With a sticky toffee and suet pudding on the menu, there’s a bit of something for everyone
Oxpot, on Deansgate, serves a sticky toffee pudding in a takeaway box(Image: MEN)
There are of course a whole host of brunch spots to choose from when visiting Manchester city centre. Sometimes it may even feel like there is a little too much to choose from.
Manchester promises something for everyone, with there being a cafe or restaurant seemingly able to cater to everyone’s taste. But every now and again you may find yourself adopting a craving for something that you wouldn’t usually go for, and so may be at a loss as to where exactly you can find it.
With this in mind, it is always a good idea to shop around for new brunch spots and whilst making a trip into town there was one newly opened spot on my list to try. It offers a few unique options that you don’t generally see on every typical cafe menu – these namely being a suet pudding and a sticky toffee pudding – and so I thought it would be worth investigating.
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Having opened just last month, Oxpot is one of Deansgate’s latest additions, and despite being in the heart of the hustle and bustle of the city centre, it promises to offer a place for visitors to pause and take a deep breath. As the first Oxpot cafe to open, it has advertised itself as a spot which will fit into your day at whatever pace you’re moving at – whether you are grabbing a quick coffee on your morning commute or whether you need a space to kick back and relax.
It may be nearing the end of the working week when I visit on a Friday, but I can definitely see the vision of it being somewhere you can rush into for your morning caffeine fix, before heading into work. The cafe has been set up with an array of self-service tills to allow you to quickly make your order, without having to stand in a dreaded queue, before heading back out into the chaos of the city.
But as it is a pretty quiet afternoon when I visit, I decide to be sociable and order in person, opting for an Iced Chai Golden Latte which sets me back £3.80. I’m generally a fan of a chai latte, but a golden chai (which is made with golden tumeric) is not something I have seen on many menus.
Oxpot on Deansgate (Image: MEN)
I may not have the bougiest taste going, but I imagine Oxpot has something that will intrigue most people, as alongside its Chai Golden Latte it also offers a Pink and Masala Chai Latte. They are both available hot or iced and I have never heard of either of them. It also has a line-up of cold brews including a Mocha Cold Brew, an Original Vanilla Cloud Cold Brew and a Cold Brew Caramel Cloud.
There’s also a wide range of matchas on the menu, with hot and iced alternatives again available. It also of course has all your classic coffees and chocolates – both hot and iced – as well as having cups of tea, fruit smoothies and milkshakes.
A Sticky Toffee Pudding is something I would enjoy normally at home or at a restaurant, but not something I normally expect to get whilst stopping off at a cafe. Maybe though this is something that more coffee shops in the city should offer, and so I also punt for one of these in a takeaway pot, which costs £5.90.
Heading to the first floor of the cafe, I find that the upstairs of Oxpot tells a bit of a different story to downstairs. While the entrance felt prepped for busy Manchester life with its self-service screens, upstairs you definitely find the ‘place to pause’ which it said it would deliver. With tall windows looking out over Deansgate, it offers a bright space with comfy chairs, and even has the odd inspirational poster hanging on the walls.
Some uplifting posters(Image: MEN)
While I was a little unsure what to expect from my Iced Chai Golden Latte, I was happy to find it was super refreshing and an all round easy drink. To me it didn’t taste too dissimilar to an ordinary Iced Chai, except it maybe packed a slightly more spicy punch.
I also wasn’t too sure of what to expect of my sticky toffee pudding, but it was also pretty tasty and really moist. The ice cream definitely added to this and together they made an ideal mid-afternoon dessert.
Admittedly Manchester must be warmer than the grey sky on this day would have suggested, as within minutes of heading outside my ice cream had fully melted in with the butterscotch sauce. Of course though this didn’t take away from the pudding’s overall taste, and I still had a comforting snack to enjoy on the way back to the tram.
The cafe also has a number of other desserts to try, including a carrot cake and a chocolate brownie. They also have a selection of pastries on offer, which may be an ideal breakfast for anyone on-the-go. Or if you’re looking for something more on the savoury side, it also has a range of toasties, wraps, sandwiches, bagels and even that suet pudding.
The sticky toffee pudding with half melted ice cream(Image: MEN)
Despite having only been on Deansgate for a little more than a month, it was clear from my visit that Oxpot has already earned some much-deserved attention. With it seeming to be both a relaxing brunch spot as well as the perfect place to quickly grab a coffee (or a sticky toffee pudding) on-the-go, I am sure Oxpot will become a popular city centre spot for many.
Oxpot Coffee is at 63 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BW.