THE FAT LOAF PROVES ITSELF IN DIDSBURY

Opening a ‘Fat Loaf’ restaurant in Didsbury has always been on the cards for Tim Wood and Paul Taylor.

That’s where they first met in the kitchens of the Felix restaurant on the western edge of the village … and they have now returned to Didsbury Green to extend the success of their ‘Fat Loaf’ group.

It was four years ago that Tim and Paul teamed up to launch their first venture in Sale - a restaurant that quickly earned a national newspaper reputation for affordable gourmet food.

A second operation opened in Altrincham, four miles away, at the start of last year. And now they have a third at the former Didsbury Village Restaurant and Steak and Kebab eatery at 846 Wilmslow Road.

An extensive £300,000 refurbishment of the Grade ll listed building - one of the oldest in Didsbury’s original village centre - was completed in November (2008).

The 100-cover ‘food and drink’ eatery is more of a ‘meetery’, according to Tim Wood - “because it’s a place where friends can get together, chill out and enjoy a menu of British classics done in our own style.

“The Fat Loaf principle means calling in for whatever you fancy - whether that’s simply a drink from our bar of world beers and wines, a snack from our starter list, a two or three course meal or just a treat from our desserts.

“Whatever the choice The Fat Loaf approach makes it affordable enough to become a weekday habit, not just a weekend treat.

“Our freshest, best quality, locally sourced ingredients, top quality dishes from Michelin-trained chefs, served in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere - are all part of the ‘Fat Loaf’ brand.

“We were looking to extend it into Didsbury for some time because it’s a vibrant, place with cosmopolitan people and a unique identity as a place to live and spend quality leisure time.

“And to get this particular site made the whole thing perfect. It’s one of the village’s great character buildings which is close to the heart of people who live here. It was used by catering college students and there are stories of it once being a bakery … which makes it an ironic base for a new ‘Fat Loaf’.

“We are even looking into the possibility of producing our own range of breads - which really will take the whole story full circle.”

THE FAT LOAF STORY

Tim and Paul went back into the kitchen to launch the new restaurant themselves.

Their unusual ‘chef-turned-restaurateur’ partnership began eight years ago when Tim was head chef and Paul was sous chef at the Felix restaurant. When the Lowry Hotel opened in Manchester they were both handpicked for the ‘dream team’ at Marco Pierre White’s River Restaurant

They were there for 14 months until Paul went off to Jersey to the Michelin-star Longueville Manor and Tim left for Malmaison in Manchester city centre.

When Paul returned in 2003 he and Tim set up their own catering business - which funded the launch of the first Fat Loaf restaurant in Ashton on Mersey, Sale.

From breakfasts they moved into themed gourmet evenings and, within 12 months emerged as an acclaimed restaurant with a catering operation for weddings, dinner parties and functions.

Their belief in ‘good food … good price’ and an approach to world beers that put them on a par with fine wines, attracted praise from national food critics as well as local newspapers.

“We are local lads with an international approach to classic British food,” says Paul, “and we’ve come home to Didsbury … where it all began.”

The Fat Loaf, Didsbury Green: restaurant and bar - 846 Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester M20 2RN; tel: 0161 438 0319; Open seven days a week - 12 noon to 12 midnight.

The Fat Loaf, Altrincham Market: restaurant and bar - 28-32 Greenwood Street, Altrincham WA14 1RZ; tel: 161 929 6700; open Tuesday to Saturday 12 noon to 2.30pm (last orders); dinner from 5.30pm, Sunday lunch from 1pm to 5pm.

The Fat Loaf, Ashton on Mersey village: restaurant -62-64 Green Lane, Ashton on Mersey, Sale M33 5PG; tel: 0161 972 0397; open Tuesday to Saturday 12 noon to 2.15 pm (last orders); dinner from 5.30pm