Greater Manchester – home of world-famous music, Corrie, two of the world’s biggest football clubs, and, er, Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls.
We can shout about a lot of things here in the north west, but our local delicacies really are in a league of their own.
Everything from pastry sweets to meaty treats crop up in Greater Manchester’s menu of mouth-watering regional dishes that everyone should try out at least once in their lifetime.
They’re not for everyone, and there’s a good chance that for some of them, the first time you them will be the last, but we’re proud of them all the same.
Here’s some of the best the region has to offer.
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Black Pudding
A somewhat polarising delicacy, black pudding is a dark sausage made from pig’s blood and fillers such as barley, oats, and suet.
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Sure, black pudding may not have wholly originated in Greater Manchester, but there’s definitely a strong argument to be made for Bury black pudding being some of the best, or at least the most celebrated and appreciated, there is out there.
You can get your hands on some hot boiled black pudding from many local markets in the region,
Or you can buy it fresh from the regional produce section at most supermarkets, and you can even eat it locally as a takeaway snack dowsed with malt vinegar.
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Manchester Tart
Something for those with a sweet tooth and an appetite for coconut, Manchester Tart is a traditional English baked tart made up of a shortcrust pastry shell spread with raspberry jam inside, covered with a custard filling, and topped off with flakes of coconut and a cherry.
This was a staple of the 1940s and 50s school dinner, but it’s not as beloved as it once was nowadays.
If you are looking for a blast from the past though, you may be lucky enough to spot it on a specials menu at one of the many British-themed restaurants in the city centre and wider region, or in local supermarkets if you keep your fingers crossed.
It contains the juice of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants – each in a 3% concentration – which is then flavoured with a selection of delicately-balanced herbs and spices.
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It was created by John Noel Nichols in 1908 at 19 Granby Row in Manchester city centre under the name Vim Tonic and even though it’s hard to believe it now, Vimto was originally registered as a health tonic or medicine when it was first created, but was then re-registered as a cordial in 1913.
Nowadays, it’s taken on a life of its own spawning many variations, it’s sold internationally in over 40 countries, and you can get your hands on it at just about any local shop, supermarket, and chippy or takeaway.
Pasty Barm
Fancy an absolute carb overload?
You can’t go wrong with carbs in the north, and over in Bolton, they’re really taking that statement to heart with this staple delicacy that sees a pasty – preferably meat and potato, and really preferably from the town’s iconic Carr’s Pasties, which’s been “baking perfect pasties since 1938” – and putting it inside a bread roll, also known as a barm cake.
It sounds a lot, but all we can say is just don’t knock it until you’ve tried it – and maybe just make sure you’ve got a glass of Vimto on hand to wash it down with.
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Eccles Cake
Another one for those with a sweet tooth, the Eccles cake – sometimes down as a “squashed fly pie” or “fly cake” – is a centuries-old pastry, of course taking its name from the town of Eccles in Salford, that’s a staple often sold at bakeries and supermarkets around Manchester and Lancashire.
It’s made up of a flaky pastry dough filled with currents, and it’s often topped with a sugary crust.
While it is a sweet pastry, the Eccles cake is actually traditionally eaten with Lancashire cheese to provide a unique sweet and savoury experience, but it’s just as nice however you chose to serve it.
Lancashire Hotpot
This is probably one of the most famous delicacies on the list.
Mostly associated with the iconic Manchester-based soap Coronation Street, thanks to the fictional Betty Turpin’s hotpot beloved by all the Rovers Return regulars, the Lancashire hotpot remains a hot food staple on tables not just in the region, but right across the UK.
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Paying resemblance to a casserole or stew, a Lancashire hotpot is traditionally made with lamb or mutton, onions and stock, and is topped with sliced potatoes, before being cooked low and slow until the potatoes on top go crispy.
If you’re looking for the best hotpot in town, then on over to Annie’s on Old Bank Street.
Rag Pudding
The rag pudding may have been invented in Oldham, but it’s now considered a specialty all over Greater Manchester, particularly in its hometown, and in Bury and Rochdale
A hearty and meaty dish, with a flavour that’s similar to a meat pie, just minus the crust, a rag pudding is made up of ground beef and onion gravy wrapped in suet, and cooked in a piece of muslin – also known as a rag – to give it its distinct and recognisable shape.
