One of the great things about Manchester is that it’s just a stone’s throw from some really beautiful countryside. Glossop, for example, is merely a thirty minute train ride away, and you’re surrounded by rolling hills and old stone buildings as soon as you get there. And just because it’s a small town doesn’t mean there’s no vegan food to be found. It even has a vegan pub! (According to Happy Cow not all of the beers in The Globe are vegan, but the food is all safe.)
I went for lunch there in the summer with Dr HH and my mum. My mum was astonished at how cheap it was and kept asking if we had been undercharged. It really is cheap and cheerful! She enjoyed her meal as well as the price. The chilli deluxe (a deluxe dish has tofu in it) was well-spiced without being especially fiery, and it was really filling. I think the picture gives you an idea of how gigantic the portion was.
Dr HH ordered the steak with mushrooms and red wine sauce. We were expecting something more like a seitan steak, so the stew was a bit of a letdown. It also needed a bit more seasoning. He said the chips were a bit soggy too, which was a shame. He described it as unexciting food, but filling and cheap.
I’d say something similar about my sausage sarnie. It was exactly what I expected and was in the mood for: an unremarkable sausage sandwich. The onions on top were good, but the star of the dish was the side: curly fries! It’s been a long time. Again, the portion size was huge, and they turned out to be better than the portion of onion rings we got to share. For good, filling pub grub and friendly service, this is such a great place. They also serve desserts and ice cream, but we were too full for that.
So we went to walk it off in nearby Manor Park. It’s a really big park with some formal gardens, playgrounds, a miniature train and a body of water. It would be a nice place for a picnic or for lazing away an afternoon, but seems equally good for walking around too if you don’t feel ready to venture out into the wilderness surrounding this pretty little town.
Herbivores' Heaven 
Ooh, I’ve heard Glossop is pretty good for vegans. Gives some hope to Derbyshire considering the city of Derby itself is rather uninspiring! It’s so close yet so far though – the same county as me but all the way the other side of the Peak District.
I always forget Glossop’s in Derbyshire, as it’s so close to Manchester. It’s a shame it’s too far from you.
I love you’ve included Glossop in your Mofo! A Pizza Express has opened this week so another place for vegans to eat here too! I’m loving your Mofo theme and really appreciate all the work you’ve put into it and also behind the scenes of Mofo itself. Now I’m back from my hols, I ‘m doing a big catch up on blogs!
Thank you Caroline! I’ve been really impressed at how you’ve kept up while on holiday, you must have been very well prepared!
Interesting about the Pizza Express, vegans are definitely well catered for in such a small town. My main Glossop priority is checking out that pie shop/bakery in though!
Maybe you just went during a night with a bad chef? Or a night where the chef was having an off day? Even though you said everything was boring, it is still making me drool. I guess it has been awhile since I’ve had simple things like curly fries and onion rings. XD
Maybe I was too harsh: it’s what we’d call “pub grub”, meaning it’s good but not groundbreaking. The curly fries were definitely the highlight – it’s such a treat to be served them again!
Probably a better way of putting it. I recently had hospital fries and forgot that you can make junk food horrible tasting.