Trove

One of these little gems in Manchester that makes you wish for a rainy day so you can sit and have a cup of tea with pastries or sandwiches. Trove makes a long winter in south Manchester bearable with spot on quality food and «love in the neighbourhood» kinda atmosphere. Cute and continental-​ish with a British twist. These guys are filled up with passion and they have big plans for their petite boulangerie, starting with the new pop-​up shop @altrinchammarket. Expect to see me around carrying a baguette or two. Oh and by the way, it s opposite the Levenshulme Antique Market, making it worth a trip to Levenshulme. JB

I can’t believe that’s it’s taken until I was nearly leaving to visit Levenshulme and the delight that is Trove. Popped along here with a friend for a late lunch at the Easter weekend. It’s got such a nice friendly, community vibe that it makes me wish I’d discovered it so much sooner.
We had a couple of flat whites, which were great, and the eggs benedict (poached egg perfection) and the pancake stack. We were lucky that we went at an odd time, but I can imagine it being seriously hard to get a seat of you visit at peak hours.
I can’t review trove without mentioning their bread, which in my case was toasted sourdough. Absolutely delicious. A real little gem of a place in Levy.

Popped in here for coffee a couple of weeks ago when needing to find somewhere to shelter from the harsh cold wind in Levy.
Now I’ve been to Trove a number of times when they first opened years back but it’s not somewhere that I regularly check out due to the fact that it’s quite small and don’t want to end up in Levy without a plan B (ok so POD may be a plan B, but I wouldn’t have a plan C for quality food and drink… yet…)
They do great coffee though, very friendly staff, the food is excellent — and also they’re expanding in a few months to make the café double in size, whilst also opening at night to sell ‘small plates’ — hopefully I can start getting down here more from now on and grabbing my family and me a nice seat without risk of missing out!

Busy but good, next time I hope I will be eating as one of my companions had the blueberry pancake with pears and caramel, and it looked like a plate of yum. I has the dark chocolate hot chocolate which was very good. Not quite enough seating which feels an odd thing to say considering we were there on a Friday afternoon (before schools were out but after lunch). It is well worth a visit if you are visiting the neighbourhood (opposite the antiques market).

Amazing quality food here with a very standard semi-​hipster type of feel to the place. Pretty much what you’d get anywhere in Chorlton etc. If you’ve been to Spoon it’s a similar vibe. The quality of the food is everything and here you won’t be disappointed. It’s a good job, because they don’t have the option for a meat fry up. I’ve never heard of anything so pretentious and full of shit in my life. The reason they give is that they don’t have anything other than veggie sausages. What? I had to pay extra to get black pudding and bacon added. Total shit. As I said earlier the food quality is exceptional, and so it gets three stars, other wise I’d have given it one and never come back. There’s some incredible options for bread, which again means absolutely nothing to me if I can’t have a proper fry up. What’s worse is that I get the distinct feeling that the choice to have no meat breakfast is nothing more than a pretentious gesture. The menu has meat everywhere, so why do I have to openly ask about the fry up? My over arching response to this place is one of annoyance. Advice to the owner is to get real — you’re in Levenshulme Manchester where the majority of your customers are meat eating Mancunians who want a proper breakfast. Bloody hell.

