Lancashire on the menu

After Lancashire’s record breaking year of food and drink, it’s great to see the county’s reputation and delicious produce featured so prominently on the menu of a great traditional pub in one of Britain’s largest cities.

On Saturday my husband and I ventured into Manchester for a meal to celebrate a special occasion. From the plethora of places to eat, we selected Mr Thomas’ Chop House on Cross Street near Manchester Town Hall, for its good British fare, fine wines and authentically old- fashioned atmosphere. Mr Thomas’ was originally a Georgian town house and still retains much of the character of the 1860s when it opened as a public house and restaurant.

I was struck and delighted to see Lancashire produce throughout the menu, from starters to sweets. My husband chose the award-winning Bury black pudding fritter (Bury is now administratively classed as Greater Manchester but was formerly in Lancashire and is still considered a Lancashire town by many). The main course offered Goosnargh Duck and referenced the producer on the menu “crispy-skinned confit duck leg from Reg Johnson of Preston”. Lancashire’s most well-known dish, Lancashire Hotpot was also featured and the cheese board included Kidderton Ash from Butlers Cheeses. I took the opportunity to read a little of the history of the building and found that Lancashire even played a part in that – the exterior is built from Accrington brick.