Jam Making & Preserving tips

Summer is here and the fruit bushes and trees in my garden are groaning with fruit. I’ve always loved jam making and making my own preserves and pickles, it’s quite a lovely relaxing thing to do and in the depths of winter you have a jar of something summery to spread on your toast.

When I made my first batch of jam, I didn’t have a preserving pan, my jam jars were a mixture of all sorts I’d rescued from the recycling bin and my labels were just plain sticky ones. It was great fun, but then I got the jam bug and realised if I wanted to be making decent quality jams then I’d need to get some proper kit.

A real essential is a stainless steel maslin pan. Firstly, they hold a lot of jam which is quite important, and secondly they’re designed to help you make a better quality jam than you would in your biggest saucepan. With a heavy base and a wider rim which helps the jam reach a setting point quicker, a maslin pan is a real essential. I wouldn’t be without my jam pan.

For jam makers, new or experienced, I really recommend the Lovejars site – Rosie’s Pantry in particular which is ideal for the home jam maker. They have some really lovely and unique products in their Jarcessorise range – a whole new concept that appeals to the home preserver – you are only really limited by your imagination. All the elements to dress up your jars can be bought individually, or grouped together in collections or in super-cute Dressing Up Boxes.

Rosie has a really useful blog all about jam making and preserving and it’s a fantastic resource for people wanting to try their hand at making jams and preserves. Her recipe site has lots of information and her recipes can be re-scaled by entering the weight of the main ingredient, so you can easily make more – or less depending on how much fruit you have. The recipes are optimised for mobile so easy to check details when you are out and about, especially if you’ve found a bargain box of fruit you can’t resist jamming with.

I’ll be learning more about jam making with Rosie over the next few months, I’ll maybe share a recipe or two and some tips for dressing your jars to make beautiful gifts for friends and family.

Jam Making

Rosie has very kindly given me a discount code for you all to use, just enter LOVEIT10 and the checkout which gives you 10% off everything on the Lovejars website, excluding carriage.

Review: A Creamline Dairies Fresh Veg Box

Living in Manchester my local dairy is Creamline Dairies. They offer doorstep deliveries of milk as well as a large range of other products. One of their newest offerings is a fresh veg box delivery and I was keen to give it a try.

I’ve previously tried veg boxes from most of the big veg box companies, but they just send you a selection of what they’ve got, rather than allowing you to pick and choose what you want and need. With the Creamline Dairies veg box you can choose what fruit, veg and herbs you need, add them to your box, choose your delivery date and as long as your order is over £10 they will deliver it to your door.

For the purposes of this review, they sent me a selection of the most popular fruit and veg. My box included – salad leaves, mushrooms, carrots, new potatoes, peppers, radishes, onions, tomatoes, apples, oranges, grapes and raspberries. They were well packed and presented in a sturdy cardboard box.

As it was delivered on one of the hottest days of the year, we decided a BBQ was in order so we set to work making use of some of our lovely fresh veg. It was all really good quality. I couldn’t fault the freshness of any of the ingredients. In fact the tomatoes were probably amongst the best I’d ever had.

Creamline Dairies

We made use of the salad leaves and made some veggie kebabs with the peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes. For pudding I made use of the raspberries and grapes and added some strawberries I had in the fridge and made a chocolate sauce to dip the fruit in. That was incredibly popular.

Creamline Dairies

Over the next few days I used all of the fruit and veg we’d been sent. It was great to have a fridge full of good quality fruit and veg which didn’t have too many food miles and had as much as possible been gown locally.

I think milkmen (and women) have had a tough time of things lately, and if I could step on my soapbox for a minute, I’m very much in favour of supporting local dairies and in turn, supporting local farmers and food producers who are feeling the squeeze. Eating food which hasn’t come far, is great for the local economy and also helps to give me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

I really like that Creamline Dairies offer not only milk, but also fruit and veg and the full range of groceries, all with free delivery. As someone who doesn’t drive and can’t really carry bags of heavy shopping, this is a real godsend and I know that I’ll be using this service in the future. I couldn’t fault the produce or the service and I fully support the local ethos behind it.

