Everyone knows where they stand with a McDonald’s drive-thru.
Fries that are either cold and droopy or so hot they singe chip-shaped lines into the roof of your mouth. Burgers with inexplicably sweet buns and a single gherkin lurking off-centre. Milkshakes so thick the veins pop out on your head when you try to suck them through the straw.
It’s a classic, but in recent years other brands have started to join the drive-thru brigade and blown your ‘I’m-hungry-but-I-don’t-want-to-leave-my-car’ options wide open.
The latest to join the fray is Chaiiwala, serving Indian-inspired fast food from a former petrol station forecourt.
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First founded on the streets of New Delhi in the 1920s, Chaiwala first began life as a small tea stall (hence the name) but today has 50 sites in the UK and even more abroad.
At its new drive-thru in Bolton, there are burgers, chips, wraps and sundaes, just like a Maccies, but these ones all feature an Indian twist.
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The Chaiiwala drive-thru. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Chaiiwala’s samosa burger. Credit: The Manc Group
The prices are comparable, too – you’re not looking at paying more than £3.25 for a burger here, whereas those golden arches are charging £4.59 for a Big Mac these days.
So it’s hard not to lose your head when you pull up to the familiar drive-thru system (which we did in a Tesla, because a posh drive-thru deserves a posh car).
We ordered a decent selection of Chaiiwala’s ‘first-of-its-kind’ drive-thru menu, including a portion of Gunpowder Masala Chips (£3.25), served wrapped in a newspaper-style paper cone, slathered with a tangy and sweet sauce and spring onions.
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Chaiiwala cheese naan. Credit: The Manc GroupAt Chaiiwala’s drive-thru in Bolton. Credit: The Manc GroupLotus Biscoff wrap. Credit: The Manc Group
Chaiiwala’s crispy Punjabi samosas come stuffed with potato and chickpea, and then those samosas come stuffed into a bread bun and loaded with slaw, onions, tomato, and tamarind sauce. I can’t imagine ever choosing a McChicken Sandwich again after this samosa burger (£3.25).
We also grabbed a cheese naan (£2.50), that gives one of the most satisfying cheese pulls you’ll ever see when you tear it open to stuff your chips inside, and a Lotus Biscoff roti wrap (£2.75).
There’s plenty more to come back for, like a butter chicken roll, and a cheese and jalapeno pasty, and pani puri, and samosa chat, and a chaii frappe.
You can eat it parked up outside Chaiiwala’s drive-thru, where your view is of… a McDonald’s.
And what a smug feeling it is to tuck into your freshly-made, reasonably-priced samosa burger, looking at the queue across the road of disgruntled soggy-chips eaters.
Quiet Corners: The Fox and Pine – Oldham’s proper good pub that feels like someone’s front room
Danny Jones
Our search for Greater Manchester’s cosiest pubs is never-ending, especially when it’s cold and grey outside as it often is around these parts, and we recently stumbled across a corker over in Oldham.
Let us introduce you to The Fox and Pine: a brilliant little boozer sat quietly on the corner of Greaves Street, an otherwise unsuspecting road just a block over from the main high street.
You’ll first spot it by the old-school lantern and hanging baskets placed outside, then by the door itself which bears the pitch-perfect British pub name pressed into a metal plate across what we assume (and certainly hope) is a pine door.
Its decorative but modest frontage is just a teaser of what’s to come as once you open that front door, you enter into a world of knick-knacks, bric-à-brac, sports memorabilia and more fox-related ornaments than you could possibly imagine.
The Fox and Pine pub in Oldham has all the charm as its name would suggest. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Opened in 2020 by Michelle and Chris Riley, the distinctive Oldham pub was named in honour of their two beloved football clubs, with Michelle born in Leceister (The Foxes) and Chris an Oldham Athletic fan (who were once known as Pine Villa), but the story behind the site itself gets even more interesting.
Although it is now an award-winning watering hole – having been voted CAMRA’s Greater Manchester ‘Pub of the Year’ three years on the foxtrot, among a number of other accolades – the location was previously used for local AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings.
Now, while we obviously fully support anyone’s journey to sobriety, we’ll confess we’re quite pleased that it’s now become somewhere that not only serves alcohol but champions real ale, specifically, with an ever-rotating lineup from around Greater Manchester, Lancashire and beyond.
Better yet this isn’t a place that gives off binge-drinking but rather one that proudly embraces the undeniable sense of community that a really good, welcoming pub can give small towns like this.
Spanning two floors, both of which are decked out like a warm and quintessentially British family home, the Latics blue glow of the bar quickly catches your eye as you scan the various pumps of cask ale, stout, cider and lager – all of which the staff and customers alike have a good knowledge of.
