A new cafe and shop in Delph which was dreamt up by a chef promises to serve homemade food and locally produced homeware - and I went to go and try it out.

The Garage, which sits snuggly in the Saddleworth Business Centre, only opened in September last year.

Owner Michelle Greenwood is a fully qualified chef and is not only known for her exceptional cooking skills, which she passed on through training apprentices, but also steered the ship of a successful catering company, No Name Food Company.

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The Oldham Times: The Garage is welcoming and cosy insideThe Garage is welcoming and cosy inside (Image: Newsquest)

Her husband, Steve, said many of the "good folk of Saddleworth" may be familiar with her business - or at least have tried some of her food in one way or another.

Indeed, since The Garage doors opened, villagers have been excited by the new premises which certainly brings something unique to its cosy corner.

Steve added: "It's Michelle's baby.

"It's going really well - it's become quite a little community hub.

The Oldham Times: There are plenty of cakes, cookies and biscuits up for grabsThere are plenty of cakes, cookies and biscuits up for grabs (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

"People love the relaxed vibe and friendly service, not to mention the fabulous coffee, great cakes, sandwiches and soups.

"It has lots of unique homeware products, candles, pieces of art and interesting pieces.

"We sell them online and wanted a physical presence as well, and said it'd be great to browse and have a coffee and cake at the same time.

"That's how it started really."

Browsing some home decor while tucking into a hearty sandwich or wedge of cake sounded right up my street, and that's exactly what I planned to do when I popped by for a visit one Saturday afternoon.

So here's what my friend and I thought of the place when we swung by.

The Oldham Times: The Garage has plenty of homeware items and trinkets to browseThe Garage has plenty of homeware items and trinkets to browse (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

The first thing to note is The Garage has a homely almost cottage-like feel to it, sitting just off the beaten path of the Delph donkey trail.

The decor also lives up to its outdoorsy vibe with plenty of cosiness with furry rugs and pillows strewn around while four-legged friends are more than welcome to lounge around the place. 

We were met with an equally warm welcome and although it was absolutely packed, we managed to browse some of the shelves of trinkets and homeware goods - it has some great birthday cards, candles, woodwork items, birthday gifts, rugs and even bits and bobs for Mother's Day - and found a table for two.

The Oldham Times: The incredible black forest mocha in all its chocolatey glory The incredible black forest mocha in all its chocolatey glory (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

To start us off and keep us warm from the bitter cold wind outside, my guest ordered an oat milk latte while I couldn't resist the black forest mocha which came in a tall glass with a generous dollop of whipped cream, a pink edible chocolate petal and pink dusting as well as pink crunchy pearls.

I thought it was more chocolatey than cherry, which I was happy about, and loved the intense indulgent flavours as well as the attention to detail.

The chocolate rose petal proved perfect for scooping up some of the whipped cream to eat.

I then opted for a chicken, bacon and brie sandwich.

The Oldham Times: The brie, bacon and chicken sandwich was comprised of huge slices of homemade focaccia bread The brie, bacon and chicken sandwich was comprised of huge slices of homemade focaccia bread (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

Rammed between Michelle's homemade fluffy focaccia bread, the chicken was tender and generous, as were the crispy bits of bacon which complimented the melted chunks of cheese.

Considering the sheer size of it and the risk it presented to being quite dry, I was glad it had a good lashing of chutney on the focaccia so there wasn't one dull bite in sight.

Meanwhile, Josie went for the vegan Mexican bean and hummus avocado wrap which she said was "very tasty" and had a slight kick to it from some sweet chilli sauce.

The Oldham Times: Josie happily tucked into her latte and vegan wrapJosie happily tucked into her latte and vegan wrap (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

She said she would've preferred a tad bit more avocado in there but it was still packed with veggies and flavour.

Finally, we couldn't resist the homemade cakes that were out on display and, to fuel my new-found addiction to pink chocolate petals, I went for the red velvet chocolate brownie while my friend went for the vegan poppyseed and lemon cake. 

My wedge was delightful - thick and doused in white chocolate sauce while again the pink petals and crunchy pink balls just added to the indulgence and whole experience.

Josie was also chuffed with her cake, describing it as sweet and fluffy - and she also rated the bright crunchy sprinkles on top.

The Oldham Times: The cakes were just £2.50 and deliciousThe cakes were just £2.50 and delicious (Image: Newsquest, Olivia Bridge)

As for the cost, we were both pleasantly surprised and a little bit gobsmacked when the bill came to a total of just £23.40.

The cakes were just £2.50 each and considering each slice had a lot of love poured in with no scrimping on the quality of the ingredients or the decor, I would say they have to be the cheapest yet most luxurious homemade cake I've come across to date.

Overall, we gave The Garage the ultimate taste test and left more than satisfied for a fraction of the cost of what we expected.

The cafe has a lot to offer and is a dream place to relax, leisurely shop and enjoy a natter with a friend over a piece of cake - and Michelle also hinted there may be some bigger plans in the future for its outdoor area this summer.

So, watch this space!

Got a restaurant or cafe you’d like us to review? What about a business shout-out or another story idea? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge