The Hinchcliffe, Hebden Bridge

Some days are just perfect, aren't they? The sun was shining (again), and a day trip had been planned. Those tormenting pictures on The Hinchcliffe's Instagram had finally taken their toll, and on a complete whim, we were booked in for a Sunday Roast.

The only slight spanner in the works to a delicious, carby roast was the glorious weather. It was redders. Alas, all was well when we arrived in picturesque Cragg Vale. The air-con had been pumping round the car with the fervency of a blast chiller, and we arrived to find the most idyllic outside terrace, which was covered in parasols to protect those with more sensitive skin than mine...

Picture shamelessly lifted from The Hinchcliffe's Instagram

We were welcomed by the delightful Kit, who was also my favourite ever contestant on First Dates! He's a very funny chap who seems to thrive on friendly interaction. He can sit with us. All the staff at the Hinchcliffe were fantastic to be honest, especially our waitress who's name I didn't catch, but I do remember she was a fellow history graduate (geek 'fist bump').

Chef Rob Owen Brown was the chap who ran the Mark Addy in Salford, famed for its Manchester eggs, superb roasts, and sadly for getting flooded in 2014. With the River Irwell firmly behind him, Rob has picked one of the most beautiful locations in the country to set up shop.

Crispy black pudding potato cake, poached hen's egg, and a tangy tarragon butter sauce: Fairly certain that eaten in any large quantity, that this sauce would surely kill you. It was rich and decadent, and the perfect mate for that tasty black pudding potato cake. 

Pressed ham hock terrine with onion relish: Oh terrines, how I love thee. The perfect picnic style starter. The WI would pin a ribbon on that onion relish.

Sunday lunch sharing platter - local aged beef, free range poussin, locally reared pork, with stuffing, roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy and Yorkshire puddings: I had to take several pictures to fit it in. Kind of regretted starters when it arrived, but then got far too involved in stuffing my face to care. I feel these pictures really do not do it justice. Behold! The only thing it was missing was some crackling.

Banana bread with vanilla ice cream: 'I'm not having a dessert' I bleated. However, after tasting the rest of the food, I felt I would have only completed half a job if I didn't sample baked goods. This looked really dark and rich like a sticky toffee pudding, but it was incredibly light. For those of you who hate bananas, me too, but when baked into a cake like this, they take on a whole new form. The same cannot be said for beetroot. Be warned.

We've already recommended The Hinchcliffe to pretty much everyone we have been in contact with since going; friends, family, the lady on the checkout at M&S... I can't wait to go back here in winter to experience the cosy pub side they have to offer.

Go here whatever the weather. It's peaceful and picturesque in the summer, and I imagine it's the cosiest fireside spot in winter. Either way, you're going to get great food and a warm welcome.

A couple of weeks later we went to see Rob at The Big Grill Festival at Burr's Country Park in Bury. He did not disappoint there either. I'll leave you with some pictures of another lovely day out. Let's make the most of this sunshine!

Mezzaluna, Whitefield

Am I the only one who is desperate to eat outside when it's nice weather? Don't get me wrong, the current 'Hades' levels we are experiencing at the moment are even too much for me, but on this particular day it was about 23C, which is perfect. Then comes the question, where can we eat outside, which won't be full of Stella fuelled idiots with no tops on?

Mezzaluna in Whitefield is a bit of a hidden gem on the al fresco dining front. I had no idea they had a beautiful garden, until we drove past and could see the doors open at the back. It was gorgeous. Picnic benches with optional parasols, pretty flowers, and food and drink flowing in the blazing sunshine.

My favourite type of food on a nice day is 'picky bits', and Mezzaluna was perfect for this. A pizza, sharing board, and chips appeared to be the perfect garden picnic on a warm day. Real picnics are a bit too much faff!

Antipasti platter: A selection of lovely strong cheeses, a full ball of mozzarella, continental meats, salad, olives, honey and bread. Now let me tell you, it turns out that mozzarella and honey are my new favourite thing. I may have recreated this in my own garden. Twice.

