Decadence at brunch time: a review of POT KETTLE BLACK - Manchester's vintage, trend-setting coffee house
Nestled in the heart of central Manchester at the Victorian-era Barton Arcade, Pot Kettle Black (PKB) offers a northern take on the brunch trend that seems to be sweeping across cities in the UK. And it doesn't disappoint.
Ambience
Built in 1871, Barton Arcade is an iconic feature of the district. Built from glass and cast-iron, the structure is impressive and shows the historical industrial capability of this city - and it's status as the UK's "worker bee" (Link: Visit Manchester) city. PKB sits on the ground floor of the Arcade taking up a sizeable chunk of floorspace with a design that beautifully intertwines with the Victorian heritage of the building. Inside becomes a hybrid between the old structure of the building with sprinkles of green plants that have become extremely trendy over the past year.
The food and drink
PKB offers a selection of hot breakfast options, freshly baked decadent pastries, coffee and tea. The menu offering will vary depending on the day you visit, and beware that popular items do run out very quickly due to the demand from patrons. visiting. However, you can expect the following menus to be on offer as these are part of their standard fare:
On the day we visited, PKB offered the following as part of their specials menu:
As we wanted to make the most out of visiting, we stacked up on our breakfast by opting for:
- Eggs Benedict
- Shakshuka
- Popcorn Raspberry Croissant
- Amann pastry (not shown on menu pictures above)
The second half was a VERY unhealthy breakfast, but it was a Sunday after all and we had a long journey home alter on. The Eggs Benedict was well cooked and tasty, but I wouldn't say it was a stand out option - it was average, but I probably should have gone for something a bit more different instead of this. The Shakshuka, on the other hand, was delightful. The flavours were intense and served piping hot in a heavy metal dish, with runny eggs cooked to perfection. Out of the two hot dishes we purchased, this is the one I would go for time and time again.
And now onto the pastries. Originally we had opted for the peanut caramel tart but they had run out by the time we had arrived, showing the popularity of the coffee house, but instead went for the audaciously unhealthy Popcorn Raspberry Croissant. Filled with homemade vanilla custard (such a rarity!) and with layers of raspberry and plain pastry, this croissant is a delight that should only be eaten infrequently. I wouldn't advise eating this if you aren't a fan of sweet dishes, these are not for you! Additionally, the Amann pastry (Source: NY Times) was not quite on the same level of sweetness and was relatively boring in comparison - but I loved it. Dubbed as "Europe's fattiest pastry" by the New York Times, it is a rich, buttery and dense pastry that is filling and satisfying. Again, don't go eating this every day of the week.
Finally, if you're just in the area for a good, rich and tasty coffee, this is the place to come. We both opted for a Flat White with the coffee flavour being fruity and bold, waking me up after a relatively early start.
If I am ever back in Manchester, I would definitely have this on my list of places to visit. It's not a cheap breakfast, but again this is an independent, micro chain of coffee houses that is making high quality brunches and pastries - it is not a McDonald's breakfast! Be sure to give one of their specials a try and visit on a cheat day, you won't be disappointed at splurging a few extra calories on this beautiful food.
Pot Kettle Black has branches at Barton Arcade and Angel Gardens in Manchester, as well as at the Departures Hall of the new Terminal 2 at Manchester Airport. I highly advise booking ahead of time as it got extremely busy even at breakfast, this can be done using DishCult app.
Where's your favourite spot for breakfast or brunch in Manchester? Let us know in the comments!