SIMPLY SUPERB

JENNA CAMPBELL TAKES A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE TO HER HOME TOWN

- JENNA CAMPBELL

GROWING up in Stockport, a trip to the town centre promised a few things. It wasn't a glamorous affair but it had its perks.

School holidays meant trying on musty bonnets at the Hat Museum, wandering around the Merseyway Shopping Centre, and scrunching your eyes tight as you propelled yourself down the big slide at Grand Central.

Post swimming baths, the scent of chlorine perfuming the air all the way down the street as the 24-hour McDonald's came into view, a Happy Meal and a knowing look assuring your dad you wouldn't tell your mum you may have spoiled your tea, capped it all off.

For me, McDonald's or a Pizza Hut after the cinema felt like I'd really lucked out nothing could rival this level of fast food heaven.

Fast forward a couple of decades and I can hardly believe how much has changed and the burgeoning food scene tells a large part of this incredible story.

In the space of just 10 years the high street has been transformed, from ghost town to thriving food and drink destination.

Foodie Friday, a street food event held on the last Friday of every month, was launched by the Barratt family in 2015, and spans a plethora of food and drink stalls, offering a whole host of cuisines and showcasing the borough's rich variety of cultures. It was the catalyst. Stockport is now home to some of Greater Manchester's best restaurants, cafes and bars and pubs.

There's Where The Lights Gets In, which was awarded a Green Michelin in 2021; the fabulous Mekong Cat leading down to the historic Underbanks; an overwhelmingly good selection of drinking spots from The Magnet and Arden Arms, to Runaway Brewery and Bohemian Arts Club; and bakeries like Yellowhammer and Sticky Fingers which are making Stockport a more compelling offer than the city centre.