Did you know that the most notable producers of the rag pudding, Jacksons Farm Fayre in Milnrow, still lovingly hand-fold 15,000 of the puddings each week to be dished out to local butchers, delis and chippies across the region?
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That’s how popular it is.
Parched Peas
Also known as black peas, black eyed peas (no, not the music group), dapple peas, maple peas, and probably more depending on where you come from, parched peas are dried and cooked purple podded peas, which are then soaked overnight and simmered to produce a type of mushy pea.
It’s a delicacy often served with lashings of malt vinegar, and most-commonly served in autumn and winter time, especially known to be a staple on or around Bonfire night.
The dish is popular in Bury, Rochdale, Oldham, Wigan, Bolton, Tyldesley and Heywood.
Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls
Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls are (sort of) spherical mints produced by Wm Santus & Co. Ltd in Wigan, which are made from pure cane sugar, oil of peppermint and cream of tartar.
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Originally made for miners and ideal for “coughs and sniffles”, they have remained one of the region’s pride and joys for years on end, helping to keep the population “all aglow” since 1898, with it said that around 160,000 mint balls are still made every day, which is around 35 million per year.
They also have their own catchy jingle, which, if you say the name of them to a Mancunian, you’ll likely get a dodgy rendition of sang back to you.
“Suck em’ and see, you’ll agree, they’re the best in all the land”.
Eats
These are the very best Sunday roasts in and around Greater Manchester
Georgina Pellant
From the moment we start to feel the weekend rolling in, we can’t help but turn our thoughts to Sunday roasts, steaming jugs of gravy and big glasses sploshing over with red wine — it’s just the best feeling and there’s plenty of it to be found here in Manchester.
We’re used to it being wet and miserable most of the year and while we do love Sunday lunch on a sun-soaked afternoon in the beer garden when we get the chance, nothing warms the cockles more on those darker days than a giant plate piled high with roasted meats, vegetables and gravy.
Genuinely one of the most simple pleasures in life, there’s not much more comforting than this classic English staple. We’re big fans of Manchester’s Sunday roast scene and we can confidently say this city serves some of the best.
So, without further ado, this is The Manc Eats‘ list of deep reading to discover our top picks for the best Sunday roast dinners in Greater Manchester. Dig in.
The very best Sunday roasts in Manchester
Let’s start with the best in town. Our tummies are rumbling just think about it.
1. Ducie Street Warehouse – Piccadilly
Credit: The Manc Group
Not only has this roast been named the best in the UK over the past year or so, but it also happens to boast a dedicated cauliflower cheese menu. Need we say anymore?
The ‘Sunday with Sides‘ roast includes options like dry-aged local shorthorn beef sirloin, rosemary roasted leg of lamb and roast turkey breast with stuffing and a pig-in-blanket, as well as a regularly changing vegan roast served with all the trimmings and a vegan Yorkshire pudding.
All plated roasts are served with ‘proper’ roast potatoes, a giant Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and gravy, with more sides available to order from £1.50 at the ever-welcoming space inside Native Manchester.
Additional sides include extra Yorkies and gravy, Tuscan pork stuffing, maple-roasted parsnips, honey-roasted rainbow heirloom carrots, lemon and garlic tenderstem broccoli gratin, and macaroni cheese.
Not a reference to Charlotte Bronte, but rather to the owners’ mum, neighbourhood kitchen and cocktail bar The Jane Eyre on Cutting Room Square is a must for any self-respecting cocktail lover. It also serves a cracking Sunday roast.
Start with ham hock and manchego croquettes or a salad of fennel, chilli and crab, before moving onto roast sirloin (£18), nut roast (£14) or the selected ‘roast of the day’ (£18), all served with duck fat potatoes, honey roasted carrots, greens, carrot & swede mash, pork stuffing, Yorkshire puds and gravy.
We’d recommend springing for sides, too. An extra £4.50 will get you a skillet of house cauliflower cheese or truffled potato puree. As for dessert, think tarte tatin (£7) or chocolate biscuit cake (£5), both served with ice cream on the side.
