Simone’s Manchester Review

 

‘Simone’s, the healthy baker’ – Manchester Arndale Food Market

 

 

For those of you who haven’t heard, Simone’s is one of the first gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly bakers to grace the treat scene in Manchester. All of their products are refined sugar free, which is just the way we like it at Two Real Foodies. We went along to sample some of their delights and wanted to share the love with you…

 

The bakery is located inside the Manchester Arndale Food Market. It’s unmissable, with hands down the most eye-catching decor in the whole place. The modern yet quirky look is made up of fresh white brick-effect walls, marble-effect work surfaces and cool Smeg appliances dotted all around. It feels very clean and hygienic, with all of the treats covered in neat cellophane squares. We think that’s really important for a new venture: first impressions are everything and we loved what we saw at Simone’s.

 

Simone’s husband Peter was holding down the fort when we visited. He was so friendly and we had a great chat about Two Real Foodies, Simone’s and healthy food in general! It’s always nice to chat to a friendly face so thanks for that Peter.

 

Now we’ll get on with the actual food – what you’re all probably most eager to hear about! At Simone’s they pretty much have something for everyone. The prices are reasonable, all items are around £2-£3.00. It is really clear whether the items are vegan, gluten free, dairy free, contain eggs or nuts etc by the information found on the little black and white signs next to each product. The handwritten signs are a cute touch, adding more of Simone’s personality to everything, which we love.

 

What we tried…

 

Banana Cake (dairy free, gluten free; contains eggs)

The texture of this cake was great: just right and soft. There were sultanas inside, which we thought we wouldn’t have included in a banana cake but they tasted good all the same! The oats on the top were a nice touch and added a bit of crunch. The cake was filling and we thought it could be enjoyed as a sweet or savoury product.

 

 

Raw Raspberry Cheesecake (gluten free, dairy free, vegan)

This was Robyn’s absolute favourite, her only problem was that the piece was too small! We’re always impressed with a dairy free cheesecake that tastes great and this one was just that. It was sweet, the raspberries soft and tasty, the base was crunchy and you just wouldn’t believe this was free from anything. The ‘cheese’ layer was creamy, sweet but not sickly and tasted perfect paired with the base and topping. No taste has been compromised here, we’ll have to buy a full cake next time!

 

 

Chocolate Brownie (gluten free)

This brownie was tried and tested by all the family and went down very well. You always know something is great when people love it who aren’t gluten/dairy free. We call it the husband test! Anyway, this one passed that test with flying colours. It was chocolatey, soft, chewy and absolutely perfect for those with a sweet tooth. This one isn’t dairy free, but perhaps Simone’s will expand to dairy free chocolate products in the future.

 

 

Anything bought from Simone’s comes in a great little takeaway box, together with a disposable fork all sealed in by a personalised sticker. Again, we loved these little touches of Simone’s personality.

So, in summary, you really must visit Simone’s if you’re in Manchester. She calls it guilt-free snacking. We don’t really ever want you to feel guilty for snacking, but with these snacks, you really are being kind to your body whilst fulfilling that sweet tooth. We’d love to know what you think too when you visit.

Thank you Simone’s – we loved it!