Food/Drink North West

The North West’s food and drink culture is thriving, there are new disabled friendly restaurants, bars, gastropubs, micro-breweries and cafes popping up all over the area and Manchester in particular is establishing itself as one of the UK’s most exciting accessible destinations for food and drink.

The North West of England is a great haven for foodies, in fact for over twenty years, it has been the host of the World Pie Eating Championships! The competition takes place in Greater Manchester and in recent years has featured both meat and vegetarian pies, currently the world record for the quickest time to eat a pie is 22.53 seconds!

Staying in the North West will guarantee you some incredible pies, they are a region that takes their pastry very seriously, but that isn’t the only dish that originates in the region.

One of the most popular meals is the Lancashire hotpot, a slow cooked meal that is made with a mix of meat and vegetables and covered with sliced potatoes. Have you even really been to Lancashire if you haven’t sampled a real Lancashire hotpot? If that doesn’t have you salivating, how about their other famous export, the Cumberland sausage? This famous peppery pork sausage comes from the area of Cumberland and unlike what you usually think of when you picture a sausage often comes in a circular coil that can be up to 50cm long!

For those of you that have a sweet tooth, be sure to try an Eccles cake. This flakey pastry treat is full of sweet sticky dried fruit and topped with sugar. You can find them all over the country, but they always taste better in the north west!

Wherever you travel in the north west, you’ll find a whole host of traditional delicacies, Cheshire cheese for instance is popular, it is one of the oldest recorded cheeses in Britain and as such, the International Cheese Awards are regularly held in the region.

Whatever you’re in the mood for, you’ll find in the North West, the region is very diverse with international cuisine from all over the world right on the doorstep. Whether you want to go for an Italian or try some Vietnamese, you’ll find it all here. The restaurants and cafes in the region offer wheelchair access and plenty of space for those using mobility aids as well as areas that feature dim lights and low sound, as well as menus that are available in large print.

Local produce is at the chefs’ and cooks’ fingertips with the coast and the countryside producing a whole range of delicious ingredients. Try some gin distilled in Liverpool, or asparagus grown on the Wirral, or perhaps, if you’re into seafood, you might want to sample shrimp from Southport. You’ll find the menus and markets of the region are proud to offer visitors the chance to try some home grown dishes.
From fine dining to afternoon tea, you’ll find it all here, the area is packed with options to suit any mood and taste. The bigger cities have plenty of specialist establishments offering vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options, as well as being able to adapt their menus for anyone else with a dietary requirement. You’ll find recognisable high street chain establishments and smaller independent places, all of which are dedicated to being as accessible as possible, you’ll find a list of them below.