CityLife

Macaroon by Alison Seagrave

A STRETCH of suburban road in Bamford, 'twixt Rochdale and Bury is the unlikely new home of former Harvey Nichols head chef Alison Seagrave.

She has returned to her roots to launch an upmarket cake shop called Macaroon by Alison Seagrave.

There are dining opportunities in abundance all around her. Across the road, The Dog And Partridge will doubtless supply you with bar snacks while you watch big screen sport.

Alongside Macaroon, a former post office, you'll find Baguette's sandwich bar, the Italian Room and Young's Chinese chippy.

Hands-on expertise

It's familiar territory for Alison, who lives three miles down the road and once worked on Bury Market before training as a pastry chef at top London hotels like the Lanesborough.

Harvey Nichols head honcho was as good as it gets in Manchester but executive status in major catering operation, as so often happens, divorces a chef from the hands-on expertise that made her name. 

I'd like to think it was the success of her Harvey Nicks cupcakes last year that prompted her surprise exit.

Cupcakes and macaroons (natch) were very much in evidence on the counter as we entered the stylish but tiny (24 covers) interior.

This is very much a café. You can see through the hatch to the kitchen out the back, overlooking a lovely garden.

Work in progress

 It must be heaven to bake there in comparison with the sealed pressure-cooker, long-day existence that was hers at Harvey Nicks. 

Here, too, she is surrounded by family helping launch the business. Her sister works alongside her and her mum and dad were holding the fort the Saturday afternoon we were there, the first day Alison has been away from the project.

She told me later her new place is very much a work in progress as she fine-tunes the menu. Be warned: the aim is simple and delicious, no more.

That was obvious from our pair of salads at £7 apiece, chosen ahead of £6 savouries such as tomato mozzarella and pesto puff pastry tart and melted onion and goat cheese pot with toasted brioche and a variety of open sandwiches.

Majorly yummy

Maybe I'm not really a salad person but the said salads were quite small, even if perfectly formed with fine ingredients. I suspect the discreetly smoked breast of chicken in mine, accompanied by beautifully ripe mango, was sourced from Port Of Lancaster.

OB's beetroot and warm goat cheese was majorly yummy (oh dear, I'm starting to sound like a lady who lunches!). We did drink tea. Again, I'd like a bigger pot.

These caveats aside, the main reason I suspect folk will flock to the café is the quality of cakes.

Tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake and – most divine of all – the raspberry and chocolate torte were all diligently sampled. At £3.95 eat in, £2.50 take out, they are pitched just right.

Hot jam sauce

The pud list also featured sticky toffee pudding with whipped cream, a sticky toffee pudding far superior to the much-touted Cartmel brand and (how did we miss it?) Yorkshire pudding filled with vanilla ice cream and hot jam sauce.

One suspects Alison's roving imagination, especially in the cupcake field, will ensure it's a moveable taste feast at Macaroon. 

Macaroon by Alison Seagrave, 569 Bury Road, Rochdale (01706 558565). Tues-Sat 9am-5pm.

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