Guardian food critic Jay Rayner has been in Salford checking out the (relatively) newly-reopened Black Friar pub, brought back to life in spectacular fashion following two decades of closure.
A glowing review, published this weekend, showers the pub with praise – with Rayner ultimately concluding that he’d be ‘rather chuffed’ if the Black Friar was his local.
With former 20 Stories chef Ben Chaplin at the helm, when it first threw open its doors this summer the Black Friar initially offered two menus – a ‘pub classics’ menu and a selection of more ‘fancy’ restaurant dishes.
Image: The Black Friar Salford
However, rather conveniently, the day of Rayner’s visit also happens to be the day the team decided to merge them into one, leaving him to comment: “don’t therefore expect the food to be confined to essence of British pub.”
“What you now get is a hybrid. There are pies and terrines and fish and chips from the boozer side of the ledger, and altogether grander things involving truffles and champagne from the fat-walleted end.”
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He does still take a good-natured swipe at some of the prices, mind.
That ‘fat-walleted’ comment, a reference in part to the residents above “working at the very cutting edge of modern media communications, or whatever it is the denizens of these tidy apartments do”, leads him to describe a few dish prices as either ‘brave’ or ‘enthusiastic’.
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Image: The Black Friar
Still, for the most part, he’s on-side, stating: “When I get on to those prices some of you may wish to start curling your noses like the Catherine Tate characters Janice and Ray while shouting, “And this! In Salford! The dirty robbing bastards.”
“Get it out of your system now. […] What matters is that the cooking is big and bullish and, for the most part, on point.”
He heaps praise on the pub’s daily rotation of pies, proclaiming: “the pie liberationists will be pleased to know that it is very much a single item, clad from top to toe in crumbly, flaky puff.
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“Pie purists will agree that if you can’t throw it across a room with one hand, it’s not a pie. This is a pie.”
Image: The Black Friar
Adding ‘obviously sipping gravy should be a thing’, a fact we couldn’t possibly agree with any more enthusiastically, despite his enjoyment he can’t help but point out that a similar creation in London’s The Windmill in Mayfair still comes in at a pound cheaper.
“As Janice and Ray might point out, we really are on the edge of a dual carriageway in Salford,” he quips.
Elsewhere, he waxes lyrical about a charming plate of ‘big fat scallops’ and a boar and pheasant terrine served with warm brioche and chutney, stating: “If you’re going to pay £10 for a terrine, you want it to look like this.”
Image: The Black Friar
All in all, it seems the visit is a hit, with Rayner proclaiming, “This is serious cookery: both profoundly beautiful and profoundly eatable.”
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He’s got great things to say about the dessert menu, which he notes features all the ‘much-loved usual suspects’, calling a beautifully made bitter orange parfait ‘a gift to marmalade lovers everywhere’.
Read more: The stunning reservoir walk near Manchester with giant ‘plugholes’
His only real critique, in truth, is for a dish of turbot with smoked ell choucroute, champagne velouté and caviar -described as “a brave £32.”
But even this, he concedes, is a ‘very good dish indeed fighting to get out from underneath all this overkill’ – adding that a spoonful of caviar is ‘more symbol of northwestern largesse than vital ingredient’.
Image: The Black Friar
The Black Friar is remarkably chuffed to have had the esteemed critic down for a visit, sharing the review to its Facebook page with the caption: “The Blackfriar has made the pages of The Guardian and we couldn’t be prouder.
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“Thanks to Jay Rayner for paying us a visit and a big thanks to our team and customers. Without their hard work and support over the last 20 weeks what we have achieved wouldn’t have been possible. We love you all.”
Feature image – The Black Friar
News
Man who stabbed beloved gran to death sentenced to hospital order
Daisy Jackson
The man who stabbed Michelle Hodgkinson to death in broad daylight in Tameside has been sentenced to a hospital order.
Paul Hughes, 30, was sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court today after his arrest on 3 June 2023 on suspicion of murder.
