‘Heavenly’: Fred’s Cafe, Manchester Craft & Design Centre, reviewed

Sometimes a lunchtime catch-up just calls for a natter in one of the local cafes. There’s very few things that beat a hearty sarnie, a builder's brew and good conversation. 

But what happens when you take the concept of a traditional cafe and elevate it? Swap out the oily fried eggs and ‘greasy spoon’ style for artisanal takes on classic lunchtime favourites whilst keeping the service and charming ambience of a typical British caff the same… Can it take off? Will it still be affordable? And, probably most importantly, is it still just as warm and comforting? 

Located on the ground floor of Manchester Craft & Design Centre - a Northern Quarter building that was first a market in 1873 and is now dedicated to giving local artists the space to showcase and sell their creations -  is Fred’s Cafe. 

Having only been open a matter of months, its French-style baby blue gingham curtains and peg board menu have already become a recognisable hit online. 

In answer to my first question, I discovered Fred’s by accident through social media. Aimlessly scrolling through TikTok one afternoon, an influencer wielding a plate of golden hash brown cubes caught my eye. They took a bite and the audible crunch was enough to send me into orbit. I had to give them a go. 

For the next few weeks before I could get down and try them for myself (life gets in the way sometimes, alright?), my algorithm taunted me as more and more images of Fred’s cropped up on my socials. Either the conspiracy theorists are right, they are listening to us, or Fred’s Cafe is so hot right now that everybody and their nan is catching on. I was about to take a punt on the latter.

Beth - our new Social Media & Marketing Assistant (and a bloody good one at that, too) - and I arrived just in time for lunch service to begin; Fred hard at work in the kitchen and the young front-of-house member prepping the coffee machine for what looked like it would be a busy shift. 

After casting our eyes over the clipboard menu and chalked-on specials, we approached the counter and decided it was time to go hard or go home, ordering enough food between us to feed a family of four: a ‘Plough-Person’s’ cheese sandwich (£6.50); Northern rarebit (£8); one scotch egg (£4); one portion of hashbrowns, obvs (£5.50); two chocolate brownies; an iced coffee (£3.50); and a pot of breakfast tea (£3.25).

All this for less than forty quid. I know, I couldn’t believe it either - that answers question number two for you. 

You’ve probably guessed it by now, but here, Chef-Owner Fred takes classic British staples and uses locally-sourced, high-quality, seasonal ingredients to create his own twist on a whole host of familiar things for diners to rediscover and fall in love with.

I’m not being rude when I call them ‘things’, by the way - it’s how they’re described on the menu here. Honestly. Check it out if you don’t believe me. 

Beth’s ‘Plough-Person’s’ cheese sandwich stood at a towering height, brimming with crumbly Lancashire cheese, crisp gem lettuce, fresh beef tomato slices, pickled cucumbers and English mustard mayo wedged between two slabs of white tin loaf. Fred’s Cafe’s not lying when it says it ‘isn’t messing about’.

Beth’s eyes lit up immediately after the first bite and with every bite thereafter. 

Six pounds and fifty pence for the biggest, possibly tastiest cheese sandwich we’d ever seen? It felt like we should’ve been wearing masks and striped jumpers. 

I went with an equally impressive-looking dish, opting for the Northern rarebit as my staple of choice; a slice of toasted, thick cut white tin loaf topped with a gooey blend of Lancashire cheese and English mustard, finished with local beer, Henderson’s Relish, fresh chives and chive oil. 

As a Sheffield lass, my heart sang when I read the words ‘Henderson’s Relish’ and none of that ‘Lea & Perrins’ shite (NO - it's not the same thing). Beautifully presented, still bubbling away with a slightly scorched top, to call this twist on a classic plate anything short of ‘heavenly’ would be an understatement. 

Perhaps I’m biased, but in my opinion the South Yorkshire holy water seeping into the bread was just the ticket to take this rarebit to new heights. That and Fred’s artistic presentation, of course.

