One thing that is so satisfying when you’re a travel loving foodie is trying the local cuisine. I loved the Eating Europe tour I did in Porto and there are so many trips you can do when abroad to sample the local culinary delights, I’ve always wondered why this is not more of a thing closer to home. I know the UK doesn’t have as much of a rich food culture as places like Thailand and Italy, but we do have some exceptional producers that should really be celebrated. Knutsford are doing just that and have designed a walking food tour of their gorgeous village, I popped along to some of the participating independents to see what they are offering future visitors.
The Courthouse kicks off the tour beautifully with a selection of brunch dishes, served in the stunning grade II listed court house. The historic building saw the sentencing of Alan Turing in 1952, but has recently undergone extensive refurbishment to create a gorgeous space for an all day dining concept. We loved the Eggs Benedict with filter coffee that warmed us up, ready for the tour ahead.
The tour is all about Knutsford’s independent retailers and the Market Hall is celebrated as a hub of fabulous people and produce in the town. The Market Café is owned by Turkish born Bahattin and his baklava was worth the trip in itself. I’ll definitely be back for his friendly chat and a ‘Turkish’ breakfast. It looked delicious.
Also taking part in the Taste Knutsford tour is The Market Hall Butcher. Owner Mike has worked in the market hall since he was 16 years old, so he has plenty of tales to regale you with whilst serving up locally caught game and their legendary ‘double yolk’ eggs. For the tour they serve up a crumbly Cheshire cheese.
You can’t leave Knutsford Market Hall without a visit to the local legend that is Jonty. Most of his fruit and vegetable offering is grown within a few miles of his stall and looks absolutely stunning. Naturally, his offering for the tour will change with the seasons but we were served the freshest fruit kebabs, which also acted as a great palate cleanser on our journey around the streets of Knutsford.
The tour isn’t just about food, there are plenty of refreshment opportunities as well. Tatton Perk were part of my tour where Mark and the team shared their wealth of coffee knowledge and samples of freshly brewed v60. I also tried their hot chocolate, which is available in dark, milk or white. It was so creamy and it’s always incredible to see a coffee shop investing in their other hot drink offerings, alongside good coffee. I bought my Dad a giant eccles cake when I was there and he declared it one of the best he has tried.
Detaljer are also taking part in the tour and, if you are lucky enough to visit the coffee shop and lifestyle store opened by native Swede Caterine, you’ll be treated to traditional Swedish sweet treats with tea or coffee.
Moving away from breakfast and more into lunch, you’ll find seventeenth century pub the Rose and Crown. Their Sunday lunches are so popular, they are fully booked 3 weeks in advance! Chef Jamie creates beautifully seasonal dishes and their garlic flat breads are out of this world. In winter you’ll find a roaring fireplace dating back to 1641, in summer? a sunny rear terrace to soak up the rays. It is a lovely spot.
Not new to me on the tour is Evuna. A favourite of mine from Manchester, they started life in the city to bring the finest Spanish wines to the UK before complimenting them with tapas cooked by chefs from Madrid. They opened their Knutsford branch in 2017 and you’ll be able to try their Croquetas Variadas on the tour. Their Pan Catalan is so good, as pictured above.
For me, every good food tour should also show some fab drink options and the Taste Knutsford tour does that so well. You may visit Dexter & Jones, with over 450 craft beers and 100 artisan gins on offer. Here you will get to sample gin from their collection.
Morgan Edwards started life in the Market Hall before moving to a listed building in the heart of the town. The knowledgeable duo can give advice on the best bottle for your occasion, and we tried some lovely wines on the tour including this fizz that is so reasonably priced!
April’s Kitchen is the most instagrammable spot in Knutsford, in my opinion! We visited on a random Thursday lunch time and it was packed with people enjoying lunch. The food looked great but for the tour, you’ll try a refreshing cocktail and they have some creative delights that they whip up just for tour guests.
It is at this point in the tour where I am glad I was given a bag at the start, as I definitely needed to take some of it home! Finishing with sweet treats, we nipped into The Cranford Cafe for a take away scone that I warmed up for breakfast the next morning. They’ve been keeping the good people of Knutsford well fed for over 20 years and it is clear to see how.
You may be treated to a slice of take away cake from the Tea Room, or gelato from The Real Fruit Creamery. We ended at Hot Cocoa, where professional pastry chef Hattie has set up her own chocolate shop. Her goods are all made on site and her chocolates are hand painted, which is really a sight to behold. They taste as good as they look and if you are lucky enough to visit as part of your tour, you’ll get to sample them and her naturally flavoured ice cream.
Your tour will stop at 7-8 of these incredible independent retailers and include up to 12 people. The numbers are kept smell so you can really experience each venue and talk to these fabulous Knutsford people about their businesses. Supporting local really goes one step further on the Taste Knutsford tour and I really hope it encourages other towns to think about their indies to set up something similar.