A brûlée-flavoured number appeared to be the favourite on the day we popped in and it’s nice to see a genuinely friendly, engaging exchange between pourer and punter rather than just a transaction. The longer we lingered there the more nods to the local footy and rugby culture we found too.
A luminous sign reading ‘Yeds’ looms above the bar, referring to the local rugby supporters club that gathers there on matchdays; jerseys, scarves and more adorn the rest of it and much of the surrounding walls, but turn your head to the right and the vibe shifts from pub to what feels like a front room.
Twinkling with fairy lights and soft candlelight on each table is the main seating area, complete with framed pictures of local dogs (we’re talking dozens), a telly for the sport and a faux fireplace but one that still effectively serves as the hearth of the room for people to gather around and be merry.
Credit: The Manc Group
Once again, the whole room feels more like someone’s house than it does a pub and the same goes for when you head upstairs, where you’ll find two more seating areas. Between the fox-themed wallpaper, general decor and another mantlepiece, the only things that feel pubby are the tables and a dartboard.
In fact, we think it’s the little creature comforts and personalised touches that really set this place apart. Be it the hair gel, aftershave and even beard oil left free to use in the bathroom, or the various homemade pasties being served on tiny chopping boards downstairs, it feels delightfully intimate.
Not only were locals keeping a tab of whose round it was from across the room even if they weren’t sat together, but there was even a sign seemingly left out to reserve a corner table for their oldest regulars who seemed to know everyone – and we get the feeling they don’t have to book.
There are live music and comedy nights throughout the week too, should you desire some entertainment beyond good company and whatever game’s on the box, but we’ll be honest: we were quite happy just nestling up in the corner, nattering over a proper pint and getting to know the familiar faces.
When the air does get a bit warmer outside, there’s also a garden area waiting out back and they even turn space out front into a small beer garden terrace as well.
That being said, it is the undeniably cosy interior that we fell in love, so much so that we ended up spending pretty much the entire day there.
It’s been a minute since we’ve been truly swept up in the effortless magic of a pub like this and those who already frequent in don’t need reminding that it’s got a real gem here – they’re proud of it and we dare say a lot spend the majority of their time in here.
So, the next time you’re over Oldham way and in need of a quiet corner to cosy up in, or just fancy a decent pub to whet the whistle, you won’t go far wrong with The Fox and Pine.
A Manc’s guide to: Altrincham, officially one of the best places to live in the UK
Daisy Jackson
In 2020, Altrincham was named the best place to live in the entire UK – and it hasn’t exactly slowed down since then, so we’ve put together this handy guide to help you discover the town.
This leafy suburb way south of Manchester city centre, teetering on the border into Cheshire, is famed for a lot of things.
It’s the home of Altrincham Market, which paved the way for the town’s regeneration and inspired countless similar enterprises across the country.
There’s a lot of development currently underway in the Stamford Quarter too, which has welcomed some much-loved Manc indies into the fold in the last year.
We here at The Manc have already delivered you a pretty comprehensive guide to Prestwich, from its restaurant scene to its green spaces.
So for our next instalment of A Manc’s Guide to we’re heading south, to beautiful Altrincham, a town that’s putting itself on the map for all the right reasons.
Shopping
The covered market at Altrincham MarketTasty Records in AltrinchamIdahoA Manc’s guide to shopping in Altrincham
Altrincham town centre has always been centred around retail, but its shopping scene has really ramped up in recent years, as this guide proves.
There is, of course, Altrincham Market, where traders selling everything from fruit and veg to homewares prop up the stalls.
Bang opposite the market, you can’t miss Idaho, a lifestyle shop that practically sucks you in with its windows stuffed with vases, hanging plants, candles, cushions, socks, and all the other lovely lifestyle goods. It’s opened a second store at Stanley Square, too.
There are more plants and pottery, plus gifts and lifestyle bits, down the road at Green + Grounded.
A Manc’s Guide to Altrincham – So Marrakech
So Marrakech is a lovely spot for a coffee and a cake, but also has shelves stuffed with beautiful homewares, from cushions to crockery.
Music-lovers shouldn’t miss Tasty Records, where you’ll find all sorts of rare vinyls.
And when it comes to clothing, Madam Butterfly’s boutique sells all the summery, bright clothing that will make you finally pack your big coat away for the season.
There are a few bigger names that have moved in in the last year too, including affordable Scandi homeware store Sostrene Grene, and the first-ever LookFantastic concept store filled with cult and classic beauty brands.
Food and drink
Hive StoresPapa Dutch
Hive Stores – Part antiques store, part wine bar, part cafe, Hive Stores is a stunning little Parisian-style cafe that’s worth the short walk down from the town centre. Espresso martinis, cheese boards, fresh cakes and shelves of provisions are all on display here.
