Mostly for a couple of random little reasons. First of all, back when I was a lad I went on a school trip and managed to help in the sinking of a canal boat on one of the locks in Marple.
We ended up staying over in the local Scout’s Hut, playing British Bulldogs with the local lads and by the next day, the boat was dredged and we were on our way back round the Cheshire Ring.
Then, around 5 years later I got a girlfriend who was from Marple Bridge, so I got the chance to check out the town properly.
Since then there’s been plenty of trips there, mainly to visit the impressive boozers, go for walks and most recently – find a true hidden gem – All Things Nice.
This place was initially suggested to me by the man who started Manchester’s Finest – Lee Isherwood – who popped in on a Sunday after a walk around the area. A few piccies and proclamations of “This place is seriously mint” and we were booked in for a visit.
A bakery, café and wine bar, they bake all of their bread and pastries in-house daily, and you’ll find a long queue of people snaking out of the door on weekends scrambling to get their hands on a bit of sourdough for their bacon butties.
Their baked delights are incredible, and they create everything from loafs to pan au chocolates to even Black Pudding Scotch Eggs – which are a must-try by the way!
Their extensive brunch offering is impressive too, with the Shakshuka being our personal favourite – a dish that is notoriously hard to do well, with so many venues falling well short of the mark that it’s often impossible to get your hands on a decent version of this Middle Eastern classic.
They also offer up an Evening Menu, which is full of the highest quality charcuterie boards imaginable, filled with Italian meats and cheeses, and olives that have been marinated in-house especially to compliment them.
Overall we were massively impressed with our trip to All Things Nice, so if you’re local or if you fancy a trip out of town for the day, then head over to Marple and check them out.
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