He was deemed too mentally unwell to stand trial – at the time of Michelle’s murder he was suffering from a schizophrenic attack at the time of the incident and still is suffering from Schizophrenia.
On 2 June 2023, Hughes brought a four-pack of kitchen knives, boarded a tram to Droylsden and headed to a canal path, where he appeared to be ‘lying in wait’ for someone to walk past him.
Tragically, that person was Michelle Hodgkinson, who walked past on her way to meet her mother.
She was followed, attacked from behind and stabbed multiple times.
The attack was captured on dashcam footage and several witnesses came forward to police with statements.
The court heart this week that despite being unwell, Hughes carefully planned the attack.
Hughes bought a pack of kitchen knives and waited down a canal path before he stabbed a stranger, a 51-year-old woman, on 2 June 2023.
Michelle died at the scene on Edge Lane despite the best efforts of passers-by who tried to give her first aid, and the emergency services.
Detective Chief Inspector Danny Lee of GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “Michelle’s death has left a void in her family, and nothing will fix the pain they are feeling. I hope that they can gain some form of closure and justice from the sentence passed today.
“I’d like to thank the members of the public who rushed to Michelle’s side and the first responders, both paramedics and response police officers who also attended the scene to give CPR in an attempt to give her the best possible chance of life.
“It is a moment to recognise, however, the devastation knife crime causes in our communities. Across Greater Manchester, officers and staff are working hard to fight, prevent and reduce this type of crime.
In a previous tribute to Michelle Hodgkinson, her family have said: “Everyone who knows Michelle are still in utter shock at the attack she endured and how horrific her last moments were.
“Our Shelly B was the most amazing, loving, selfless and funny daughter, mother, mother-in-law, sister, auntie and most recently a nanna. It was a privilege to have been known and loved by her. She loved helping people in her community and was known for volunteering as an appropriate adult, her charity work and loved creating hampers to make people smile.
“She would be there for anyone and the day she was taken from us, she was doing just that – walking to meet her mum to take her shopping and to go for a coffee.
“Our family and friends are heartbroken. In one moment our world has crumbled and will never be the same. We will support each other, and we thank and appreciate the love and support shown by our family and friends. Please hold your loved ones close, tell them you love them and make memories.
“Words cannot describe how much she will be missed. Our biggest cheerleader, our confidant, our rock – she will never be forgotten. We love you to the moon and back!
10 ‘high-risk’ Manchester football fans arrested following recent violent disorder
Emily Sergeant
Several arrests have been made this week following an incident of violent disorder linked to a football match a few months back.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Specialist Operations branch were joined by colleagues from across the force – including those in Challenger teams – as they conducted several arrests around Greater Manchester this past Wednesday (13 December) in relation to violent disorder that recently took place.
The violent disorder in question occurred the day before Manchester United and faced FC Twente in the Champions League back in September.
Prior to the match, police say it is believed that a targeted and organised large-scale fight took place in the Lower Broughton area of Salford, all before the group of supporters then headed towards Manchester city centre.
As a result, 10 supporters – who are men aged between 20 and 64, and police say are suspected to be “high-risk” – are now in custody for questioning as investigations continue.
#ARREST | Earlier today we arrested 10 suspects in relation to violence that occurred the day before a game involving Manchester United and FC Twente.
Violence of any sort, whether it’s linked to football or not, will not be tolerated.
On top of this, when officers entered two properties on their search mission, two separate cannabis farms were found, and this meant that a 36-year-old woman was also subsequently arrested on suspicion of cultivation.
With the Manchester Derby now only days away, GMP says these arrests are a reminder that violence of any sort, whether it’s linked to football or not, “will not be tolerated” in our region.
Speaking ahead of the massive Premier League clash this weekend, Chief Superintendent Colette Rose, from GMP’s Specialist Operations division, commented: “With another big fixture coming this weekend, we want to send a strong message and reassurance that our specialised officers will be deployed to ensure you remain safe and peace is maintained, so you can enjoy the game.
Georgina Pellant -
13th December 2021 