3. Hawksmoor – Spinningfields
Credit: The Manc Eats
Housed in a former Victorian Courthouse on Deansgate, Hawksmoor manages to be chic, glamorous and entirely unpretentious all at once. Designed to share, roasts here can be split between two or three people – with starters, mains, sides and puddings all included and priced from just £50.
Mains choices include perfectly pink cuts of bone-in prime rib, chateaubriand and sirloin, as well as Dartmouth lobster with garlic butter, whilst sides span the likes of creamed spinach, macaroni cheese, grilled bone marrow, carrots, roasties, cabbage and – or course — giant Yorkshire puddings.
We’re talking Yorkshire puddings bigger than your face, crispy beef fat roasties, unlimited jugs of bone marrow gravy, and an oozing skillet of cauliflower cheese made with a four-cheese blend of Ogleshield, mozzarella, Stichelton and ‘good Cheddar’.
With the option to share a roast platter between two or order individual plates, The Refuge at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is not messing about with its roast dinners.
On The Refuge’s famous sharing platter, think grass-fed rump of Lancashire beef and half a roast Cumbrian chicken plus trimmings, with the option to add on a lamb shawarma shepherd’s pie for an extra £9. Go on then.
Platters are served with thyme and salt roast potatoes, glazed carrot, seasonal greens, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and pan gravy, whilst individual roasts come with roast potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding and a selection of vegetables.
Vegans are welcome too, with a plant-based Sunday dinner option of vegan wellington, roasted celeriac, duxelles, red onion, kale and potato. You can even grab a little roast for your dog — how can you say no to that?
5. Evelyn’s – Northern Quarter
Credit: The Manc Eats
Served from 12pm, Sunday roasts at Evelyn’s over on Tib Street put a twist on the traditional British weekend fare with a choice of exotic rubs and marinades.
Choices here include mustard-rubbed beef sirloin, harissa buttermilk roast chicken and Morrocan marinaded lamb, all served with seasonal root veg and Evelyn’s gravy.
As for vegans, there’s a roasted cauliflower option served with all the trimmings and a special laksa gravy on offer, and if you don’t fancy that, the restaurant also serves a varied menu – with late brunch dishes available until 3pm.
Puddings entail the likes of key lime pie with rye biscuit and meringue, or chocolate mousse with sea salt, olive oil and croissant bits, and you can opt to pop downstairs to The Daisy afterwards to enjoy a carafe of wine for £10. Why not?
6. Elnecot– Ancoats
Credit: Elnecot
If you’re a person who cares about where your food is sourced from, Elnecot is the place to come. Owner Michael Clay has excellent connections to local suppliers and celebrates quality British produce in every dish.
Starting from 1:30pm until they run out, roast choices at this Ancoats favourite include dry-aged Welsh wagyu beef, lemon and thyme corn-fed Goosnargh chicken, crispy Yorkshire pork belly, slow-cooked shoulder of Yorkshire lamb and a vegetarian or vegan nut roast.
All served with roasties, fluffy Yorkshire puddings, stuffing, roasted carrots and parsnips, sauteed greens, cauliflower cheese and a rich gravy, prices start from £14.50 for nut roast and £16 for pork.
7. Wholesome Junkies – Victoria
Credit: Wholesome Junkies
The Manc Eats
One for the vegans, the veggies, the flexitarians, and anyone who likes big flavours and doesn’t mind not eating meat, Wholesome Junkies over on Victoria’s Mirabel Street puts an ethical twist on the British Sunday favourite by using mock meat in a Manchester first.
For the summer, they’ve pressed pause on the traditional roast and introduced a range of roast burgers instead. Think minted ‘lamb’ burgers, ‘pork’ sausage with apple sauce, smashed roasties and fried onions, and a cauliflower cheeseburger.
Located just off the Oxford Road Corridor at The Quadrangle, Zouk is one of our very favourite curry houses in town, but they also serve an incredible Sunday roast sharing platter with generous helpings of spicy gravy.
