Taste Knutsford Tour
The picturesque town of Knutsford is renowned for being one of the best places to dine and drink in Cheshire. With an abundance of restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars in the town, it's often difficult to select a single destination. Fortunately, help is at hand with the Taste Knutsford tour.
I was invited on one of the tours for the purpose of this write up. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.
So, stretchy pants at the ready. Let's eat and drink our way around Knutsford.
Beginning with brunch
Taste Knutsford begins with a leisurely sit down brunch, giving everyone the chance to arrive and meet their fellow diners.
Ours kicked off at The Courthouse. As the name suggests, this impressive Grade II listed building was once a prison and courthouse. One of its most famous trials being that of codebreaker Alan Turing in 1952.
Today, it's the scene of more pleasant occasions. The building's recent transformation by the Flat Cap group now offers luxurious bedrooms, function rooms, and the chance to dine where trials were once held. Which is exactly where our Taste Knutsford experience began with a serving of Eggs Benedict.
This is quite a substantial start to the tour, so make sure you arrive hungry. There's plenty more to come!
Moving on to the Market
A short stroll then took us to Knutsford Market Hall, where we received a typically warm welcome from the friendly traders, plus the chance to sample some of their fresh produce.
The lovely Bahattin, who runs The Market Cafe, served up a plate of his delicious baklava. Fans of these sweet mouthfuls are in for a treat. They were so good.
Colourful fruit kebabs from Jonty's Fruit & Veg provided a healthier (but no less tasty) second stop on our Knutsford Market Hall visit.
Time for wine
As midday had arrived, it was deemed a perfectly acceptable time to start drinking, so off we went to Morgan Edwards Fine Wines & Spirits Merchant.
Owned and run by friends, Morgan Ward and Edward Speakman. What these 2 don't know about wines probably isn't worth knowing.
During the summer of 2022, the duo moved to a quirky black & white building on King Street, creating the perfect combination of groundfloor shop, plus cosy drinking area upstairs. This was where we seated ourselves for our next Taste Knutsford experience.
We were served 2 white wines, with an excellent non-alcoholic option for those who required one.
First up was a delicious Durello sparkling wine. This is a fabulous alternative to Prosecco, and in my opinion, it's far nicer. Next we sampled a Cicada Gewurztraminer. I thought we were done with the fruit at Jonty's, but the fresh flavours of lychee and peach from this wine were amazing. It's a lovely drink.
A warm welcome into The Snug
Wine drunk, it was time to move on to another age-old King Street building, the 17th century coaching inn of Knutsford's Rose & Crown.
Still used as a hotel and pub today, the building is full of character with original features and a friendly welcome. We were invited to sit in The Snug, before being served a selection of dishes from their starters and nibbles menu.
It's safe to say the Flatbread & Caramelised Butter was an absolute triumph. Well, what's not to love about a light and airy bread oozing with tasty butter. The colourful Gilda Skewers and the Goats Cheese Mousse topped with Bitter Leaves were the perfect accompaniment.
Knutsford's Rose & Crown is a wonderful addition to the Taste Knutsford tour, and you can certainly expect to leave feeling nicely sated.
Trying some tasty tapas
However, there's always room for tasty tapas, so we wandered a couple of doors along to Evuna.
Seated upstairs in this Spanish Taverna styled restaurant, we were given a few dishes to try. The Pan Catalan was as delicious as ever, and clearly popular as it soon disappeared, along with the Crispy Calamari and mouthwateringly succulent Chicken Skewers.
Coffee time!
After all that scrumptious food came the chance to finish as every good meal should, with a cup of aromatic speciality coffee at Tatton Perk.
Beginning life as a funky orange coffee van, Tatton Perk is another Knutsford success story which has resulted in 2 fabulous coffee shops within the town.
Moor Park was our destination for the Taste Tour, where we were offered the chance to try 2 of their V60 pour over coffees. Brewed from freshly ground coffee beans filtered through a V-shaped dripper, these take coffee to a whole other level.
A choice of hot chocolate samples are also available, including a dark, milk or white chocolate version.
Naughty Corner Cocktails
Next were drinks of a different type, with cocktails at April's Kitchen.
April's Kitchen is a lovely eaterie right in the middle of town. It's open for breakfast, brunch, and lunch, and is a fun place for late afternoon cocktails. Exactly what we enjoyed in the apltyly named Naughty Corner of the restaurant.
Scones with cheese? Yes please!
Our penultimate stop on the Taste Knutsford tour was Cranford Cafe & Sandwich Bar.
This popular eaterie in Canute Square has been serving the people of Knutsford for over 20 years. A clear indication of just how good the food is here.
An extensive menu includes breakfast and lunch offerings, a tempting selection of baked goods, plus a huge range of options for creating your own sandwiches.
You are welcome to eat in the cafe, or grab a takeaway to enjoy later. Which is what we received during our quick stop here, in the form of a rather scrumptious cheese scone.
And finally, Chocolate!
I'm not saying we saved the best for last, but its safe to say we all became very excited when we heard the word chocolate mentioned for our final location.
Hot Cocoa is owned by the gorgeous Hattie, who hand creates some of the most divine treats in her Knutsford chocolate shop.
Ivan the ice cream machine was ready and waiting to serve up a sample of chocolaty soft serve goodness. Before we were indulged with 2 different flavours of chocolate bon bons. A delicious Banoffee and scrumptious Miso Caramel. What a way to finish such a fantastic Knutsford Taste tour experience.
Taste Knutsford summary
Quite simply, Taste Knutsford is a fabulous way to tour this wonderful town.
Over its 3 hour duration, you'll be guided to around 7 or 8 venues where you'll be served a variety of delicious food and drink. Ranging from sit down meals to grabbing a sample on the go, there's a mouthwatering combination of savoury options, sweet treats, coffee, and alcoholic beverages (non-alcoholic alternatives are available).
As many of Knutsford's businesses are independently owned, you'll also have the chance to meet some of the owners. This is a great opportunity to hear their stories and ask any questions you may have about their ventures.
Of course, touring a town so steeped in history, means you'll also learn more about Knutsfords fascinating past as you visit some of the oldest buildings within the area.
Booking a Taste Knutsford tour
Knutsford Taste tours run twice a month, with space for up to 15 people on each one.
Private tours are available for large groups. And you can even purchase gift vouchers for future tours, making a perfect present for the foodie in your life.
For all the information you need, including dates for upcoming tours and details on how to book, visit the Taste Knutsford website.
