If you read the Observer Food Monthly magazine in last Sundayâs paper, you might have noticed a distinct lack of Manchester restaurants in the runners-up and certainly none in the winners.
Expecting a London bias goes without saying: not only is it the capital city, but the newspapers and critics are based there. But Manchester is one of the countryâs most thriving cities and will continue to be so, with the BBC moving up to Salford.
Leeds, Cumbria and some towns in North Yorkshire got a mention in the Best Restaurant category, as did Best Sunday Lunch. Other Northern cities - Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Newcastle-upon-Tyne.- all had outlets voted in the Cheap Eats categories, but again no Manchester.
Moving swiftly on to Best Bar â if thereâs one thing us Mancs can do, itâs have a good bar. Cloud 23 in the Hilton (or Beetham) Tower made runner-up, along with the gorgeous Philharmonic pub in Liverpool and Mojo in Leeds.
Cloud 23 maybe a controversial choice as far as best bar in Manchester goes (in that thereâs so many great bars), but you canât deny itâs one of the most impressive new attractions with those heady views. All as long as you donât mind queueing before your drink!
Trof is most definitely one of Manchesterâs most loved bars and the Fallowfield outpost makes runner up in the category of Best Breakfast. The food in Trof is well-known for being homecooked goodness, so all those Observer-reading students have voted well.
Best independent food shop is an interesting category because these are becoming increasingly rare. Barbakan Delicatessan in Chorlton is used to winning these awards, and was named as a runner-up. The bakery and delicatessan is well know for their bread, which is made in their own bakery, and also supplies restaurants and shops all over the North West. Owner of Barbakan Stefan Najduch said of the nomination: âItâs a tribute to the staff and the community as a whole. This is a community shop and itâs what the area deserves.â?
I know independent food stores are few and far between now, especially after Love Saves the Day and Six Pack Deli both closed down, but it would have been nice to see the Cheese Hamlet in Didsbury get a mention, or even some of those amazing food shops in China Town. But itâs important to remember if we want our independent food shops, we have to be prepared to spend money there and support them, even if going to Tesco is easier.
All of these categories mentioned were voted by readers of the Observer, so if we want to see more Manchester places, then next year we should all get voting!
