Stockport, a town in Greater Manchester, has been cheekily dubbed "the new Berlin" by locals – and after spending a long weekend exploring its thriving food scene, buzzing bars and independent shops, the comparison is not as far-fetched as it sounds.
Alex Seabrook, a journalist who lived in Berlin a decade ago, visited Stockport to test the claim. He lost count of the number of residents who jokingly drew comparisons between Stockport and the German capital – and while said with a wink, there's no small amount of truth to it.
From crab feasts to rooftop vegetables
The town in the south of Greater Manchester has long had a poor reputation, but in recent years, that perception has been shifting. Beginning with the launch of Where the Light Gets In, an upmarket restaurant housed within a grand Victorian tobacco warehouse, the town centre has rapidly transformed into a destination genuinely worth exploring.
The restaurant cultivates some of its vegetables on the rooftop of a shopping centre car park, and procures the remainder from some of the finest farmers across the country. Seabrook opted for a set menu, "A Study in Crab", where all but one of the courses featured crab. Having never sampled crab previously, he said he's now completely won over. The potato salad, smothered in vibrant green nettle mayo and delicate flowers, was an absolute masterpiece.
Underbanks revival and independent shops
Thus far, the revitalisation of the town centre has concentrated on the Underbanks, a historic high street now housing sourdough bakeries, fashionable bars and independent retailers. Rare Mags stocks style magazines from Tokyo, despite most of their clientele not reading Japanese, and black filter coffee from Cardiff roastery Hard Lines to enjoy while you peruse.
Seabrook's hotel near the station boasted a view of the Stockport Pyramid — not unlike scoring a room in Paris overlooking the Eiffel Tower. The pyramid houses an Indian restaurant and was immortalised in a song by local musician Antony Szmierek. It may not be definitive proof of a connection, but Seabrook first came across 'The Great Pyramid of Stockport' on FluxFM, a hugely popular radio station amongst young Berliners.
Nightlife and Foodie Fridays
You might not find a techno club with a three-hour queue at 7am, but Stockport does have Holy Diver, a rock bar that keeps the party going until 2am, complete with a towering portrait of Ozzy Osbourne on the wall and rowdy karaoke every last Friday of the month. There's no shortage of house music either, with the likes of Bruk natural wine bar and the nearby diob listening bar keeping things lively.
On Friday evening, there was even a DJ spinning tunes out on the street, with a crowd of revellers dancing along to disco beats. That's because on the last Friday of every month, Stockport town centre truly comes alive. Chatting to a group of lads outside one pub, it turned out only one of them actually lived locally — the rest had made their way from across Greater Manchester, all for the monthly Foodie Friday extravaganza. Scores of street food vendors descend on the market square, while the bar terraces are packed to the rafters.
Seabrook tucked into halloumi fries and sipped espresso martinis from plastic cocktail glasses. A number of people were perched on the bridge over the Underbanks in the sunshine, tucking into street food and supping beer, much like the buzzing Admiralbrücke over the canal in Kreuzberg.
Regeneration contrasts and comparisons
Regeneration has yet to make its mark on parts of Stockport beyond the town centre. Betting shops and run-down buildings are still a common sight. Though in fairness, few tourists bother venturing out to Berlin's Moabit or Marzahn, where poverty and derelict buildings are equally prevalent.
Yet it was precisely these qualities that made the German capital so compelling in Seabrook's view, as bold pioneers transformed abandoned sites into sprawling techno clubs, and rock-bottom rents drew in creative types. Much the same is happening in Stockport, only rather than the Wall coming down, the town is reaping the rewards of a massive £2-billion regeneration scheme, generating thousands of new homes, workplaces and leisure destinations.
Stockport's edge over Berlin
In many respects, Stockport - recently crowned one of the UK's finest destinations - actually has the edge over Berlin. You can get everywhere on foot, rather than depending on a 30-minute S-Bahn journey. The warm-hearted locals exude classic northern charm, a far cry from the notorious Berliner Schnauze that can seem a touch brusque to British visitors.
Seabrook said he may ruffle a few German feathers saying this, but the beer is simply better - at least what was sampled at the Runaway Brewery. German brews are staunchly traditional and often a choice of pilsner or pilsner. At the Runaway Brewery, where they host "Weird Weekends", you can get pilsner or barley wine or sour beer or a "pomodoro" with tomato, salt, fennel and chilli. Wood-fired pizza is also served up in the garden.
Weekend highlights and a final verdict
Weekend highlights included grabbing pastries for breakfast from the Sticky Fingers bakery and heading to Cantaloupe for dinner. This exceptional restaurant serves up top-notch dishes, such as rabbit stew or anchovies wrapped in sage leaves and fried in batter, alongside wonderfully unpretentious service.
That said, the Hat Museum admittedly falls somewhat short of Museum Island or the Pergamon. It's still the North, and you can still enjoy a pint of Bass in the Wellington pub while listening to a cover band belt out 'Sweet Caroline'. Though sitting outside Thread, a bar on the market square selling Belgian and German beer, Seabrook found himself sipping a pilsner while his girlfriend browsed the shops. She picked up a greetings card proudly declaring Stockport as 'Das neue Berlin' - so it must be official.
This press trip was organised with the help of Stockport Council and made possible with funding and support from Totally Stockport, Stockport's business improvement district.