For more information about Creamline Dairies and their veg boxes visit their website.

We are sent our first veg box for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Review: The Metropolitan, West Didsbury

Being a born and bred Didsbury girl, and also being something of a certain age, I can remember when The Metropolitan was The Midland Hotel and the best thing on Burton Road was a launderette. I’ve watched the gradual polishing up of West Didsbury over the years, lots of bars, cafes and restaurants have come and gone, but the cornerstone (quite literally) of West Didsbury since 2000 has been The Metropolitan.

For many years I worked around the corner from The Met, popping in for a swift after work drink, or for works lunches and Christmas meals. It’s convenient, they do great cask ales, there’s lots of parking, it’s really family friendly without being a Wacky Warehouse and it’s now little more than a sneeze away from the Metrolink. But is it any good?

I confess it’s been a while since I dined there. I don’t get “up West” as often as I should. There’s a lot to be said for the large and lovely beer garden at The Met, especially on what was the hottest day of the year, or summer as we call it in Manchester.

I met my companion at the bar, where we thirstily supped a cold pint while we waited to be seated at our table in the air conditioned and airy conservatory. It was busy, but not uncomfortably so, and I reckon the sunshine had brought everyone out for the evening, despite the fact it was a Tuesday and a school night.

We ordered starters, me a goats cheese and chive hash brown with apple puree (£5.75) and he the homemade crab cakes, crunchy salad, cucumber salsa (£5.95). As a veggie, I was excited to see something a bit more adventurous on offer for me and I was very pleasantly surprised with my hash brown.

Metropolitan

It was a big, thick, chunky portion, nicely seasoned, cheesy enough but not too goaty, and the apple sauce just made it extra special. I was pretty excited by this. I am beyond bored of blue cheese, mushrooms and veggie tarts, so it was good to find something interesting and different.

Metropolitan

My friend enjoyed his crab cakes. They were obviously homemade, the crab meat was generous and the cucumber relish an excellent foil for the dish. I had a little nibble and I’d quite like to buy a jar of that lovely fresh relish for myself.

Metropolitan

The portions were very generous, probably enough for me for lunch, so do arrive hungry if you want more than one course.

Moving on to the mains, as it was summer and my body is a temple or something, I ordered the Halloumi Superfood salad which included kale, baby spinach, beetroot, orange, pearl cous cous, watercress & toasted pumpkin seeds with a tomato, garlic & oregano dressing (£11.95). It was huge, with great big slabs of perfectly cooked, deliciously salty halloumi.

Metropolitan

Had I known about the generous portion sizes I wouldn’t have ordered the best sweet potato fries in the world (£3.50) as a side, but I did and I didn’t regret it for one moment. Hand cut and definitely not from frozen, the crispy skin-on fries, generously salted they were sweet potato perfection. We were fighting over them in the end.

Metropolitan

My friend ordered the Pan-fried Goosnargh duck breast, cranberry polenta cake, wilted spinach with a redcurrant jus (£15.95). The waiter warned him that it would arrive pink, but this was the only fault in our meal, and it was probably our fault, but the duck was not pink. I’m pretty sure it was our fault because we faffed about and took ages over our first course so the duck was probably being kept warm in the kitchen while we nattered and fiddled about with my camera.

Metropolitan

However, the duck was a beautiful looking dish. It was his first time with polenta, and it was something he enjoyed tremendously. It was riddled with fresh cranberries and the redcurrant jus was glossy and luscious. The duck was thinly sliced and as tender as Elvis’ tender heart.

Somehow we still had room, so we decided to share a pud. I chose the basil and lime cheesecake with lime syrup (£5.95) and it was as pretty as a picture. I don’t normally have a pudding so this was a rare treat. My friend wasn’t sure, but I really was. The basil ran through the cheesecake and there was fresh lime and lime syrup drizzled all over it. It was an excellent palate cleanser and I think would work well with a little bit of tequila in the syrup (or in a shot glass on the side). I’ve had dreams about that cheesecake.

