Squirrels, for me at least, have always been a friend of the park, not the plate. Still, when I saw a dish of crispy fried wild squirrel appear on the menu at Street Urchin I knew it was inevitable that I would try it.
Served over a creamy pulled ham hock cassoulet with hazelnut bread croutons and nettle pesto – the squirrel deep-fried and crispy, chicken wing-style, in a buttermilk batter – at £22.50 a plate, this is certainly no roadkill barbecue.
The dish has been a smash hit since its introduction and shortly after making its first appearance on their specials board, it quickly sold out.
In fact, the crispy fried squirrel here has proven so popular that by the time I got down the specials plate had changed altogether.
Reimagined with homemade black pudding, puy lentils, wild garlic and new potatoes, with a tart little pickled blackberry and rocket salad, whilst some elements were different, the crispy fried wild buttermilk squirrel was still the same – and that’s what I really came for.
So, being pretty much game for anything, I left my mixed feelings about the cute little pests at the door and ventured inside to find out if these squirrels are as delicious as I had heard. Spoiler alert, they kind of are.
Nutty and mellow, a bit gamey, you’re encouraged to eat the meat as you would a piece of fried chicken -and so I did. For a moment, I even forgot what it was that I was eating.
With all the flavour in the crispy buttermilk coating, and more from the combination of black pudding, puy lentils, salad and wild garlic, the only thing to bring me back to reality was the little bones I kept having to pick out.
According to husband and wife time Rachel and Kevin Choudhary the dish has proven a hit with customers and staff alike, leaving them ‘really surprised’.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
“We were looking for something new for the game options on the menu. Kev was speaking to our game supplier and randomly asked if he had any grey squirrels. Happily, he did,” Rachel told The Manc.
“The whole team tried the dish the day it went on and the majority thought it was really good.
“We weren’t sure if it would sell, but have been really surprised. So many people have tried it and given good feedback. We’ve recommended that they eat it like chicken wings and pick it up, that way you get most of the meat.
“I’d never tried squirrel before and I absolutely loved it, it has great flavour, rich buttery texture, and it’s wild, free-range meat.”
In the UK the culling of grey squirrels is perfectly legal, and some chefs are even adopting the mellow, nutty meat as a sustainable alternative to factory-farmed products – arguing it’s better to eat it than let it go to waste.
Part of a new trend in what’s being called ‘ethical dining’, I personally found the squirrel to be bony but delicious. If asked to try it again, I absolutely would – no hesitation.
Featured image – The Manc Eats
Food & Drink
A long-standing Italian restaurant in Trafford has sadly announced its imminent closure
Danny Jones
Another day, another bit of unfortunate hospitality news, as long-standing Greater Manchester restaurant, Little Italy in Timperley, has announced it is closing permanently very soon.
The Trafford favourite, which has been serving locals for nearly 20 years, has informed regular diners that it will sadly be closing its doors for good, with Little Italy’s final service set for later this month.
Having earned plenty of praise in its time, including being one of the few spots in and around the Altrincham area to have won a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence in 2015, before the borough saw its foodie boom begin.
But fast forward a decade, and the Timperley institution is yet another culinary casualty to be confirmed of late, with Little Italy sharing a tear-jerking statement online.
Sharing the tragic news on social media this Friday (5 Sep), the restaurant wrote: “To all our lovely customers, it is with a heavy heart that we share some news with you all. After over 18 years of serving you all in Timperley, we will be closing our doors later this month.
“This has not been an easy decision. Unfortunately, rising costs and a significant increase in rental [costs] have made it impossible to continue in a sustainable way. As much as we love what we do, the reality is that it has become too difficult to maintain under these circumstances.
“Over the coming weeks, we will continue to cook with love and serve with the same passion as always. We would love to see you all and share one more meal, and raise a glass together.”
Safe to say that the post has been met with an outpouring of condolences and support from natives nearby and those who have travelled to enjoy their food.
Little Italy went on to add that they will detail more about their final week of business as soon as possible.
They can’t be accused of not keeping up with times and not trying to promote via social media either, as they small family-run team – headed up by Sam Cauchi, who bought the site back in 2008 – have always given things a go besides the day-to-day operation of the restaurant.
Being one of many saddened customers to respond underneath the announcement, we couldn’t possibly sum up things better than local Vanessa Nice, who said: “Look at all these amazing comments – you certainly made your mark as a home from home for the residents of Timperley.
“The end of an era will always be sad, but sometimes life and families have to move on.”
As for Cauchi and co., they signed off by simply adding: “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support, kindness and friendship over the years. Timperley has been our home, and you have all been our family.
“Love from all the team at Little Italy.”
It goes without saying that we’re gutted for the gang and our thoughts are with everyone involved at this difficult time. For now, we can only say thank you to the countless Greater Manchester locations that continue to fall foul in the face of the rising pressures industry-wide. Case and point…
Award-winning chippy in Prestwich announces heartbreaking restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Chips @ No. 8, a chippy in Prestwich that’s lauded as one of the best in the UK, has announced the sad closure of its restaurant.
The award-winning takeaway made some big moves last year, expanding into the unit next door so that they could comfortable double their space downstairs and add a restaurant upstairs.
The restaurant was a brand-new concept for the much-loved Prestwich chippy, serving a seafood-focused menu that wasn’t necessarily all about the fryer.
But sadly, Chips @ No. 8 has announced that the restaurant element of its business, Loft @ No. 8, has closed for good.
They wrote that the economic climate and the huge amount of choice in Prestwich has left them struggling to fill seats in the chippy restaurant.
The good news is that the fish and chip shop itself remains open for business and thriving, and customers will be able to use the former restaurant space to eat their takeaway in.
The bar downstairs also remains open for business for a cheeky pint or glass of wine while you wait for your order.
The Loft @ No. 8 is closing. Credit: The Manc GroupCurry sauce on a Chips @ No 8 chippy tea. Credit: The Manc Group
In a statement, Chips @ No. 8 said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Loft.
“With so many great places to eat in Prestwich, and the economic climate being what it is, we have struggled recently to fill enough seats to continue to make it a financially viable side to our business.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support whilst we were open, the team for their efforts, in particular, Craig, the creator of the delicious food that we had on offer up there.
“Chips @ No.8 remains open as normal and going forward, we are opening up the space upstairs for additional casual seating for the takeaway.
“The bar will remain open so you can still enjoy a pint or a glass of wine with your fish & chips, even if it is out of a box! We hope to see you soon!”
Georgina Pellant -
28th April 2023 
