TOM Sneesby and Joannes Hubertus van Goethem sound like characters out of a Patricia Highsmith noir novel. In person they are as engaging as their new bar/bottle shop, Grape to Grain, along Prestwich’s hottest strip. It’s all relative, of course. Cuckoo, further up Bury New Road, is a fine neighbourhood bar, matched by brunchier newcomer All The Shapes in Warwick Street, while Solita, on the opposite corner of Church Lane from G to G, is wowing the ‘burbs with its ‘dirty food’, but this is still just a slow burn of hipsterification. Still, lucky Prestwich
The good news is that there’s real expertise behind the wine, beer and spirit agenda that fuels grape to grain (the £12 cheese platters are the tasty support act). Tom is one half of the Liquorists, whose Manchester drinks tours are the stuff of woozy legend, while his Dutch business partner in the bar (‘everyone calls me Barry’) is a walking wine and spirits encyclopedia, who has mixed cocktails in all the best places. Expect to see reday bottle cocktails, such as Negronis, making a guest appearance soon.
Grape to Grain is tiny and when I visited stock, especially the craft beer cool cabinet, had been seriously depleted by an enthusiastic opening weekend. Still the top shelves boasted well-aged Burgundies and equally vintage whiskies and the everyday wines, many sourced from Liberty, were a fascinating mix. Check out Tinpot Hut and Greywacke whites from New Zealand’s Marlborough region. I fancied both but finally settled for a bottle of Kung Fu Riesling from the US’s Washington State for £16 (to drink in, add on a standard £7; it’s a £2.50 mark-up for beers).
It’s a fine, attractive place to drink in when it’s not too crowded. An Enomatic machine should be loaded this week, extending the scope to try some surprisingly sourced quality wines by the glass. Cheers, guys.
Grape to Grain, 1 Church Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1AA.
