If you know three things about Marple Bridge (and neighbouring Marple) it’s probably that it’s an extremely beautiful part of the world, that it inspired that famous detective, and that they have an extraordinary concentration of some of Greater Manchester’s best independent restaurants.
Town Street – the village’s almost impossibly pretty high street – features a handful of restaurants which each, individually, would be worth making the journey to seek out.
Fold Bistro is one such establishment.
A 2023 addition to the street, Fold feels like it’s been part of the gastronomic landscape for a lot longer. Their newly-unveiled menu features seasonal dishes which would impress your most serious foodie pals, but not intimidate those who prefer something a little more down to earth.
Take, for instance, the bread and butter to start (hard to get more of a crowd-pleaser than that). It’s sourced from much-loved Stockport bakery Sticky Fingers, and comes with a generous blob of miso butter. Ridiculously simple, but delicious.
In fact, throughout the menu, the simple and the decadent meld skilfully, and what is ‘appropriate’ to eat at certain times of the day is of no concern. You can enjoy a native oyster with pink ginger and salmon roe or six, immediately followed by the crispest, most geometrically-perfect hash browns you’ve ever experienced.
Fold’s are served with aesthetically pleasing dollops of black garlic and roasted onion puree, and finished with a ‘leek ash’ – a byproduct of their Northern Leeks dish. So you can hold the ketchup. High and low brow also come together with a steak tartare, served hot dog-style in a brioche roll.
For ‘mains’, a fresh and zingy trout dish is served with watercress, labneh and completed with acid-green apple sauce, while another fish dish – the stone bass – is presented with more traditional accompaniments, a hispi cabbage and tartare sauce.
The format here is to order a generous cluster of sharing plates for picking at, but that doesn’t necessarily mean dining with dietary restrictions is a headache. There are plenty of veggie and vegan possibilities like celeriac pappardelle and oyster mushrooms with polenta, as well as skilled and accommodating chefs and floor staff who know the menu inside out.
Meat-eaters meanwhile, can dig into beef shin ragù topped with Yorkshire pecorino, or lamb shoulder with whipped potatoes. These are hearty flavour combinations you know and love, just with a helping of cheffy flare, courtesy of Head Chef Jake Rossington’s experienced background in all things elevated British cooking.
The menu is exactly what you want – old school favourites like rice pudding and apple shortcake, reimagined with intriguing additions like tonka bean and miso. Adventurous, but grounded. Simply put, if you don’t already have a reason to visit Marple Bridge, this is very much it.
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