First of all, I’m not originally from Manchester so after seeing the pictures of Trove on Unilocal,was astonished when my Satnav said I’d arrived at my destination in Levenshulme. I think that the area that this little coffee shop’s habitat is, adds a certain charm. A diamond in the rough if you will.
So I visited on a Wednesday and an initial inspection meant I loved it. White walls, clean lines, homemade breads, stoneware pottery and a Scandinavian feel to the place that made it all very endearing.
Ok, so now for the not-​so-​great bits. The staff were nice, but not overly attentive, and of the three members we saw, not one of them greeted us with a smile.
I was looking forward to an eggs Benedict, and was told this was on the weekend brunch menu– which I was not allowed as it was a Wednesday (bearing in mind the ingredients were all on the menu somewhere else except for the hollandaise sauce?!) So instead I had poached eggs and salmon on toast. Now considering I asked for 3 things on a plate, I don’t think it’s unfair to expect those 3 things to be cooked perfectly. The wholemeal sourdough– scrummy, the fresh salmon — delicious… The eggs– definitely overcooked and only just runny!
Now on to the coffee’s. Again unfortunately not quite up to expectations. My boyfriend had a v60 and said the flavours were quite flat and nothing special, and my flat white was fine, but again nothing to write home about. I also noticed that there wasn’t even an attempt at any latte art (unless they were drawing a squished Michelin man– and then they nailed it!).
If i could, I’d give Trove 3.5 stars and I’m being generous at that because I really want them to do well (being a super cute independent coffee place in Levenshulme), but when the two most important bits of the experience (food and drinks) aren’t up to standard, then improvements need to be made.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Best café in Manchester?
How did it take me so long to visit Trove? Despite hearing nothing but glowing reviews for this café it was only on Saturday that I remembered to get off the train to Manchester 1 stop early and visit.
Its safe to say Trove is not the typical café you would expect to find on the A6 in Levenshulme, the interior reminds me of Berlin cafes with white walls and a lot of wood! The place is decorated with original stoneware plates and is cosy enough to relax with a coffee and some of the great magazines stocked.
The menu has a seasonal focus along with daily specials. I ordered the sourdough hotcakes with Ricotta and date purée and my dining companion went for brie and bacon sandwich on wholemeal sourdough. Both dishes were absolutely delicious and presented beautifully on trove stoneware plates. As other reviewers have commented the menu is awash with different flavours and offers something slightly more exciting than simply poached eggs on toast– my hotcakes were served with flower petals!
The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu to help with recommendations. Finally when we came to pay the bill our food plus drinks (flat white and lemon cordial) came in at £13!

Really surprising and brilliant. Takes me back to my times in Berlin, it’s got the feel, the style and the staff are great.

Really enjoyed the service and food, good atmosphere too! A real traditional café with a cracking good breakfast!

Our friend took us to Trove in Levenshulme. She had heard about it from her friends, but as it’s tiny with only a few tables is packed on weekends and so she had never been. So Monday morning was a great time to go. Trove is an artisan bakery and they apparently supply many restaurants and cafes in town with bread. We had the poached eggs and black pudding with beetroot relish on bread, as well as the chorizo sausage with beans on bread. Both were fantastic and a generous portion for only £6. The cappuccinos were very good too.

Possibly my favourite place, definitely top 3 :)
Trove is a small café in Levenshulme serving breakfast, lunch and dinners. The breakfast/​brunch is really good with eggs Benedict, toast made from a choice of bread and other great dishes. The coffee and juices are fantastic too.
For lunches they have the main menu and a specials board that I often choose from. I had the most wonderful cauliflower salad there recently that I still crave. The chef there has a real talent for putting flavours together.
They often have special evening events including a pizza night with live music and supper club take over nights. I’ve had Seasons Eatings and Arepa Arepa Arepa meals there both of which were exceptional. In the evenings it’s BYOB for these events.
There are not many tables but I’ve never struggled to get one by waiting a few minutes. The staff are lovely and the atmosphere is perfect. I would love them to open a place in Sale.

Gosh I love bread. Whenever my friends ‘cut back on carbs’ and remove bread from their diet, they have to deal with my diatribe about why that is the WORST IDEA EVER. Delicious, hand made, seedy balls of dough make me a very happy girl and I will do a lot for a decent loaf.
I have been struggling to find REAL bread in Manchester but have now eaten Trove’s delights both in their café and from their suppliers. I am very picky and a little bit snobbish when it comes to bread as my brother is a baker, but Troves bread rates high in my books. Their sourdough is tasty and well crafted and I really like their fennel rye loaf. WIN.
I have eaten lunch at their café in Levenshulme twice now and both times have gone for the beetroot, blue cheese and walnut sandwich. Both times it has been delicious although it could really do with MORE CHEESE. My boyfriend had scrambled eggs with samphire and harissa on his first visit and has been talking about it ever since. Sadly, it had been removed from the menu (seasonal menus are always a good sign) and so he had the vegetarian breakfast. He gave everything on his plate a thumbs up except for the vegetarian sausage.
Their coffee is also tops but I am yet to try one of their sweet goods. I haven’t been overly impressed with how they look but one day I will definitely give them a go. it is so nice to have a decent REAL bakery nearby. May everyone buy their bread so that they can eventually lower their prices slightly.

