THE mayor of Knutsford describes his market town as the gastronomic capital of Cheshire.

Cllr Peter Coan could be a little biased but he may well be right.

On the two main town centre streets, Princess Street and King Street – known locally as top street and bottom street – and on the roads that weave in between is a food and drink scene that is pretty much unrivalled by Knutsford's neighbours.

You would probably be more likely to see the town's plush, upmarket restaurants in the likes of Manchester and yet Knutsford is quaint, historic and proud of its traditions and identity.

The town centre is also quite compact making it easy to get around.

All these factors are what have made Knutsford a great choice for a series of food and drink walking tours which are officially launching on October 26 and 27.

 

For a flavour of what is to come, Weekend was invited on a dry run of 'Taste Knutsford' which has been organised by town centre manager Sandra Curties on behalf of Knutsford Town Council.

She said: "I got the idea after I went on a food tour in New York which was one of the best things I did while I was there. We went around Greenwich Village and a few of foodie places off the beaten path.

"I thought we could easily do it in Knutsford so I pitched it to the council and got the go ahead in June. We’ve got a wealth of independent traders here but it was eye-opening that some of the people here didn’t know what was around.

"It’s nice to rediscover what’s on your doorstep without it being a special event that is perhaps just once a year."

So Sandra teamed up with guide Sophie Bratt, of food and healthy living blog Sophie’s Scran, and the first test of the tour saw us visit 12 restaurants, cafes, shops and market stalls in the town.

 

We also learnt about some of historic buildings they are based in, some quirky facts and the stories behind some of Knutsford's independent traders.

Restaurant and bar, Lost and Found, made for a great start as the Grade II-listed former town hall is immaculately presented.

So those of us on the tour broke the ice over the likes of buttermilk pancakes, smashed avocado and mushrooms and turmeric yoghurt bowls.

From there we navigated Knutsford's alleyways and narrow pavements for 11 more stand-up and sit-down whistle-stop visits.

Among the highlights were oak smoked meatballs at the Freemasons pub, goats cheese and spinach croquettes at the intimate and atmospheric family-run Spanish restaurant Evuna and a selection of cheeses, including the Knutsford's own delicious Burt's Blue, at The Cheese Yard.

It was also impossible not to be charmed by the enthusiasm of Alison Cunliffe of Real Fruit Creamery whose ice cream can only be enjoyed in the town. The pistachio and honeycomb ice creams were particular highlights.

The tour also took in one of Knutsford's newest venues, Wine and Wallop, which was one of the favourites of the group thanks to its style and great heated terrace as well as the easy charm of manager Tom Higham who served Negroni cocktails and talked all things gin and wine.

A stop at the Knutsford's market hall initially seemed questionable but it was clear why that was added to the itinerary when we tried former AA Rosette awarded chef Olly Chadwick's sausage rolls from the Market Café.

Sandra added: "The market building doesn’t do justice to some of the traders there. Some people think the building is uninspiring, but the Market Café have worked really hard to build up their brand in Knutsford and make everything from scratch."

The sausage rolls were very possibly the best I've tried while another hidden gem at the market is wine specialists Morgan Edwards. Their wine from south of France vineyard Les Yeuses is a UK exclusive and the complex, oaky red was a delight.

 

Taste Knutsford was pleasantly informal and did not feel rushed but there was perhaps too many venues as by the end most of us were struggling to muster up an appetite for the final dishes.

The trial run also overran and could do with some streamlining before the official launch as while most venues were on the ball others took a long time to present dishes that should have been ready upon our arrival due to the tight schedule of these kind of tours.

But overall it was a great experience and you can see why these tours are so popular in the likes of Manchester. It is fantastic to have an experience like that closer to home and you can see the potential for the brand growing in the future.

The plan is for Taste Knutsford to change to reflect seasonal produce and as more venues and producers come on board – and with specialist tours easily possible like vegetarian tours or beer tours the possibilities are vast.

  • Taste Knutsford tours cost £45. For more information or to make a booking visit tasteknutsford.co.uk