When you visit Manchester in the northwest, you’ll no doubt want to taste the best or most unique local food – what one may consider delicacies. And although the UK is rarely the first country one thinks of when it comes to outstanding culinary tradition, it has given the world more than a few delicious dishes, many of which can trace their lineage back to Manchester.
So, if you’re a foodie, you will love discovering the rich food-filled heritage of our great northern city, which is nowadays packed to the rafters with fantastic restaurants, bars and world culinary flavours from international traditions. If, however, you want to discover authentic local fare, many with a few hundred-year histories, look at our list of Manchester delicacies worth trying below.
The Manchester Tart
When you want true homey but famous Manchester food, this one has to be at the very top of your list! This traditional tart is made from shortcrust pastry spread with raspberry jam, covered with custard filling and topped with coconut flakes. Often spotted gracing Specials menus at local British restaurants throughout the city, it can also be found as a bakery staple or in markets for takeaway.
Black Pudding
Black pudding is a pig’s blood sausage which includes fillers such as barley, oats and suet and is an English breakfast staple. Historians have noted that the first black pudding is said to have been made in 1810 in Bury, Manchester. Nowadays, Black Pudding is available in any UK supermarket, but for a traditional experience, head over to a butcher shop in Bury. You can also often find it hot boiled in many local markets as a takeaway snack, often complimented by malt vinegar.
Meat and Potato Pie
This classic is a typical dish around the northern counties of Lancashire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Cumbria, and Cheshire, which is made with stewed beef, potatoes, onions and gravy. It’s a stodgy slice of tastiness that can be found in most Manchester city pubs, bakeries and takeaway shops.
Eccles Cakes
Eccles Cakes are made from flaky butter pastry and filled with currants or sultanas and named for the town of Eccles, which is now part of Manchester. First sold by James Birch in 1793, these humble pastries have since become one of the most popular cakes in the UK. Nicknamed “squashed fly cake”, they’re usually eaten with a local cheese which adds a sharp tang to the flavours. While Eccles Cakes are available in most supermarkets, your best to head to a local shop, bakery or market stall in Manchester for this one to experience authentic flavours.
Rag Pudding
This rather interesting concoction involves a diced and minced beef and onion gravy inside hand-folded suet before being cooked in a “rag”, traditionally a piece of muslin cloth. This beauty is still a popular delicacy around Manchester and is available at local butchers, delis and chippies.
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