Featuring a whole roast poussin, plus slices of roast lamb, topside of beef, and heaps of seasonal veg alongside crispy roasties and loads of Yorkshire puddings, you can also opt for extras like mashed potatoes, cauliflower cheese and tenderstem broccoli with red chilli and garlic.
We’ve somehow managed to demolish Zouk‘s whole sharing plate multiple times and here’s the video evidence to prove it. Don’t judge us, this will be you soon.
9. Gaucho – Deansgate
Credit: Gaucho Manchester
On Sundays between 12-6pm, Argentinian steakhouse Gaucho serves up its bottomless roast dinner. Specifically designed for overindulging, choose from three different joints of meat to enjoy with unlimited quantities of seasonal vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.
All Gaucho‘s meat originates from Argentina and comes from premium Black Angus cattle, bred at hand-selected farms in the southern province of La Pampa, South America. Every cut is cooked in its own drippings and then presented on steak boards alongside all the usual trimmings.
Priced at £32.50 per person, you can enjoy 90 minutes of non-stop feasting on prime steak here (and make sure you really get your money’s worth).
10. The Firehouse – Ancoats
Credit: The Firehouse
With its own dedicated margarita and wild spirits bar, The Firehouse on Swan Street is one of Manchester’s coolest new venues. Attached to popular Detroit pizza place, Ramona, it’s housed inside an old MOT garage and offers (as the name suggests) a selection of wood-fired meats alongside fluffy pittas and sides.
Come Sundays, though, the team also offers a roast with roast Cheshire beef rump, garlic and thyme chicken, slow-cooked lamb shoulder or vegan oyster mushroom wellington, with sides including Yorkshire puddings, crisp roast potatoes and flamed chipolatas
Elsewhere, think buttered greens, melting pots of cauliflower cheese, honey-roasted carrots and parsnips, and lashings of house gravy. This place might straddle the border of both Ancoats and NQ, two of this city’s coolest districts, but it firmly plants itself amongst the best Sunday roasts in Manchester.
11. Nam – Ancoats
Credit: The Manc Eats
Another Cutting Room Square classic, this popular Vietnamese spot took over from long-standing vegan favourite V-Rev on Edge Street, and alongside its popular Vietnamese dishes, you’ll also find a take on the classic British Sunday roast.
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Choices span roast chicken, pork and five-spice tofu, and all three come served with a choice of sticky rice or roast potatoes, goi salad, shimeji mushrooms, spiced sweet potato mash, Asian greens, NAM Pho gravy and a savoury Vietnamese donut.
Another Manc Sunday roast gem is The Counter House over on Cutting Room Square, which also happens to boast one of the prettiest rooms you’ll probably ever sit down for a serving of meat, spuds, veg and gravy.
Known for great portion sizes, opting for carrot and swede mash instead of the usual and some of the very finest (and largest) homemade Yorkies you’ll find anywhere in 0161, we’ve grown very fond of this place come a Sunday.
The lemon, thyme and garlic half-roast chicken (£19.50) is to die for, the beef (£21) is always so tender and we’ve heard good things about their vegan option too. It’s also one of the few places we’ve decided to have starters before the main event and it’s never disappointed.
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With a dozen plates done and dusted, we feel like it’s time to move beyond the city centre now — ready for another serving?
The best Sunday roasts around Greater Manchester
If you’re based outside of town or simply want to find the best Sunday roasts around Greater Manchester, look no further.
13. The Old Abbey Taphouse – Hulme
Credit: The Old Abbey Taphouse
Specifically designed to be a safe space for the community, The Old Abbey Taphouse in humble Hulme brings together chefs in its community to cook up delicious meals from scratch on the last Sunday of the month.
Neighbours are invited to come, eat and pay only what they can afford in return (be that a little or a lot), with giant Sunday roasts served from 7pm until the kitchen runs out.
Past community feasts have included a choice of honey mustard silverside beef top joint, chicken supreme, cauliflower cheese pie, or homemade vegan sausage roll.
A longstanding neighbourhood favourite amongst the West Dids set, independent bar and restaurant Folk is owned by four mates with a love for fresh seasonal produce, great coffee, beers, cocktails, as well as plenty of wine, and it’s an absolute Burton Road institution.