Metropolitan

Our two and a half course meal and a couple of pints cost us £57.10. The portions were incredibly generous and the food was really good quality. This isn’t just your average pub grub, it’s very much a step or two beyond that. The Metropolitan is what every neighbourhood needs, a friendly casual place to hang out, with good food, good drinks and a good beer garden.

The Metropolitan is on 2 Lapwing Lane, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2WS. Visit their website to for more information and to view their menus.

Judging the International Cheese Awards – ICA2016

Last year I was honoured to be asked to be a judge at the International Cheese Awards and I was delighted when I was asked back this year for more of the same. Except it’s never the same, because there are literally hundreds of categories and literally thousands of cheeses. 5000 cheeses this year in fact – making the International Cheese Awards at Nantwich the biggest and best cheese show in the world!

The day began like no other, in the car at 7am speeding towards Nantwich. Arriving at the show ground in good time, I registered as a judge and readied myself for the judges briefing. Once I’d donned my official white coat I joined my fellow judges, Victor Hyman from the Barbakan Deli in Chorlton and Laura Barnes from Dewlay Traditional Cheese Makers in Lancashire. I was in excellent and very knowledgeable company.

We had four categories to judge at ICA2016 –

DP76 – Two Halves Standard Blue Stilton. Open to producers who are producing less than 1,000 tonnes annually.
DP77 – Two Halves Mature Blue Stilton. Open to producers who are producing less than 1,000 tonnes annually.
DP90 – Cheese – Any variety that contains Savoury Additives. Hard Cheese other than Cheddar. Cheese produced in UK only.
DP97 – Cheese – Any variety that contains Sweet Additives. Soft Cheese produced outside UK only.

We were efficient in our judging. Tasting and discussing the merits of each of the cheeses, examining their appearance, smell, texture and taste, weighing up the sometimes tiny differences between them. Loving some, liking most, disliking the minority.

The great thing about judging is having to try new things you might not normally choose to put on your cheese board. It expands your horizons and makes you appreciate a cheese even if that cheese might not be to your normal tastes.

ICA2016

I’m not generally a blue cheese fan, but trying the Stilton and learning more about what to look for and what makes a great Stilton has made me appreciate it a little more, so much so that I added a generous portion to my cheese plate at lunchtime.

Judging the four categories took us around two and a half hours. It’s surprisingly hard work and afterwards I had to sit down with a cuppa to recover myself. By the time I was rejuvenated lunchtime was upon us and it was time for a feast, followed by probably the worlds best cheese board.

At lunch La Guilde Internationale des Fromagers took their chance to induct some new members into their ranks, including Chef James Martin. I managed to film that bit, you can view the clips below on YouTube.

And this one…

After lunch the winners were announced and the Supreme Champion and winner of the Westminster Cup 2016 was Treur Kaas for their aged Jerseyhoeve Schorren. Reserve Supreme Champion and Reserve Champion Overseas was awarded to Elite Imports, whilst Champion UK went to Arla Foods with a Double Gloucester from Taw Valley Creamery.

ICA2016 was an absolutely fantastic day, exhausting yes. Will I want to eat cheese tomorrow? Maybe not, but probably by the day after. It’s a truly unique event and a truly unique experience. I’m proud to be a little part of that.

The International Cheese Awards is a two day event, day one was trade and judging day, day two (27th July 2016) the cheese pavilion doors are thrown open to the public and you can sample some of the 5000 wonderful cheeses there from all over the world.

ICA2016

You can find out more about the International Cheese Awards 2016 on their website.

Preview: The International Cheese Awards 2016

This year will be my third visit to the International Cheese Awards at the Nantwich Show. It goes without saying that this fantastic event is the highlight of my foodie year. Last year I had the privilege of being asked to be a judge and I must have done something right, as I’ve been asked to judge again this year.

