Rick Stein’s Food Stories: Where he went in Manchester and 6 other places he should have visited

Manchester was the star of a recent episode of Rick Stein’s Food Stories. The veteran food broadcaster championed local cuisine by visiting some of the region’s institutions, like Bury Market and the Marble Arch pub, as well as one of the city’s rising star restaurants, Higher Ground. He also popped into Afflecks Palace, wandered through the Northern Quarter and Ancoats, singing the praises of our mighty city. 

However, as a Mancunian – or ‘Mancoonian’ as Rick pronounced it – I think we probably deserved a bit better. Of all the dishes he could have chosen to exemplify Manchester’s food scene, he chose offal. When talking about the reasons he likes the city, he cited its “grittiness,” “roughness,” and “feeling of decay,” as well as the usual tired references to L.S. Lowry, the industrial revolution, Factory Records and the Hacienda. And the music of choice? Blue Monday, of course. 

Here is an overview of Rick Stein’s visit to Manchester for his BBC Two show , and some suggestions for where he should go next time he visits the city. 

Where Rick Stein visited in Manchester

The first stop on Rick Stein’s tour of Greater Manchester was the ‘world famous’ Bury Market. At a time when many of the region’s other town markets are disappearing and shrinking, Bury Market is thriving, which makes it a natural choice for a show about Manchester’s food scene. He chose to visit Chadwicks, who specialise in black pudding, or “Lancashire viagra” – a phrase which Rick Stein dismissed as “very silly.” He also got to check out some other local delicacies, tripe and cow heel. He tried some crumbly Lancashire cheese from Cheese Plus and learnt the difference between an Eccles Cake and Chorley Cake at Harry Muffin. 

Next, he wandered down Tib Street to talk about Manchester’s “noir quality.” He said: “I like roughness and a slight feeling of decay. It doesn’t exist in much of Manchester, it’s a go-getting city, but I make a bee-line for here because I like a bit of grimness, it makes me think and it’s interesting.” He then went to Vinyl Resting Place in Affleck’s Palace to reminisce about his disco days.

He visited  Higher Ground, a restaurant which is less than a year old and already making quite the name for itself, having most recently received a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide. Rick Stein seemed almost surprised that a restaurant of this quality can exist in gritty Manchester, but It was another very wise location choice. Offal was on the menu yet again, although, and, to be fair, the offal ragu pasta did look delicious but this “hitherto poor people’s food” is not exactly a common dish elsewhere in Manchester today. 

He ended his visit at the Marble Arch, one of Manchester’s beautiful historic pubs, home of the Marble Brewery. They have a fantastic pub food menu, and the mosaic floors and glazed tiles makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time. 

Where Rick Stein should go in Manchester next time

Bury Market, Higher Ground and the Marble Arch are all food and drink spots that Manchester can be proud of. But instead of romanticising Manchester’s working-class culture with a dish that hasn’t been popular here for generations, here are some of things that make Manchester’s modern food scene so good.

Curry Mile – I know we have some stiff competition from Birmingham’s Balti Triangle here, but this area has been famous for its South Asian food since the 60s and is now home to some of the city’s favourite curry houses and restaurants. 

Food halls – These multi-kitchen venues are popping up in almost every corner of Manchester, some may even say we have too many of them. However, whether it’s the well-established Altrincham Market or the more recent Kargo at Salford Quays’ Central Bay, it’s here that you will find the best of Manchester’s independent food vendors, reflecting the city’s diversity. 

Cocktail bars – Manchester has an emerging cocktail bar scene to rival London and New York. The best place to start is Schofield’s, founded by local brothers John and Daniel Schofield, which constantly features at the top of the best bar lists. 

Fine dining – As Higher Ground chef Joseph Otway mentioned to Rick Stein on the show, Manchester’s food scene is still developing, but there are a few places that are really paving the way for the region’s fine dining scene. We already have one Michelin star at Ancoats’ mana, but there’s also Where the Light Gets in in Stockport, as well as Adam Reid at the French.

Manchester’s historic locations – The Marble Arch is just one of the historic pubs in and around Manchester. These include the supposedly haunted Peveril of Peak, as well as the Briton’s Protection, the Crown and Anchor, to name but a few. If you’re looking for a dining experience in a historic location, try Sam’s Chop House or Mr Thomas’ Chop House. 

Restaurants that have stood the test of time – These restaurants do not date as far back as the Victorian era, but they have been popular Manchester restaurants for decades and prove that the city has also been a melting pot of cuisines and cultures for a very long time. Some of our favourites include the Armenian Taverna, which has been serving up Caucasian food since 1968, or Indian restaurant Rajdoot, which opened in 1966, Chinese restaurant Rice Bowl (1960) or Don Giovani (1984). 

The suburbs – Some towns in Greater Manchester are starting to emerge as foodie hotspots in their own right, such as Chorlton, Prestwich and Stockport. Even Tameside has a few spots that people are starting to get excited about, such as Ornella's in Denton. Let's also not forget that one of the country's biggest food festivals takes place in Bolton.