Cat.& Fiddle. Credit: The Manc GroupYou can take distillery tours. Credit: The Manc Group
Their journey into alcohol production all started back in 2014, when the couple started foraging for botanicals with their daughter around Macclesfield Forest.
Now they produce gin and whisky on a much larger scale, still using their own spring water, local grains and wild yeasts.
The altitude of the Cat & Fiddle helps too – apparently 1600 feet above sea level makes for perfect conditions for whisky to mature.
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The building itself was once upon a time an essential stopping point for weary travellers, including none other than Charles Rolls, who regularly stopped here while testing cars for his fledgling business with Royce.
It still serves its purpose as a resting place, but these days it’s more likely to serve flocks of cyclists in lycra than motoring pioneers.
The Cat & Fiddle might be in one of the most remote, wind-swept, and weather-beaten locations in the country – but the challenge of getting here just makes that cocktail taste so much sweeter.
The inflatable floating obstacle course you can splash around on near Manchester
Daisy Jackson
There’s a giant inflatable floating obstacle course less than an hour from Manchester, where you can slide, jump, and fall straight into a lake.
At Wild Shore Delamere, you can tackle obstacles like monkey bars, the ninja-jump, the tyre run, and a giant 3.8 metre-tall inflatable tower, all floating on the surface of the picturesque lake.
The adventure hub opened back in 2019, offering families a chance to play on Delamere Lake, or try new watersports right here in the North West.
Let’s head to that inflatable Aqua Park – even as a full-grown adult, this is one of the silliest afternoons you can imagine.
Squeeze yourself into a wetsuit then launch yourself into the lake, ready to clamber all over a course that is essentially a gigantic floating bouncy castle.
The trickiest part is managing to stay on your feet as you slip and slide your way around the course in your 50 minute session – but really, where’s the fun in staying on your feet?
Monkey BarsThe Ninja JumpThe Tyre RunThe Figure EightFeatures of the Aqua Park at Wild Shore Delamere
While you’re on the lake, you can also try other activities like the Ringo, which whips you up and down the water on a huge inflatable, while the operator seems dead-set on flinging you off.
As well as the inflatable Aqua Park, there’s the Aqua Chimp ropes course for the more gymnastic types, plus wakeboarding, paddle boarding, and open water swimming.
Wild Shore Delamere has also added a new sauna this year, which overlooks the water – you can enjoy contrast therapy, switching from the warm sauna to the lake itself.
Wetsuits and life vests are included, so all you need to pack is a swimsuit, towel, and a bit of reckless abandon as you crash beneath the surface.
Paddle boards at Wild Shore DelamereThe sauna and cold plungeThe RingoAqua Chimp
Family behind Salvi’s launch new concept, weeks after iconic restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Just weeks after the closure of its iconic, 16-year-old Italian restaurant in the Corn Exchange, the family behind Salvi’s have revealed a brand-new concept.
And this time, the reins are being handed over to the next generation.
Salvi’s founder Maurizio Cecco has helped to shape Amò, but it’s all the brainchild of his daughter, Sienna.
Sienna will run the business out of a unit up on Deansgate Mews, serving fresh pasta dishes, pizza sandwiches, tubs of tiramisu, and two-for-£10 spritzes.
The deli aspect of the original Salvi’s has been carried over to Amò too – you’ll find shelves almost to the ceiling filled with Italian pasta, wine, olive oils, pistachio spreads, and more.
Sienna has grown up in restaurants, with her parents launching Salvi’s when she was just two years old.
She said she wants the space to be a livelier, fresher version of the Italian restaurant that has been so loved by Mancs for so many years.
Sienna outside AmòFresh pasta dishesInside Amò by Salvi’sTheir viral frozen crema di caffeLemon granitaInside Amò by Salvi’sTiramisu pots
Amò, which is Neapolitan slang for ‘my love’, will have loads of fresh Italian dishes, including arancini, gnocchi, and hearty pasta plates.
At lunchtimes, guests can order from a £10 lunch menu, with dishes changing daily depending on the best produce the kitchen can get – it could be a pizza sandwich with proscuitto and tomato, a spicy pasta, or a gnocchi bake, always served with your choice of soft drink.
With its position on Deansgate Mews, Amò basks in the sunshine at lunchtimes.
And while it’s definitely a different concept to the original Salvi’s, Amò looks set to carry the family’s Italian food legacy into its next generation.
Daisy Jackson -
28th April 2023 