Pizza with fennel sausage, broccoli and mushrooms: Cannot for the life of me find this on the current menu, but noticed you can still build your own to this effect. Broccoli and sausage is such a wonderful combo that I have it wherever I go. If you've never tried it, I really must insist that you get your act together.

I kind of didn't want to tell you about this place, as it was serenely quiet in the midst of summer mayhem. Hidden away behind a busy road, this really is a little oasis for sunny days. Go here for a relaxed afternoon where you can pretend you're in the Mediterranean, not Manchester. Drink wine, eat some lovely food, and laugh with your nearest and dearest.

80/20 Health Bar and Kitchen, Bolton

I am known for stuffing my face on a regular basis. My Instagram feed is quite frankly a disgrace, and shows quite clearly that I am Pig of the Week, every week. My friend Anna and I love nothing more than plotting a Great Escape from the office, which in the past was limited to Peckish Pony* or Frankie and Benny's unless we were willing to shlep further afield.

Then shone a shiny new kid on the block in the form of 80/20 Health Bar and Kitchen. Owners Tahir and Mina took what was a wreck of a building where pigeons lived, and transformed it into a spacious and airy restaurant serving fresh, healthy food. We were in love! Their ethos is simple; 'nutritious, wholesome ingredients with freshly ground spices, bringing you deliciously healthy food in just 10 minutes', which is perfect when you're on your lunch break.

Whether you're a body builder, mobile worker, catching up with friends, or daft girls on lunch breaks, everyone is made welcome and we always have a nice chat with the staff, and have genuinely considered working from here ourselves. 

It's a bit of a long standing joke, but we always have the same thing when we go. We just cannot deviate because we both love the dishes so much.

Satay chicken with basmati rice, stir-fry vegetables and peanut satay sauce

CAL 562 | FAT 27g | S.FAT 11g | CARB 48g | PRO 24.5g

Anna's choice. A great mix of sweet and savoury, and very filling. This is a decent sized lunch, ideal for a crackers Zumba teacher who will be killing herself in a sweatbox later on that evening. Or indeed if she decides to sit on the couch and watch This is Us until the early hours. Whichever.

Grilled halloumi wrap - slices of grilled halloumi with mixed salad and sweet chilli sauce with sweet potato fries
CAL 345 | FAT 14.5g | S.FAT 6g | CARB 33g | PRO 19g (not including fries)
My choice, and actual heaven. One day I promise to try something different, but for now, I'm hooked. I cannot get enough of halloumi, so this is perfect for me. There isn't too much in the wrap, which would sky-rocket the calories and fat content, but there's enough to satisfy the craving. Lots of crunchy salad and a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce make it a little more substantial, plus I always order a side of sweet potato chips as a treat. They are so crispy and wonderful, without being saturated in grease. Makes me feel better about the Milkybar later.

We go here at least once a week because we can be back in work within 45 minutes if needed, and the food is delicious. The menus include nutritional information, and all meals are already hooked up to My Fitness Pal, so tracking your macros couldn't be easier. The breakfast menu looks rather exciting too, so I think I'll be making a trip for steak and eggs some time soon.

Go here for tasty yet healthy food, in a relaxed setting. Muscle vest optional.

* Okay so it's actually the Hungry Horse, but we have literally never called it that.

Zumu, Hale

Every so often, everything is aligned just perfectly. A sunny day, a ride out to somewhere lovely, and amazing food. Oh and good dogs. A couple of weeks ago, we had a trip over to Hale to sample some Japanese food at Zumu. I have to admit I was rather excited about this review, as it was something a little bit different.

I'm sure it hasn't escaped your attention, but it is absolutely redders at the moment. The last thing I fancy in this weather is really stodgy, beige food, although it has to be noted that I am generally thrilled with this option any other time (caveat being yellow muck cooked straight from the freezer). Joy, happiness! The restaurant was cool and airy, we swiftly had iced drinks in hand, and were perusing a sizeable menu, where everything sounded exciting and delicious. We totally bottled it and asked for recommendations, which I think worked out just beautifully.

