CityLife

Sticking together in Chorlton

Wild At Heart

TRAVELLING into Chorlton from the city centre on Manchester Road, it's easy to be captivated by the bold presence - figuratively and in status - of definitive foodie magnets Barbakan and Unicorn; and stop there. But that's really just scratching the surface.

Chorlton has an incredible wealth of food and drink havens - a massive 27 of which have been involved in this year's Chorlton Fringe Festival, part of the CityLife.co.uk Food And Drink Festival, which draws to a close this weekend.

"The great thing about Chorlton is that there are a lot of places here, but we've all got our niche," says Adam Berlyne of North Star Deli on Wilbraham Road. "No one's stepping on anyone else's toes. Barbakan is my favourite place for bread, Unicorn for fresh organic veg... but everywhere else has a speciality too."

'One step ahead'

North Star Deli has now been involved with the annual Food And Drink Festival for five years, and this weekend boasts Sicilian wine tasting (today from 1pm); bangers and mash specials on Saturday (October 11) with Gloucester Old Spot sausages; and has even improved its regular Sunday breakfast in honour of the festival.

"We're increasingly focusing on eating in," says Berlyne. "And our catering service has been growing steadily - both private and corporate.

"If people take the time to come to independent outlets, they'll be rewarded, because we always try to stay one step ahead of the supermarkets and stock things that you can't find there. There are a lot of great independent suppliers we source from who just won't sell to supermarkets.

"There's a really thriving independent sector. People want a bit of variety and to support the local economy - and get good value as well. If you offer people choice, they appreciate it."

Thriving

It's certainly an ethos which Chorlton enjoys in abundance. Just up the road from the vegetarian and vegan mecca of Unicorn, organic meat and dairy deli Wild At Heart - which also offers pastries and a coffee shop - has been thriving for more than two years.

"There's room for everybody," says owner Veena Josh. "It's exciting that we all stick together as a local, independent community."

Beech Road restaurant Marmalade serves Wild At Heart's cake and cheese; the latter of which is also favoured by Sandbar over in Manchester's Southern Quarter. Among Josh's favourite Chorlton venues is home interiors shop Pad, another relative newcomer to Manchester Road.

The community-focused, healthy-living philosophy extends to every part of Wild At Heart's operation, from employment of local people to cut travel, to sourcing of produce, to recycling and composting any by-products. Josh and her business partner, who runs The Hillary Step, created a set of aims and values before opening the store.

'Fantastic quality'

"We have 44 organic cheeses," says Josh. "It doesn't look that way, but I've counted them! Every one of our cheeses is local, organic or unpasteurised - or a combination of those aspects.

"Our milk is delivered twice a week; I can tell you when our eggs were picked - and they're cheaper than the supermarket - and I know exactly when our chickens are being selected and prepared. People love our meat from Mansergh Hall on the border of Lancashire and Cumbria. We do fairtrade products wherever possible.

"We also have Pieminister pies, which are handcrafted and of fantastic quality. They're so good, that people who've tried them elsewhere track them down at our store after seeing on the Pieminster website that we're a local stockist."

Wild At Heart will be hosting a cheese tasting session tomorrow (Saturday October 11), as a festival promotion; plus a barbeque session on Sunday (October 12) - and now supplies its own-baked pastries and ciabattas.

Atmosphere

Derby-born Josh moved to Manchester from London and made a startling career change from BBC producer to food retail.

"I've been in Chorlton for seven or eight years - and I wouldn't live anywhere else," she says. "I've tried!"

Another producer from Chorlton's creative goldmine is confectioner and baker And The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon, which is a regular stallholder at the Farmers' Markets in Piccadilly - and has also been taking part in the Fine Foods Market in St Ann's Sqaure as part of the CityLife.co.uk Food And Drink Festival (ends Sunday October 12).

"We're in the early stages, but the atmosphere at the markets is great," says owner Anna Walker, who runs everything from her home in Chorlton's Sandy Lane area.

"We've even had enquiries about catering and further supplies - even though we don't have a shop!"