Manchester Food and Drink Festival - 5 Oldham spots that should be shortlisted

Oldham is home to some fantastic restaurants, venues and quirky stalls, with great service to boot, yet our borough appears to have been snubbed by the annual awards ceremony with not one single place shortlisted for a prize.

Last year saw the likes of The Cob and Coal Tap in Tommyfield market nominated for Pub Beer Bar of the Year while Lily’s vegetarian restaurant down the road in Ashton won Neighbourhood Venue of the Year.

So here are the top five places in Oldham which we believe could have brought home an MFDF award this year.

The Old School BBQ Bus, Alford Street, Chadderton

Top of the list has to be The Old School BBQ Bus which has shot to fame recently after its appearance on Come Dine With Me: The Professionals.

Business owner and self-proclaimed 'celebrity chef', Mark Fairley, with head chef Dawn Draper, brought the BBQ Bus’ signature ‘low and slow’ barbecue pork to national television.

Mark Fairley and head chef Dawn Draper brought their 'low and slow' barbecue pork to national television.

Although Oldham’s very own “taste of Texas” only narrowly missed the top prize on the show, fellow contestants were wowed by Mr Fairley’s tender barbecued dish which he said he tends to at 4am every morning.

Customers from across the North West and beyond have flocked to the restaurant’s unique Wild West-themed joint, equipped of course with a specially imported Arizona yellow bus.

Revellers can enjoy a cocktail (or three) at the saloon in perfect view of the live entertainment which takes place three nights a week or come along to its ‘date steak night’ every Thursday.

Mark is also in the midst of launching his own ‘crazy’ moonshine brand – so watch this space.

Gatto Pizza, Tommyfield Market, Oldham

Giving authentic Neapolitan-style pizzas a run for its money has got to be Gatto Pizza owner, Daniel Preston, who actually travelled to Napoli numerous times to learn from the very best.

The avid baker then quit his office job to propel his pop-up pizza venture, which now sits inside Tommyfield Market from 12 to 5, Monday to Saturday.

Only the best fresh ingredients are poured into these pizzas with the dough alone taking Daniel 24 hours of love and labour to create.

Daniel Preston took his pizza research very seriously.

He has his very own stone-baked oven which can reach temperatures over 400C and cook pizzas in just over a minute.

Speaking to The Oldham Times in February, Daniel praised The Cob and Coal pub for bagging the CAMRAs Manchester Pub of the Year award and said the rise of such venues “gives you the belief there’s a chance the town will once again become a viable alternative to Manchester for food and drink."

Blue Tiffin, Higginshaw Lane, Royton

If you’re looking for the best restaurant in the North West for curry, look no further than Blue Tiffin which won the ‘curry house Oscars’ award not once but twice.

Blue Tiffin has won numerous awards at the 'curry Oscars'.

Blue Tiffin has established itself as the region’s top place for authentic Indian cuisine after winning Best Restaurant North West award at the British Curry Awards in 2014 and 2016 - and was nominated again only last year.

Defiance Distillery, Woodend Mill, Oldham

Defiance Distillery based in Lees not only won an international award in 2020, but runs a successful gin, vodka and rum bar where customers can try, taste and learn all about the distillery process of their favourite tipple.

Defiance Distillery was the first UK firm to win an award at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards since 2006.

The venture picked up Best in Show, Unaged White Spirit award at the San Francisco World Spirit Awards 2020, beating competition from around 3,000 entries and was the first time a UK firm won the accolade since 2006.

Grandpa Greene’s, Ward Lane, Saddleworth

Last but not least has got to be artisan ice cream parlour and café, Grandpa Greene's, which sits by the canal in Diggle.

All of its tasty treats are locally sourced and the establishment has been accredited by Visit England as well as bagging awards at the Great Taste in 2017 and winning best independent café in the North West in the Cafelife Awards that same year.

Popularity at the canal side café grew to new heights in 2021, so much so that Oldham Council had to use “emergency powers” to paint double yellow lines on the street to attend to the traffic problem caused by excited customers.

It's clear to see why Grandpa Greene's suffered traffic problems with speciality creations like this.

The speciality ice cream blends were born in the 1920s by Rick Scholes' great grandfather, Grandpa Greene, who made his own ice cream using a churn in the back yard of his corner shop in Salford.

But who do you think deserves an honorary mention? Let us know on Facebook or in the comments down below.