It’s not everyday you can say you got to sample the same dishes that made it to the judging chambers on Great British Menu. But diners in Greater Manchester can do exactly that.
If you’re not familiar with the television programme, chefs from across the country battle it out with their specially-created menus that meet a particular theme, this year’s being the Olympics. When it came to representing the North West region in the competition, one of the chefs who made a show-stopping effort was Ryan Stafford of Fold Bistro and Bottle Shop in Marple Bridge.
Unfortunately, Ryan didn’t make it all the way to the finish line but that’s not to say there weren’t some winning dishes on his menu. And as of recently, you too can taste the dishes that got well-regarded chef Tom Kerridge, owner of Mowgli restaurants Nisha Katona, comedian and Off Menu podcast host Ed Gamble and Tokyo 2020 gold medal-winning wheelchair rugby champion Paralympian Stuart Robinson talking and demolishing.
Nestled in the quaint village of Marple Bridge with the River Goyt flowing past, you’ll find both escapism from the city’s hustle and bustle and also exquisite places to eat like Fold Bistro. We sat in one of their window seats – a cute corner where you can watch passers-by, enjoy the soft hubbub in the centre of the restaurant as well as admire the wine bottles filled on shelves and inside fridges, that you can also take home.
We began our meal with a canapé of heritage carrot tart with Achari spice, kaffir lime, coconut and cinnamon pickles. We can only describe it as a modern and bitesize interpretation of your typical Indian starter of poppadoms, chutneys and pickles – bursting with flavours and a great way to kick off a feast.
There’s the option to add a wine flight to the set menu and we kicked things off a glass of Radford Dale Thirst Cinsault – although a red wine, this was served chilled and tasted of juicy red berries and was a refreshing start to the meal. The restaurant also serves a wide range of alcohol-free wines and beers that are just as enjoyable as their alcohol counterparts so you needn’t feel like you’re missing out.
Moving onto the first course, we tucked into an artichoke and truffle parfait topped with crispy flames of shallot and Jerusalem artichoke and served with grilled winter brassica leaves and ember oil paired with a Cretan white wine. Named ‘The Eternal Torch’, this dish featured some theatrics as the bowl was set alight emulating the Olympic torch’s flame and we overheard plenty of impressed oohs and aahs across the restaurant.
The fish course was a personal favourite of mine as the dish infused your classic fish and chips with a little nod to Manchester’s Curry Mile. Although more refined than your usual order from the chippy, you still get to experience that delicate fish that flakes away beautifully (in this case hake rather than cod or haddock), plus crispy batter bits, mashed potato, late summer preserved peas (a more elegant and tastier take on mushy peas), a Curry Mile sauce and vinegar dust.
Scoring eights and nines with the Great British Menu judges and beating his opponent Kirk Haworth on this course, we had high hopes for Ryan’s main. Known as ‘A Feast for Zeus’, the dish consisted of roasted crown of lamb served with a squash-filled pastilla, pickled squash, toasted sesame, mint, wild honey, squash purée, roasted figs, feta and rosemary sauce.
The Fold Bistro dish not only nailed the brief on Great British Menu but also blew us away with the succulent lamb and delicious tang from the pickled squash. All of the elements paired amazingly together and with the freshness of the mint, figs and feta on the dish this made it not too heavy like many mains can. And we were mopping up that squash purée and rosemary sauce off our plates.
Getting us warmed up (or should we say cooled down?) for dessert was The Olive Branch. The pre-dessert consisted of a sheep’s milk gelato, served with leafy lemon, candied olives and an olive leaf tuile and drizzled with olive oil. This proves the theory about the addition of olive oil and salt to ice cream amplifying its flavour, and I will be trying it again.
I had never had a candied olive before, but someone needs to jar these up and start selling them if they’re not already. The pre-dessert on the Great British Menu set menu at Fold Bistro was a great transition from main to dessert thanks to the creamy, refreshing gelato, sweet, moreish olives and the crunch of the tuile.
Since a croque-en-bouche is no mean feat, and the struggle to eat a full one post-five courses, it made total (and logistical) sense for Ryan to pare things back with a sleek Parisian éclair. Served with a custard ice cream, pulled sugar and salty, biscuity crumb, the dessert hit all the right notes. The layer of chocolate on top was the perfect amount in order to not be too rich and the salty crumb stopped the dish from being overly sweet.
With generous portion sizes and showstopping plates you’ll be eating like royalty, and we would be happy to eat these dishes at any banquet. As much as I am a big fan of Great British Menu, I am also now a big fan of what Fold Bistro is doing in the Greater Manchester hospitality scene. Watch this space.
Find Fold Bistro & Bottle Shop at 7 Town St, Marple Bridge, Stockport, SK6 5AA. You can book a table here.