Judging takes place on trade day, which this year is on 26th July, and the massive International Cheese Awards marquee is thrown open to the public on 27th July.

This year is the 119th International Cheese Awards, which are held as part of the Nantwich Show in Cheshire. This year there have been a record breaking 4956 entries across literally hundreds of different categories of cheese, with entries from small artisan producers, to huge dairies and supermarkets. Last years Supreme Champion was the Greenfields Dairy Crumbly Lancashire Cheese, and I can personally vouch for this beautiful cheese, it’s a regular in our shopping basket!

On show day (27th July) the demo kitchen is in full swing, with a host of familiar faces returning to this year’s show – including James Martin, Sean Wilson and Will Holland. Book your tickets for the demos in advance (£5 on the Nantwich Show website) – they always sell out so quickly! Plus there’s a whole marquee of cheese to sample and explore.

As well as hosting the The International Cheese Awards 2016, the Nantwich Show is a brilliant day out for all the family, there’s so much to see and do, the Nantwich Show is apparently the biggest agricultural show in the UK, with everything from cows, sheep, pigs and pigeons to horticulture and honey. Check out the vintage cars and agricultural machinery as well as the latest in tractor technology! I know my boy would love it there!

Tickets are available on the gate priced at £18 for adults, £7 for children, £13 for senior citizens and family tickets for £45. However, if you book via the Nantwich Show website in advance, you can get discounted tickets (£15/£5/£10/£35). Your ticket covers admission to both the biggest cheese awards in the world and the largest one-day agricultural show in the UK, making it even more of a bargain!

The International Cheese Awards 2016

I can’t wait to get my judges coat on again and get sampling some of the finest cheeses from across the world. If you like cheese and want to learn a little more about the industry, I really can’t recommend the International Cheese Awards 2016 enough. It’s a HUGE marquee of cheese, and an experience every cheese lover should experience at least once in their lifetime.

Baking the blues away – keeping occupied

I’m trying to ease myself back gently into the world of blogging. My dad died less than a fortnight ago and I’m still trying to settle the thoughts in my head. I know I’ll not be back doing what I was doing for a while yet and I am determined to be kind to myself.

My blog posts will be sporadic for the next few weeks or months. Who knows. It was his funeral on Thursday and I’d planned to spend yesterday baking for an afternoon tea party this weekend. I like baking, occasionally I really nail it and pull something extraordinary out of the oven, sometimes I bake something which goes straight in the bin, and oftentimes I make very average cakes which people appreciate but I see fault in every slice.

Yesterday was about fulfilling my promise to bake for the party, but also to spend the day focused on a creative task and a way of keeping occupied. To properly occupy my mind and my hands for long enough to make the world feel ordinary for a while. I had to resist the temptation to box up a batch of cakes for my dad, but a day baking is a day well spent.

Keeping occupied

I baked a coffee and walnut cake, cute coffee cupcakes, a Victoria Sponge, blueberry buttermilk scones and a sticky marmalade tea loaf. I spent the whole day on my feet baking and clearing up after myself. I don’t know if it’s done me any good, but it’s kept me occupied and there’s enough cake for 30 people at the party.

I wasn’t especially impressed with my Victoria Sponge which I think suffered because I rushed it and I forgot about it while I was chatting to the window cleaner. I’m pleased with my little coffee cupcakes and the coffee and walnut cake. I know the scones will come alive with a dollop of jam and clotted cream too.

I’ve always enjoyed baking and I think it’ll be a good therapy and distraction for me over the next few weeks. Anyone got any decent recipes for me to try?

Pizza Night with Papa John’s Pizza

About once a month we have a family pizza night, when we can’t be bothered to cook a home cooked meal we order in pizza. With the football currently dominating every waking hour for the boys, we decided to fuel up on take out pizza and phoned Papa John’s.

