LEVENSHULME and foodie are two words that have never quite matched. Since the demise of That Cafe where Alison Eason in her pomp cooked up a storm there hasnt been much on the menu along the A6 carbon monoxide corridor, if you didnt fancy an Indian.
That all appears to be changing with the rise of two monosyllabic newcomers, Pod and Trove, whose arrival speaks volumes for the areas culinary progress. Add to this the Levenshulme Street Market will be on the fourth Saturday of the month in the railway station car park and, if its not Ludlow or Borough Market, its a start.
Pod deli (www.pod-deli.co.uk) is doing a great job in the old post office, but I think the bakery/cafe Trove, opposite the Antiques Centre, just pips it. We first encountered its fabulous sourdough at Chorlton Farmers Market and it being a bizarrely balmy Thursday (and one of the bread baking days) determined on brunch there.
Sitting al fresco on the Stockport Road pavement (pictured) is one of lifes (very) occasional pleasures and passers-by stared curiously at our respective mains of mackerel and scrambled eggs and a poached eggs with spring greens special (both around the £5 mark, with complimentary fresh bread, and equally delicious). Coffee was dense and dark.
Inside the cafe proper, all whitewashed walls and a centrepiece huge table, the smell of baking is almost narcotic. All the bread, sourdough, malted and white, is handmade and organic. The ovens are turned over to dough duties for pizza nights each Saturday and Sunday with a BYO wine policy. Soups, savouries and pastries change by the day.
This is a place that genuinely cares about the sustainability of its supplies and methods and you soon understand why it has been awarded a Gold accreditation by MFDF-affiliated Truly Good Food.
Trove is run by a husband and wife team Katy and Marcus, who also run a peripatetic market stall, selling hand-crafted produce and flowers in conjunction with Burnages enterprising Bud Garden Centre (http://budgarden.co.uk) who, as it happens are running an open garden day across the area on June 2. Fr more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bud-Garden-Centre/201090826576644.
Trove, 1032 Stockport Rd, Manchester M19 3WX. http://trovefoods.co.uk