The roast here is cracking, with options including roast beef and chicken, a pan roast sea bass and a vegan wellington made up of mushroom, cranberry and pistachio. Each is served up with seasonal veg, roast potatoes, proper gravy, and a Yorkshire pudding big enough to cover your plate.
You also have the option to add on seasonal small plates, including cider and honey-glazed pigs in blankets and Tunworth cauliflower cheese.
15. Station South – Levenshulme
Credit: Station South
The gravy at Station South in Levenshulme is so good, that some customers famously drink it from the glass. The ‘cycle cafe for everyone’ has become something of a neighbourhood favourite since opening its doors this summer, and now we’ve got another reason to go. Roasts.
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With giant Yorkshire puddings, heaps of potatoes and greens, the plates here are very generous – but you will have to spring an extra £1.50 for a jug of additional gravy. We reckon it works out fair enough though, thanks to the huge portion sizes.
Over in south Manchester, local bar and restaurant, The Chorlton Green, is serving up a banging Sunday roast – and they’ll even do a special portion for your dogs.
Perfect for when you want to head out with your furry friends for a gravy-soaked dinner, this cosy neighbourhood spot has you (and your pets) covered for all your Sunday lunch needs.
With a choice of chicken, beef or nut roast served alongside carrot and suede mash, perfectly crisp roast potatoes, stuffing, seasonal vegetables and a giant Yorkshire pudding, this Chorlton favourite dishes up a seriously good roast if we’ve ever seen one.
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17. Hispi – Didsbury Village
Credit: Hispi
From the Elite Bistro team behind Sticky Walnut and Kala, this charming neighbourhood bistro in Didsbury Village is, without a doubt, one of the best places to grab a roast south of the city centre.
Priced at 2 courses for £25 or three for £29, mains include roast beef, pork belly, sirloin (for two) and chicken, each served with their own dedicated list of perfectly paired sides.
Elsewhere, you’ll find confit chicken terrine, beer-battered salt pickles, pan-fired sea bass in a langoustine bisque and a chestnut mushroom and goats curd linguine. A must-visit this, trust us, and if the egg tart is on simply order it and don’t look back. You’re welcome.
18. The White Hart – Lydgate
Credit: The White Hart at Lydgate
For proper country feels, head to The White Hart at Lydgate for a bang-up Sunday feast. Priced at £29 for 2 courses or 3 for £35, those after a traditional roast can tuck into grass-fed Hereford rump of beef, Easingwold pork belly or roasted Yorkshire chicken.
Roasts are served from 12-8pm with Yorkshire puddings, roasted potatoes, cauliflower cheese, honey-glazed carrot, savoy cabbage, crispy stuffing, apple and red wine sauce. Alternatively, swing for the coronation cauliflower, crispy haddock and chips or pan-fried stone bass if you fancy something a little different.
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19. The Pack Horse – Hayfield
Credit: The Pack Horse Hayfield
This multi-award-winning country gastropub has had some impressive accolades of late, not least an ebullient new inclusion in the Michelin Guide.
All roasts here come served with crispy potatoes, carrot and swede mash, braised vegetables, buttered cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Choose from Derbyshire beef sirloin, High Peak lamb shoulder slow-roasted overnight, or a ‘chicken of the woods’ mushroom and truffled Baron Bigod tart with seaweed gravy.
A regular haunt of some of Glossop‘s most esteemed foodies, technically it’s not in Manchester but we’re not letting that get in the way of a great scran — and neither should you.
20. Greens – Sale
Last but by no means least is the wonderful Greens over in Sale. Although the Didsbury location might have sadly closed after 33 wonderful years, Simon Rimmer’s most recent opening over Trafford way is the jewel in the crown of the area’s ever-growing foodie landscape.
Probably up there with the best veggie and vegan Sunday roasts we’ve ever had not just in Greater Manchester but anywhere for that matter. In fact, it was voted the sixth best of its kind by Rate Good Roasts along with many other Manc Sunday dinners.
Their take on a vegan wellington is unreal and super filling, the braised cabbage and roasted vegetables are done to the highest order, as you’d expect, and the thick, glossy pan-sauce-style gravy is the star of the show. When there’s no meat to be found, it doesn’t get much better than Greens.