We’ve never had Papa John’s pizza before, but I’d heard good things about it. It’s my brother’s favourite pizza emporium, so we knew it would be good.

pizza 2

For the boys I ordered the new BBQ Beef Brisket pizza – chunks of burnt ends sliced from slow smoked beef brisket, with crispy onions and bacon, and drizzled with a sweet cola BBQ sauce.

I went for the veggie “Garden Party” made with red onions, green peppers, cherry tomatoes, sweetcorn and mushrooms.

Papa John's

Our pizzas arrived still hot and smelling delicious. I had extreme pizza envy when I saw the BBQ Beef Brisket Pizza. I have a soft spot for anything with BBQ sauce, I did dip my finger in and have a taste and it was sweet and gently spicy. I reckon Papa John’s should sell bottles of their BBQ sauce.

I really liked the look of my Garden Party pizza. It has a very generous topping of vegetables and even the slightly veg-phobic boy tucked in happily. I am a bit fussy when it comes to pizza. I don’t like my base to be too doughy, too oily or too boring. The Papa John’s pizza bases were light and not at all oily, we were all very pleasantly surprised at how good they were.

Papa John's

The Papa John’s pizzas came with a little pot of garlic dip. We weren’t especially keen on these, but the BBQ Beef Brisket pizza was saucy enough without it and didn’t need it. It’s good to try new things and Papa John’s was new to us. We’ve had a referendum, taken a vote and our next pizza night will be a Papa John’s pizza night.

Visit www.papajohns.co.uk to try the new BBQ Beef Brisket Pizza for yourself.

Note: We were sent the Papa John’s pizzas for review purposes.

Family friendly fun at The Printworks Manchester

Filling the days during half term and the long summer holidays with interesting a varied things to do can be a bit of a hassle. It’s nice to punctuate our afternoons at home and visits to the local park with some proper trips out. The Printworks in Manchester invited the small boy and a friend to spend some time there this half term, taking in a movie, going for lunch together and generally hanging out and having fun.

We were at the 10.10am showing of Thomas & Friends: The Great Race and the cinema was largely empty, we sat in the premier seats which were red leather and very comfortable. Lots of leg room and space to stretch out if you need to. Off-peak tickets are a reasonable £4.50 for adults and £4 for children, so it’s not quite as bank breaking as my local cinema.

The Printworks

We’d booked in at the Odeon cinema to see Thomas & Friends: The Great Race. The boys are both big Thomas fans and we (Tobi’s mum Sarah and I) were a little worried that it might be a bit young for them, but this was perfectly pitched. Both boys sat beautifully throughout the film, quietly munching through little bags of popcorn and this gentle story of those really useful engines kept them very happily entertained. They both gave Thomas & Friends: The Great Race the double thumbs up at the end!

Thomas & Friends: The Great Race is a must if you’re a little Thomas fan, full of excitement and adventure, the film tells the story of the preparations on Sodor for The Great Race and how our plucky hero Thomas saves the day in more ways than one. The film introduced a whole raft of international engines including a charming Indian tank engine called Ashima. There might have been something in my eye at the end. I’m such a sap!

The Printworks

After the film we spotted that The Printworks had set up a number of giant games to play with, so with a bit of time to kill before we went for lunch, we got stuck in. Ben was immediately drawn to the giant Lego bricks and eventually had to be forcibly parted from them. Tobi went in and played Connect 4, Snakes & Ladders and finished off with an epic game of Draughts. The giant games were brilliant, both boys loved them and it burnt off a little bit of energy before lunch.

There are so many family friendly restaurants to choose from at The Printworks, but we opted to try the all you can eat world buffet at Peachy Keens. The Monday-Friday lunchtime price is very reasonable at £8.99 per adult and £4.49 per child plus drinks.

Peachy Keens is up some stairs near the Hard Rock end of the building, climb the stairs or go up in the lift and you find a very unpromising looking grey door at the top, I did have to look around to check I was going the right way. Beyond the door opens up into an all you can eat paradise with food from all over the world to choose from.