For years I was a bit fish-phobic, but I'm much braver these days, and will try pretty much anything (except rabbit and beetroot, I don't eat pets or soil). Signature cocktail at the ready, and filled with bravery, I agreed to try one of the sushi platters as a 'side' whilst safely ordering some of my known favourites. We were talked into trying the Omakase mixed sushi and sashimi, which sounded like the best idea ever. 

Omakase - Chef's selection of mixed sushi and sashimi: The size of it. That right there is a thirty piece platter. The pictures look pretty, but this really is a showcase of colour, texture, and the chef's skill. It was like a fish carnival! I can't think of anywhere else that has served food which looks so fresh, and boasts such elegant simplicity. The sushi is made in full view at the back of the restaurant too. 

My personal highlight was the Unagi Nigiri, which is delicately moulded sushi rice topped with delicately fragranced eel. Who would have thought it hey? Add a bit of that pickled ginger and you'll be delirious. I left the sashimi to Phil, as it turns out there is a limit to my fish tolerance. My attempt at raw salmon looked a little like a toddler eating lemon for the first time, or indeed me drinking beer.

Zumu Special - prawn, avocado, seared salmon, and teriyaki barbecue sauce: This was our original choice which we thought had been replaced with the platter above. Surprise! So that's thirty pieces of mixed sushi and sashimi, then ten more pieces of the Zumu special. Needless to say, much of this was boxed up to take home. The crispy prawn inside these little rolls makes me question everything I know about fish. They were very nice indeed with that sticky teriyaki sauce, which just so happens to be my favourite. 

Pork Gyoza - home-made ravioli dumplings filled with minced pork: Oh the textures! A soft shell packed with firm pork dumpling mix, and pan fried for a crispy edge. All the umami in one soy dipped bite. 

Satsumaimo - lightly seasoned sweet potato with salt and pepper: Oh how we laugh now that we thought we needed to order sides. They were absolutely delicious though.

Fried Rice - fried rice topped with sesame seeds: The perfect vehicle to mop up excess sticky sauce. I will come onto this in just a moment.

Teriyaki beef with kimchi: Behold its shiny stickiness, glistening in the sunlight. I love teriyaki. It's sugary sweet, with a barbecued tang. I could eat this every day. Add some of that beautiful rice to the sauce and I'm in a very happy place indeed.

Kamoniku - pan fried duck breast with cherry ponzu sauce and pak choi: Another beautiful sauce with soft duck breast. Sweetness from the sauce and the duck, with a slight sourness from the cherry pieces.

Dessert platter: This was a rather delightful selection of macarons, mochi and ice creams. Again, I think the scale of this is lost in a photograph. Throughout our entire meal, the couple sat at the side of us appeared to be aghast at the beautiful food we had ordered. They were a little behind us in the ordering process, so had constant food envy until theirs arrived.

Another beautifully presented dish, with real thought into the flavours that made up the selection. We've had mochi (a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice according to Wikipedia) before, and weren't overly thrilled (understatement of 2018) with its odd texture. We may have used a different word to describe it, albeit inappropriate here. This was so much better! No slime in sight, but be prepared for some epic brain freeze if you bite into them. Highlights were the coconut ice cream and chewy macarons.

I knew this would come in handy one day... my glove box doubles up as a cooler at the flick of a switch. No-one wants car warmed sushi, or a car that smells like bin fish. Even the takeaway boxes were stylish.

What a wonderful experience. Yes, we appeared to have been served all the food in the world, but the lads on front of house seemed genuinely excited to showcase what they had to offer, and helped pick a wonderful selection of their best dishes. Everything we ate was fresh and beautifully presented, and displayed real craftsmanship.

Go here for a special meal in the evening, which will feel like a real treat, or opt for the lunch menu during the day if you're fancying something a bit different to a pub lunch. I really cannot say enough nice things about Zumu; both the food and staff were faultless. 

Disclaimer: I was invited to review Zumu, despite being a self confessed ichthyophobic weirdo. I was under no obligation to say nice things, or indeed eat any fish whatsoever. I tried new things because the menu looked so inviting, which paid off!