Andrew's tour of the North West A market that's made its mark

Date Published:

07/07/2008

Andrew continues to explore Britain's markets and drops in at the world famous - and recently voted 'best in the UK' - Bury Market

Users Nicola, beckl5, Anna, Sue and Kath all raved about Bury Market on the map. Kath even added her own photos. So I went along on a busy Wednesday to see it in full swing. "There's a bloke 'ere from channel foo-wer," says the receptionist in a warm, friendly Bury accent, and I raise a smile. Showing me round is business services manager John Ayers. He's rightly proud of Bury market, a proper working market with over 370 stalls that attracts over 250,000 visitors a week.

A bit of the black stuff

First up, black pudding. A subject the good people of the region take very seriously. There are two stalls selling pudding on the market, and John's keen to stress that they have different customers, as well as recipes, and there's a sort of healthy rivalry between the two.

First up we meet Ruth at Chadwick's. Round here they don't fry or grill their pudding, they simmer it. It's fished out of the pot, split lengthways and eaten as is, scooped out with a fork. Some people add a blob of piccalilli. I try some. Having been cooked in water it's very moist. At first I'm thrown by the lack of bread (though you can get them in a bap); it seems odd to just eating them on their own and not eating the skin.

Next we visit the Bury Black Pudding Company's stall where in the name of fairness I also try a pudding. Again, it's boiled and slit down the middle, though the sausage itself is straighter. Inside it feels firmer, more solid, and doesn't quite yield to the fork like Chadwick's did. Different strokes for different folks? All I can say is that you should go, and make up your own mind up as to which you like more. For me, I preferred Chadwick's by a nose. Naturally neither stall would divulge the recipe.

What's in a name?

We move on to Harry's Muffins, where Joanne Borzacchiello explains the difference between an Eccles cake and a Chorley cake to me. The latter is made with unsweetened short crust pastry, the former uses puff pastry and tends to be sweeter. Ever heard of a wimberry? It's the local name for a bilberry and here is used in a pie. Not as sharp as a blackberry but still sour on the tongue; it's a joy that could only be improved by the addition of custard or cream.

Joanne then shows me the oven bottom muffins. Here I take a moment to reflect on the UK's many regional names for what is often the same thing. See, I'd call that a bap. As the name would suggest, they're cooked on the bottom of the oven and turned half way through. Joanne points to their long shelf life and ability to take anything from bacon to jam as key to their popularity.

Early risers

Next up is Matthew and Mark Willis, who own Willis Brothers. Matt was up at four o'clock this morning getting fruit from the wholesale markets. They've just got the first lot of UK strawberries in from Southport. Then on to Brian Iddon, who also has an excellent range of vegetables for sale and a large queue of people to serve. Like the Willis brothers, Brian too was up at the crack of dawn.

Finally, there's the large bespoke meat and fish hall; a covered building housing eight stalls. I spend some time chatting to Paul, at Albert's quality meats, who talks me through his sausage making process and about butchery in general. By the time we've finished chewing the fat he's made 10ft of sausage links. He's also got Bowland beef for sale, much loved by Liverpool chef Paul Askew.

Banter and a bargain

Crossing over to H & S Openshaw I meet Andy who's offering three small salmon, heads off and gutted if you like, for a fiver. When a colleague drops a metal tray with a loud clang, Andy pipes up, "ooooh, he's dropped his wallet!" The banter flows; the jokes, the playing up to the ladies buying a bit of fish for tea. Before long we're all chuckling. This is why people come to this market. It's not just shopping for good produce at a good price, it's because it's a day out; a destination. Yes it's noisy and bustling, but it's great to hear traders shouting out special offers, tips and even cooking techniques. That's what makes markets special and Bury is a very good market.

Know a market that can top Bury's in Andrew's affections? Get it on the Map!

Check out what else Andrew got up to on his tour of the North West.

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