The Printworks

We were shown to a table and ordered drinks and we set the boys up with their starter snacks. There were lots of colourful and fresh salad dishes to choose from as well as spring rolls, samosas, chicken, ribs and other nibbles. We loaded up our plates and got stuck in. The food was fresh and hot, and lots to choose from, so however fussy you or your kids are they’re bound to find something tasty for them.

Moving onto the main course you could choose from Chinese, Indian, Thai, English food, Italian pasta and pizza. There are several stations set up where you can have a meal prepared to your specifications made in front of you, and there are row after row of ready prepared meals to help yourself to as well as a fresh bread station (try the garlic naan, you won’t be sorry).

I headed to the pasta station with Ben and watched as the chef made him a fresh dish of penne with pesto and cream for his lunch. I fancied something a little spicier so I opted for noodles with a vegetable Thai green curry which was delicious. It had a kick but it didn’t blow my head off, something I appreciated and I’d definitely have this again. I liked the fact that all the food was labelled so you knew what you were having and all the veggie options were clearly labelled too.

The Printworks

Tobi went for pizza with a side of veg and Sarah had a selection of the Chinese dishes available on the day. We all enjoyed our lunch mains and it was time for pudding. Being lactose intolerant pudding is an increasingly depressing thing for me, but there were a few options open to me so I managed a sweet nibble and that was enough.

The boys went for ice cream with sauce and sweets with marshmallows smothered in chocolate from the chocolate fountain. Sarah chose a small selection of the little puds and declared the passion-fruit mousse delicious.

The Printworks

I liked Peachy Keens, the staff were helpful and very chatty with the boys, it was as clean as a whistle and I liked the really big range of foods available, even on a fairly quiet Tuesday lunchtime, though it had filled up by the time we came to leave.

We’d all thoroughly enjoyed our day out at The Printworks. The cinema was a real treat and the boys were brilliant, they loved the games although that was a one off, and the all you can eat meal at Peachy Keens was a lot of fun and excellent family for money, especially on family days out. It’s definitely a day out we’ll be repeating again. Dinner and a movie, you can’t beat it!

We were treated to our day at The Printworks in return for this review. All images and opinions are our own.

Review: Real Handful Snacks

Being the mother of a boy I sometimes struggle to fill his hollow legs. He’s hungry, always hungry, but he runs around like a dervish so he burns it off in double quick time. I’ve learnt to always keep a snack upon my person for when he gets hungry, he likes dried fruit, so when I was asked to try Real Handful I knew my son would enjoy putting them to the test.

Real Handful are little 40g packets of dried fruit with nuts and little bits of chocolate mixed in. They feel like a bit of a naughty treat, but are quite healthy and are just the right size to keep a small boy going until teatime. Each of the 40g packets of Real Handful contains around 160-170 calories per packet and are full of good things such as fibre and good fats, as well as being one of your five (or is it seven) a day!

Real Handful

There are six kinds Real Handful available –

Blood Orange & Dark Chocolate – blood orange flavoured sultanas, orange flavoured cranberries, dark chocolate and peanuts.
G0-Go-Goji Berries – a blend of nuts, raisins and seeds with goji berries and dark chocolate.
Blueberry Blitz – blueberries, blueberry flavoured raisins, jumbo flame raisins and whole cashews.
Strawberries & Cream – strawberry flavoured raisins, strawberries, cranberries, white chocolate and cashews.
Mixed Berry Crush – blueberry flavoured yoghurt covered raisins, strawberry, cranberries and whole almonds.
Mochacchino – a rich blend of coffee sultanas, cranberries, whole cashew nuts, dark chocolate coffee beans and coffee flavour chocolate drops.