I’d been eyeing up the homemade Scotch eggs since arriving. Sizeable and stacked neatly on a plate on the counter, ready to be taken home for later as an ‘oh, go on then’ midnight snack or to be snaffled right there and then within minutes (like I did). 

Served with a choice of sauces (we all know it’s got to be brown), these balls of goodness are cut in half for easy dipping and to prevent them from making a run for it off your plate. 

Like staring at a cross-section of the earth, the breadcrumb coating making up the crust, the pork filling becoming the mantle and the golden-yolked egg the core (thanks Key Stage Three science), I was utterly mesmerised. I thought them being cut in half would make it easier to get my gob around but no, they’re ruddy ginormous. But, my god, they’re fantastic. If they had these on buffet tables I’d be going to every family function and wake I was invited to, friend or foe. 

You didn’t honestly think I’d forgotten to mention the main reason I came here, did you? As the old proverb says, ‘good things come to those who wait’. And crikey, these hashbrowns were worth waiting for. 

Served as a portion of eight generous cubic chunks, these little delights were layer upon layer of thinly-sliced potato that had been compacted and fried to perfection before being lightly dusted with sea salt which helped them to crisp up and provide that almighty crunch I’d been longing for. Again, served with a choice of sauce (we chose mustard mayo this time), it’s the perfect tidbit for sharing, if you’re feeling generous. If not, tell your dining partner to sod off and get their own - after all, at the more-than-reasonable price of £5.50 per portion, why wouldn’t you?

I thought that the influencer’s gawping expression and claims of “you have to try this!” that had brought me down here in the first place could have been a bit of an over-exaggeration but nope. Totally and utterly justified. 

I vow to abstain from all other hashbrowns until I can have another portion of these ones. Once you’ve had the best, why bother with the rest?

If you’ve read a few of my reviews you’ll know the drill by now - I can’t end a meal without finishing on something sweet. Maybe I’ve got a sweet tooth, or maybe I’m incredibly sleep-deprived and crave sugar at every waking moment - either way, no matter how full I am or how late I’m running, I can’t leave a restaurant without dessert.

Thankfully, I’d also eyeballed a tray of freshly-baked brownies on the front counter when I went up to place my order. 

“We’ll have two of those as well, please,” I said with absolutely no hesitation. 

Gooey, indulgent and rich yet simply made, these rustic-looking hunks of brownie had been baked into small loaves with the crispy edges still left intact before receiving a dusting of icing sugar to make them look like those classic school cakes we all remember and crave every now and then. The perfect end to a perfect meal. 

Fit to burst, but unable to watch the remains of this heavenly meal go to waste, I asked the FOH member if they had any boxes I could take the leftovers away in. They smiled and exclaimed “Of course!” 

As I boxed up my leftovers, trying not to squeal at the thought of getting to enjoy them again for a second time later, I asked how long they'd been open.  

“Four months,” they answered. “Ask Fred how old his baby is.”

I looked over at the kitchen hatch which Fred had now popped his head through. “Yeah...four months,” he responded. 

Raising a baby and getting a budding cafe off the ground at the same time - that’s some serious dedication. Dedication that’s no doubt paying off as this humble little cafe continues to get the recognition it certainly deserves. 

As is the nature of using local, seasonal, fresh produce, you might find that some of the available dishes do change from time to time. But, as it says on their menu, ‘that’s not a bad thing’. You can always 'try something else' that's on offer. 

And I implore you to do just that. Try something else on the menu. Then come back and try something different again, and again until you’ve tried the whole menu. And again after that for good measure. 

This is a place that’s worth its weight in gold and then some. If people like Fred can juggle having a brand-new baby and running a brand-new cafe and still put this much love and attention into the food we have the pleasure of eating, small businesses like his deserve our support and attention. 

If you hadn’t realised, that’s my third and final question answered with a big tick also.

Why are you still here? Go, now - you won’t regret it. 

Fred's Cafe, Manchester Craft & Design Centre, 17 Oak St, Manchester M4 5JD

Follow Harley Young on X @Harley__Young