FROZEN yoghurt establishments have been creeping into Manchester for some months now; it was only a matter of time before the obsession hit Deansgate as the latest eatery-drinkery emerged.
With the amount of shops specialising in this cold sensation, The Fruit Exchange has tried not only to be yummy, but to be different from the other places that serve fro-yo by offering juice, smoothie and slushie companions.
"The Oreo biscuit had been crushed to smithereens leaving no unwanted chocolate clumps in the cup."
The small casual dining venue has a relaxed atmosphere. Wooden walls stand adjacent to bare brick walls, which adds to the cool, airy, New York theme, and maintained the tone of the drinks.
The staff were friendly and careful to explain to the many customers sampling Fruit Exchange the various items of food and drink on offer. This prevented most customers from spinning on their heels and veering off to the more familar Starbucks and Caffe Neros nearby.
The Fruit Exchange Interior
As for the drinks the Mayfair Smoothie was a glorious combination of strawberry, raspberry, blackcurrant, cranberry and vanilla. The fruity drink was invigoratingly cold and refreshing, a great drink for a sunny day, or when you want to shake your tastebuds from torpor.
The ice cream shakes served are the lightest and smoothest around. The Oreo biscuit had been crushed to smithereens leaving no unwanted chocolate clumps in the cup.
Editor Jonathan Schofield, said of his strawberry shake: “Excellent. It is like drinking a liquefied dessert. Delicious. The best thing is its solid strength and the fact it's not over-sickly.” He could then be found muttering “so solid” for some time, proving that these milkshakes really do have powers to turn writers into rappers.
A vanilla example was begrudgingly tried and tested and it was shockingly enjoyable. Its light and airy texture wasn’t horrible at all and the fact that something so resembling ice cream both in temperature and visually didn’t actually taste at all like ice cream was soon overcome. Lovely.
Mayfair Smoothie From The Fruit Exchange
Turning to the food, the chicken, chorizo and pesto mayo, pre-made sandwich was a little disappointing. Not enough pesto mayo broke through, because when it the effect was transformational.
A regular sized drink with a sandwich will set you back £5.45. Deals such as juice of the day are £2.10. Also on sale are pots of porridge, hot drinks, cookies, cakes and crisps.
We'll be back to try more goodies, maybe some cake.
Cakes And Cones In The Fruit Exchange
Follow Shauna on Twitter: @shaunabotrel
ALL SCORED CONFIDENTIAL REVIEWS ARE IMPARTIAL AND PAID FOR BY THE MAGAZINE.
The Fruit Exchange is at 103 Deansgate, City Centre
Follow on Twitter: @thefruitxchange
Rating: 15.5/20
Food: 3/5
Drinks: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
The Fruit Exchange Menu
Oreo Milkshake From The Fruit Exchange
Alternatives To Juice In The Fruit Exchange
The Fruit Exchange