While there for brunch, we tucked into their pastry range. The pain au chocolat and croissant were good, but the cinamon Danish was fantastic Trove’s sour dough is to die for. A real treasure trove:

I’m so lucky to have Trove on my doorstep. Although luck doesn’t have much to do with it. Trove was one of the reasons we chose to buy a house in Levenshulme. Knowing you have that perfect little café to walk to on a weekend is on the list of ‘must haves’ when buying any house in my opinion. And Trove ticked all the boxes.
We’re always greeted with a smile by staff (even the ones) we dont know! so you’re instantly welcomed warmly into their little space with a big heart.
Trove was born out of a love of bread and jam /​chutney making so these are very much at the heart of the menu along with the fantastic pastries and amazing cakes they also produce in house.
They serve a standard mid week menu, a variation on it over the weekend and the odd specials too. With a mix of breakfasts, salads, sandwiches and hot dishes on the menu there is plenty to choose from. My favourite though is the eggs benedict (especially as its served with capers!). Although trove closes around 5pm during the week, on the weekend they run pizza nights and occasionally combine these with craft beers or acoustic songwriters to create some really special and intimate evenings. If that wasnt enough its also BYO which makes it a very affordable night out too.
But if you dont fancy sitting in, you can simply grab a loaf, cake, pastry of coffee on the run. I think you can even order the pizzas for take out too, but dont quote me on that.
The décor is minimalist but warm. Simple pleasures. wooden floors, and unfinished wood shelves and tables and wild dried flowers in old glass bottles. The table was made by a family member and the stools by local Furniture designer David Marsh. Trove embrace the people around them and in turn are loved by all.

We’ve been here twice. Once before we went to Levy market. Another time for Seasons Eatings (a supper club). I have to say that the supper club was fantastic, but I’m gonna review it from the other occasion as I think that will be most useful to everyone out there.
First of all, Trove is in the middle of a bit of a dead section of town. There isn’t much else to come for apart from the market. Don’t let that put you off. It’s worth it!
Second of all, Trove is tiny! I’m not joking. I think there are 2 two seater tables and one 8 seater. They have moved things recently, so maybe that has changed.
We came for breakfast, and I had a eggs Benedict, while my partner had a sausage and egg sandwich.
The bread is what makes it. Everything is made on site and tastes superb. My eggs Benedict was sublime, with capers on to add to the flavour.
A real gem

This perfectly formed café is a serious contender for the best place to eat in Manchester. Its food, drinks, atmosphere and background music excels at every level. The bread especially the sourdough is amongst the best sourdough I have every eaten from San Francisco to Berlin.
Anywhere I eat and relax I mentally compare to my lovely local foodery trove. Trove ticks all the boxes.

I’ve bought the wonderful loaves of bread that Trove bake in house many times over recent months but it has taken me until now to actually get round to stopping in properly but can happily say I’ll be back regularly in the future.
Trove is a tiny little gem nestled in amongst the eclectic array of shops, takeaways etc on the A6 that runs through Levenshulme. They offer a small but interesting menu of sandwiches, a seasonal salad plate, a soup and a seasonal dish of the day plus some delicious looking cakes.
I opted for a small and well made strong cappuccino whilst I waited for my friend and then had the squash, chilli and almond soup which was served with two thick slices of bread slathered in butter (I chose wholemeal sourdough). The soup was absolutely delicious and the fresh bread just beautiful, an absolute bargain at £3 too. In fact everything seems exceptionally well priced, one of the advantages of its location I think.
The girl who served us was super smiley and the service was excellent and very genuine. We were there for a good couple of hours and it was nice not to feel rushed or that we were getting in the way either.
Trove open later into the evening over weekends for BYO pizza nights, something I look forward to trying soon.

