Manchester's school-dinner-era dessert: shortcrust pastry, raspberry jam, vanilla custard, desiccated coconut, and a single glace cherry on top. Variation on Mrs Beeton's Manchester pudding.
The Manchester tart descends from the original Manchester pudding, first recorded by Victorian cookery writer Mrs Beeton in 1861 as a baked custard tart with breadcrumbs. The 20th-century version dropped the breadcrumbs, added a layer of raspberry jam and finished with desiccated coconut, surviving as a school-dinner staple and now a Manchester pub dessert menu fixture.
2 editor picks for Manchester tart in Manchester, ranked by editorial score. All Manchester signature dishes · Manchester tart across every city.
The Edinburgh Castle ★ 4.6
ancoats · 23 Blossom Street, Manchester M4 6AN
The upstairs kitchen earned a Top 50 Gastropubs spot in the UK; Gabe Lea took over as head chef in late 2024. Whitewashed Ancoats pub downstairs, bistro plates above.
Mr Thomas's Chop House ★ 4.4
deansgate · 52 Cross Street, Manchester M2 7AR
1867 Victorian Manchester chop house and pub on Cross Street. Cask ales, steak and kidney pudding, original tilework and the city's oldest dining room.