There’s no skirting around it. Mondays in hospitality have become a bit dead. They are, in effect, the new Sunday – widely adopted as a day of rest after a busy weekend’s trade, a welcome opportunity to save some money on the quietest day of the week, or both.
That’s not the case at Ornella’s, though. This tiny Tameside pasta kitchen may have only opened just a few months ago but it’s completely overflowing when we visit, chancing our luck with a lunchtime walk-in (not the smartest move on my part, considering it’s a half-hour drive from town).
Having managed to sneak in early and snag the last free table, we wouldn’t recommend that you do the same. We soon overhear eager diners being politely turned away, despite the fact that It’s only ten past twelve. They’re already fully booked.
Image: The Manc Eats
Image: The Manc Eats
We’ve heard great things about this place – and when the food hits the table, we soon see why there’s such a clamour at the door. This unassuming little Denton cafe is, no shadow of a doubt, serving some of the best pasta dishes in Manchester.
Sicilian-born Ornella’s perfectly plump lobster ravioli is the star that draws us in, but it’s a butter-drenched crispy sage and hazelnut spinach ricotta ravioli that has me closing my eyes and murmuring sweet nothings.
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Another bowl of carbonara bucatini has a similar effect, its fat ribbons are liberally doused in pepper and egg yolk, with crisp flecks of guanciale on top, all glistening in the sun. I think this might be pasta heaven.
We also order a few slabs of gorgeously fluffy, spongey focaccia as a vehicle to hoover up a creamy pot of hummus, a rich pool of olive oil swimming happily on its surface. Prior to opening her kitchen, Ornella was the head chef for Pollen, and it is clear she picked up a few tricks along the way.
There’s more to shout about here too, not least the satisfyingly smooth pearls of cantaloupe melon that come nestled inside very generous pockets of parma ham. The accompanying rocket, however, I mostly leave untouched.
As for the arancini – my god. Crunchy and crisp on the outside, but not greasy or oily in the slightest, it’s the most perfect specimen I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy, a gooey nduja and mozzarella center positively oozing and made even better by an accompanying hot honey dip.
There is pudding, too, in the guise of a classic tiramisu and traditional Sicilian gelato-filled brioche – another example of Ornella’s bread-making talents. They’ve run out of pistachio, and instead, offer vanilla with an added layer of fruit compote, a suggestion we gladly accept.
Unbelievably, my dining partner has already reached her limit after a few scoops of tiramisu so I valiantly soldier on, doing my best two eat two desserts at once. Sometimes this food reviewing lark really puts you to the test, let me tell you. It’s a hard job, but someone’s got to do it.
Inevitably, the last morsels of the soft, buttery brioche bun defeat me – but not before I mop up all the best bits. Simply put, food like this is too good to go to waste. It’s no wonder she’s so busy.
Feature image – The Manc Eats
Food & Drink
The cosy Peak District pub serving a pick’n’mix sausage and mash menu
Daisy Jackson
There’s a Peak District pub that’s turned one of Britain’s most beloved comfort foods into a full-on pick’n’mix.
Tucked away in the postcard-perfect village of Castleton, Ye Olde Nags Head is serving up a fully customisable menu of sausage and mash dishes.
We’re talking near-endless combinations of proper pub grub.
You start by choosing your sausages from a daily rotating selection (not a sentence you hear every day, but we’re into it).
Expect classics like Cumberland alongside more adventurous options like venison and mustard, or even wild boar and orange, plus a veggie sausage daily.
Then it’s onto the mash – you can go for flavours like cheese and onion, wholegrain mustard, or even black pudding mash.
Classic cumberland, mustard mash, and mushroom sauceVeggie sausage with cheese and onion mash and classic gravyTucking in
To finish? A choice of rich, hearty gravies and sauces to bring it all together, whether that’s a classic onion gravy, a peppercorn sauce, or a creamy wild mushroom sauce.
And if that wasn’t enough, you can even upgrade your bangers and mash pick’n’mix by having it all served inside a giant Yorkshire pudding.
Ye Olde Nags Head is a historic 17th-century pub, with a roaring fire in every room and cosy bedrooms upstairs.
Inside Ye Olde Nags Head pub in the Peak DistrictYe Olde Nags Head pub is near Mam Tor
It’s one of those flagstone-floored, beamed-ceilinged, mismatched-furniture type pubs that welcomes everyone in every state, whether you’re caked in mud from a hike or popping in on a coach tour.
Another of the pub’s specialties is the Derbyshire Breakfast, a hearty plate of sausage, smoked bacon, black pudding, free range egg, grilled tomatoes, field mushrooms, baked beans and fried bread.
The pub also offers takeaway breakfast butties, so you can use it for both a pre-hike stop and a post-hike pint.
Given it’s just minutes from the ever-popular Mam Tor hike, this is one pub you’ll definitely want to add to your next Peak District day out itinerary.
The hillside farm in the Peak District making its own ice cream
Daisy Jackson
Did you know there’s a 300-year-old farm in the Peak District serving up some of the freshest ice cream you’ll ever taste? And yes, you can meet the cows that made it while you’re there.
Welcome to Hope Valley Ice Cream, a family-run gem where things are kept refreshingly simple: happy cows, proper farming, and seriously good ice cream.
Set in the heart of the Peak District countryside, this place is about as wholesome as it gets.
The ice cream is made on-site in the farmhouse, literally just metres from where the dairy herd are out grazing.
You can watch the animals, wander around the farm, and then tuck into a scoop or three perched on a milk pail stool, or a picnic bench (or even a decorative tractor).
Hope Valley Ice Cream has some amazing seasonal ice creams, like lemon curd, elderflower, and blackberry, alongside all the classics and a rather delicious tiramisu.
You can grab a cone, sit down with a coffee (again, made with milk from the nearby cows), or go all in with a freshly-made waffle if you’re feeling fancy.
Takeaway tubs from Hope Valley Ice CreamYou can get a mini pail of ice creamMeet the newborn calves at Hope Valley Ice CreamTuck into your ice cream on a milk pail stoolHope Valley Ice Cream
And if you’re the type who really loves ice cream? You can actually order a full pail of it, with four huge scoops plus whipped cream and sauce.
The farm itself is run by the Marsden family, who’ve been working this land for generations. It shows in everything – they’ve created a place that feels genuinely welcoming, not just another tourist stop.
Beyond the ice cream, you’ve got plenty of reasons to stick around. There are calves (including the newest tiny arrivals), plus donkeys and pigs to say hello to.
Whether you’re heading out on a hike or just fancy a drive into the Peaks, this is one pitstop that’s absolutely worth it – and honestly, it’s worth the trip on its own.
Georgina Pellant -
5th August 2022 