Papa Dutch – Specialising in Dutch favourites like mini pancakes and stroopwaffel, for a sweet treat in Altrincham you have to stop by Papa Dutch.
Yum Cha – This much-loved Hong Kong eatery has just recently opened its first restaurant in Altrincham, serving steaming baskets of dim sum (including their signature traffic light dumplings), gigantic bowls of noodles and rice dishes, and delicious Chinese roast meats.
Rudy’s – One of Greater Manchester’s fastest-growing hospitality enterprises, of course, didn’t wait too long before venturing out to Altrincham with its Neapolitan-style pizzas. Their spot just opposite Altrincham Market might be one of the best-looking Rudy’s in the country.
Unagi – Hand-rolled sushi, pan-Asian street food, and delicious Japanese cocktails are all on the menu at Unagi’s futuristic Altrincham restaurant, where bar-tops glow and there’s a huge vaulted ceiling.
UnagiRudy’s
Rigatoni’s – The original home of Sugo Pasta Kitchen in 2015, which rebranded to Rigatoni’s, this is where you’ll find their Puglian pasta dishes and jugs of wine, including their signature House Sugo pasta – beef shin, pork shoulder and n’duja ragu.
The Good Catch – For top-notch fish and chips, it’s got to be the award-winning, family-run chippy The Good Catch. Found opposite the famous Altrincham Football Club, you can get Hollands pies and salt and pepper squid alongside go-to Friday favourites.
Batch Bottle Store and Deli – As well as coming here to fill up your growlers and buy some natural wine to take home, you can also dine in (or out on the terrace) with mega sandwiches, Sunday roasts, and deli platters all on the menu here.
Altrincham Market House – An indoor food hall from the same team behind Mackie Mayor and Macclesfield Picturedrome, Altrincham’s Market House is home to traders like Little Window, Pico’s Tacos, Tender Cow, and Honest Crust. One of the first successful attempts of the multi-trader format to launch in Greater Manchester, it’s up there with the region’s best.
Blanchflower – Altrincham bakery and kitchen selling 3-day sourdough loaves, pastries, brunch dishes and bowls.
Tre Ciccio – Another Southern Italian kitchen specialising in Campagna staples like pizza Napoletana and roasted chicken with potatoes. A beautiful outdoor terrace allows for al fresco dining in the summer, with wood-burning fires keeping you cosy through the winter months.
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Libero – A cute craft beer bar with a penchant for football and a striking mural by Manchester artist Caroline Dowsett, it’s not unusual to see punters donning vintage football shirts in here. Libero was only meant to be a two-week pop-up, but six years later it’s still going strong.
Toast – As the name suggests, the whole menu revolves around putting things on toast. You can have toast for breakfast and toast for lunch. That said, you’ll also find the likes of cakes and cheesecakes here – both minus toast.
Nightlife and hotels
The historic hamlet of Goose Green has become a bit of a destination in its own right, with a clutch of bars and restaurants to while away your evening in.
There’s cocktail bar the Gin Can (open until 1am at the weekends) and Traders Tiki Bar, which serves all sorts of tropical delights until the small hours.
If you need somewhere to stay overnight, there are the usual big chain budget hotels, but also some top-notch Airbnb options to get your own space.
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There are a couple of rentals on the beautiful The Downs (like this Victorian house).
This huge property on Manchester Road has been turned into some very stylish apartments too.
Culture
Altrincham MarketWalking along the canals at Dunham Massey
Altrincham is far enough out of Manchester city centre that it feels very much like its own town, with its own identity and proper heart.
When it comes to culture, that encompasses everything from its luxurious boutique cinema, the Everyman (where you watch films with a cocktail, on a sofa), to its near proximity to the beauty of Dunham Massey.
There are events on at the National Trust property throughout the year, the most popular of which is arguably its magical Christmas lights display.
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Altrincham has its own theatre, in the Garrick Playhouse, which has a bill of film screenings, family-friendly entertainment and up-and-coming theatre talent.
The Vegetarian Society has a cookery school here too, where you can get stuck in learn some new kitchen skills.
The most recent addition has been The Bowdon Rooms, which opened in 2021 with a line-up of talent that included Sir Lenny Henry, Shaun Ryder, and Sir Ranulph Fiennes.
Property
Houses in Altrincham are, on average, some of the priciest in Greater Manchester – but they have been dropping slightly in the last couple of years.
The average property price over the last year has been £541,726, the majority of which were semi-detached.
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There are some seriously stunning homes dotted around though.
Transport
It might be right on the end of it, but Altrincham is handily connected to Manchester city centre on the Metrolink tram line.
It also has its own train station, with Northern Line services running to both Chester and Manchester Piccadilly.
There are loads of buses serving the area too, and you’re never far from the M56, which will whisk you away to Cheshire and beyond.
Daisy Jackson -
6th May 2023 