I thought I’d written a review for this but clearly not.
Trove is the kind of place that could start the Levvy revolution. I don’t know Levemshlme that much but having been there a few times for the antique village, the fireplace shops and visiting a few friends I’d say it’s a old sub-​surburban, tight-​knit cmmunity little village that is on the verge of an awakening. Trove is a sign that there is a demand of authenticity and quality.
They make fantastic breads and cakes, serve super breakfast and brunch meals and sandwiches, great coffees and teas, put up supper clubs, BYOB pizza nights and are super active on social media as well as on the streets, serving their wares at markets and partnering with other ventures.
This is the future, and you can eat it ;-)

My local haunt for brilliant bakes, brews and breakfast — nothing comes close in Levenshulme, and Trove could hold its own in the supposedly upwardly mobile Chorlton eatery scene.
It’s a wonderful labour of love by the owners and a welcome relief from the over abundance of crappy takeaways in Levenshulme.
Pull up a stool and sit around the ramshackle large table dominating this small but perfectly formed café, order yourself a flat white (with Has Bean coffee) and I’d recommend the Black Pudding Potato Cake breakfast option of a weekend, then buy a loaf of bread (baked ¾ times a week) to take home with you — you won’t regret it.
Trove also do pizza nights on the weekend, very reasonable prices (around £6−8) and bring your own booze too, with the promise of folk evenings (i’ve not been to one yet) and joining forces with other local foody places it’s not just a café or bakery, it’s fast becoming a destination — if only the rest of Levenshulme could catch up! (shout out to POD Deli for also being ace)

What we have here is one small but perfectly-​formed art café immaculately decorated with retro style and reclaimed materials. Affordable art by local artists adorns the walls and indeed the young waitress who served me turns out to be a very accomplished textile designer who had recently finished her turn of exhibiting at Trove. I highly recommend you check out her blog for the quirky photography of some great textiles and garments and the gorgeous Hyacinthe herself :-) —
Although this was my first visit to the Trove mothership, I had already met both halves of the adorable young couple behind Trove (Katy & Marcus) at Piccadilly Gardens (Real Food Market) and also on the Saturday South Manchester Markets circuit. From their stall, I’ve bought homemade marmalade (above average) and carrot & almond relish (hmm — jarred veg not really working for me). But the star of the show was an almond & raspberry tart for £1.70. At that price, this marks Trove out as a poor man’s Patisserie Valerie. Except Trove’s tart is much better. And comes with a warm glow of the love that is making this spellbinding little place happen. I think you know where I shall still be dining when I’m rich!
Food wise, the menu is fairly short and I am my usual picky self, so a bit of give-​and-​take on my part was necessary. Having seen the gorgeous bowl of beetroot & stilton soup on this page
I was disappointed to find the soup of the day was mushroom which I avoid on ayurvedic principles. But I was happy with what I ended up with, the daily salad of fennel, orange & walnut, which came served with green leaves and three slices of excellent homemade bread. Dessert was an excellent pear tatin at £1.70, giving a decent two-​course light lunch for around £6.50.
The rest of the menu is teas and coffees, sandwiches and breakfast foods. AFAIK, I think I saw a ‘proper’ all day breakfast listed alongside a vegetarian version, and pastrami as a sandwich filling. But Trove looks to be vegetarian-​friendly but with a few omnivorous options — maybe a bit like Soup Kitchen in the Northern Quarter. Plus, the bakery is gearing up to serve various loaves baked on the premises including sourdough. Trove have an alliance with another young team with an artisan bakery in Macclesfield, so the know-​how should be there.
As to the wider area, Levenshulme has a fair few things to offer provided you look at it the right way. Nearby Longsight Market is a lively one — the fair number of ‘2 shawls for £3′ stalls are redeemed by an equal number of antique and ethnic greengrocer stalls. Levenshulme itself is renowned for its concentration of antique and architectural salvage dealers, including the hugely impressive Antiques Village directly across Stockport Road from Trove. Levenshulme Market (fourth Saturday) features the usual great suspects from the South Manchester Markets plus some arts and crafts stalls which are unique to the Levenshulme Market. And there is plenty of ethnic fun to be had, including a dabba-​style paratha van which I am being warned against by Levy expert Rana M, but I think I am going to have to try it anyway! Longsight-​Levy is culturally similar to the top end of Cheetham Hill — think Rusholme, but much less touristy — hahaha!
I like the idea of Levenshulme as the new Chorlton or West Didsbury, for those who have that kind of spirit but maybe not the means to live or trade in either of those locales which have gone upmarket — and with canny Levy prices to match! What do you think?