Real Handful

The small boy couldn’t get enough of these Real handful snacks, admittedly he kindly donated the nuts to me and his dad, but the dried fruit and chocolate were a real hit. I only managed to try the Mochacchino flavour (the small boy shaped plague of locusts had snaffled the rest) but I really enjoyed the mix of fruit and nuts with a smattering of chocolate, these would be great with a mid-afternoon brew to keep me going until teatime.

These are the perfect size to slip into your bag if you’re going out and about, or to keep in your desk drawer for when hunger strikes and are great if you’re wanting to snack a little healthier.

You can buy Real Handful from Holland & Barrett, Ocado and Harris & Hoole, prices start from £1.29. Visit their website for more information.

I was sent these Real Handful snacks for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Review: The Super Lunch Menu at Jamie’s Italian

This week I was keen for a bit of culture and had plans to visit an exhibition in Manchester, it seemed rude not to stop for a bite to eat while I was there, so I headed to Jamie’s Italian on King Street to check out their new Super Lunch Menu.

The menu is very nicely priced at £12.95 for two courses, or three courses for £14.95. It is available 12-6pm from Monday-Friday and seemed to be incredibly popular when I visited. The menu is short but I felt there was enough to choose from and I’m a slightly fussy veggie.

I opted to start with “Jamie’s Spring Ribbolita”, a chunky soup with spring greens, cannellini beans, chilli, garlic and extra virgin olive oil, finished with Bella Lodi (black parmesan) and served with homemade focaccia. The soup was delicious, really chunky, riddled with fresh veg and beans and well seasoned, it’s rare I don’t have to add any seasoning to my soup and it was perfect, I couldn’t fault it.

My dining companion chose the Frito Misto – crispy fried sustainable fish and squid tossed in fennel-spiced flour with garlic and lemon aioli. It looked good and was a decent sized starter portion. Although I felt that the aioli lacked the garlicky punch I was expecting and my squid loving friend couldn’t find any squid, we think the table next to us which were having a double portion of the same probably had our share.

Moving swiftly onto the mains I chose the Spaghetti Primavera made with fresh pasta, wild garlic pesto, green beans, peas, sweet basil and Bella Lodi. I was impressed with this simple but delicious dish, I loved the wild garlic pesto, a seasonal treat I can’t resist, the primavera has got summer written all over it. Beautifully presented and full of seasonal veg, it was perfectly seasoned and almost plate-lickingly good.

My diet concious chum plumped for the Super Food Salad, Avocado and roasted beetroot with fennel, quinoa, black rice, curly kale, sprouting broccoli, fresh herbs, pomegranate, toasted seeds, spicy harissa and cottage cheese. This salad looked good, but I’m not a great lover of quinoa, the avocado with the harissa was inspired and my companion really enjoyed it. It’s a great salad for ladies (and indeed gents) who lunch.

I’d selected my lunch based on what I fancied and my friend chose something more slimming. On a pause between courses I hopped onto the website and discovered that my rich and delicious dish of carby pasta was 676 calories, and the healthy salad was 725 calories. It was clearly time for cake!

Pud arrived and between us we shared custody of a dainty bowl of strawberries and frozen yoghurt (fresh strawberries soaked in elderflower and lemon, served with baby basil, frozen yoghurt and poppy seed crisps) and an orange blossom polenta cake, served with whipped crème fraîche, fresh orange and pomegranate.

For me the stand out was the orange blossom polenta cake, it was impossibly light and delicately citrus, set off beautifully by the whipped crème fraîche. The strawberries and frozen yoghurt was small but just enough if you want something a little bit sweet at the end of your meal. I’m not a great fan of strawberries, but I enjoyed the little pud.

At just £14.95 for the Super Lunch Menu I can say it’s excellent value and the food was so good I’m planning a return visit again soon. For me Jamie’s Italian in Manchester is a great daytime venue. It was busy and almost all of the tables were full, so they’re obviously doing something right.

The Super Lunch menu runs from Monday – Friday, 12pm – 6pm.

We were invited guests of Jamie’s Italian, Manchester. Nevertheless all images and opinions are our own.