manchesterfoodtourist This week I discovered that there is in fact only one Eccles Cake producer actually in Eccles!!!
Albert Street Bakery in Eccles is a small artisan bakery comprising of Sophie, her two brothers Will and Joe and their cousin Jude.
Prior to the pandemic, the four of them worked alongside their parents at the family business Impact Catering which was formed back in the 80s by Sophies’ parents Sarah and Gary who are both bakers/chefs by trade (they met whilst working in a restaurant together)!
Up until the start of last year, this had been a very successful company with local customers including the University of Manchester, the BBC, LadBible and numerous private events and weddings. However, as you can imagine, the pandemic has had a huge impact on the business which is why they decided to form Albert Street Bakery…
Since the start of the year they have been producing a range of speciality breads and pastries including Sourdough and Manchester Tarts. However, most popular amongst their growing customer base are their ‘Made in Eccles Cakes’ which they are proud to say are the only Eccles Cakes actually made in Eccles!
They are located just a stone’s throw away from the site of the original Eccles Cake shop established by James Birch in 1796 and saw the opportunity this year to look into the history of Eccles Cakes and develop their own unique recipe.
Their handmade, small batch ‘Made in Eccles Cakes’ are made using all-butter flaky pastry, homemade candied orange peel, locally grown apples, free range eggs and Vozilla currants and they have been selling these at the Platt Fields Market Garden as well as through their pre-order service.
‘We have been truly bowled over by the support we have received from the local community and from local businesses who have begun stocking our products and it’s heartening to see how people are coming together to support small businesses like ours during the pandemic’.
Sophie
Taking the business one step further, they now offer a limited delivery service to the locally surrounding areas and I was lucky enough to get some myself to try and was very impressed.
Sophie also dropped me off one of their sourdough loaves, which I loved. My own sourdough making has taken a back seat recently due to limited time, so having access to one was a welcome delight, I’d even go as far as to say it beat the taste of my homemade one.
Check them out on Facebook or Instagram and try them out for yourself.