It goes without saying that there are obviously plenty of other brilliant places serving some of the best Sunday roasts in Greater Manchester but we simply couldn’t include them all — why do you think we couldn’t just stick with 10?
Honestly, if you don’t spot your favourite on this list, we’re sure it pains us just as much but at least you can feel at peace with the knowledge that this city doesn’t disappoint when it comes to Sunday dinner.
That’s all from us for now, anyway, we’re off to drown in a sea of gravy. After all, that’s the best part of Sunday lunch, right?
Huge beer festival responds after attendees label it ‘Manchester Wonka experience’
Daisy Jackson
A massive beer and cider festival that took place in Manchester last weekend has addressed fall-out on social media after some attendees slammed it as the ‘weirdest most dysfunctional festival ever‘.
People have said that the International Brewing and Cider Festival had a ‘strange atmosphere’ due to there being ‘no one there’, had a limited selection of drinks, and was generally ‘a bloody awful evening’.
Some people have even gone so far as to compare it to the now-infamous Wonka Experience.
But the festival has now hit back at these harsh reviews online, saying that there were more than 400 different types of beer and cider available, with around 800 attendees over the weekend.
In a statement, they apologised for a ‘less than perfect experience’.
The International Brewing and Cider Festival – a not-for-profit trade organisation – stressed that ‘early teething troubles’ were ironed out as the event progressed through its four sessions.
As well as inviting breweries from around the world to serve up beers under one roof in one of Manchester’s coolest venues, the beer festival had 19 food and drink traders, and a programme of live music and DJs.
Despite only receiving a couple of actual complaints directly, the festival has been hit with criticism on social media.
Visitors to the beer festival at Depot Mayfield had shared photos of a mostly-empty venue at points over the weekend, with many saying it was ‘freezing’ inside.
One person wrote: “I went with a mate and we left after an hour. The venue was so freezing that the beer itself was too cold to enjoy.”
Someone else said: “This was by a country mile the worst event (not just beer event) I’ve ever attended. Truly horrific.”
The International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: X, @SimonR
A detailed tale of the experience on Reddit, which said the International Brewing and Cider Festival was a ‘contender for Manchester’s Wonka experience’.
They said that they were ‘greeted by an extremely rude person’ and then struggled to order a beer, with several beers on the list unavailable and ended up with ‘a plastic cup of foam’.
The person said: “It was still early at this point so I expected it to get a bit busy but it never did combined with some depressing music and freezing cold temperatures the atmosphere was strange.”
Someone else said on X: “It was a massive scam. Willy Wonka type scam. No one there. Beers not great. It absolutely was not worth £40. The keg bar was closed, the cask bar closed at 8:30, the only decent beer available was from the few independent brewers who had decided to stick around (half had left). No atmosphere as no one there. Just awful.”
Another person said: “I don’t think I’ve been to a worse organised event. The term ‘Couldn’t organise a pi55 up in a brewery’ was made for this festival.
“Mid session there were less than 100 people. The signs on the cask and keg were too small to read at any distance. People pouring on the bar had no knowledge of any of the beers & no info in the app.
“For the entry fee of £20 to drink out of plastic, beer costing ‘town prices’, & some of the brewers had packed up and left hours before the end, left me feeling like I’d been ripped off.”
A spokesperson for the International Brewing & Cider Festival said: “We are very sorry that some people had a less than perfect experience – this was our first Festival and when you start something new, there will be learnings.
“We are a not-for-profit trade organisation representing the value chain, supplying the brewing and beverage industry.
The International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: X, @SimonRThe International Brewing and Cider Festival, a beer festival in Mancheser, has been hit with complaints. Credit: Reddit, u/Luc1dJay
“As the organiser of the oldest international brewing and cider awards in the world, we held the Awards in Manchester this year and wanted to bring the entries from around the world to the public in the city.
“We adapted throughout the two days, ironing out some early teething troubles to deliver a better model as the event progressed.”
But now that Indy Man Beer Con has announced it won’t be returning for 2024, there’s definitely room in Manchester for a new beer festival.
Let’s it comes back to the city again and next time, is a roaring success.