Football fans may be used to scoffing down meat pies at the match – but now City supporters can enjoy a new local delicacy instead.
The Manchester Egg has sparked a craze among pub-goers after it was invented by amateur chef Ben Holden last year.
And now it is to find a new audience among Manchester City fans – when it goes on sale at the Etihad stadium on match days.
The snack consists of a pickled egg wrapped in Bury black pudding and coated in breadcrumbs which is then deep-fried in hot oil.
It was a star of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival – with its stall selling out of them.
The egg is now set to vie with more traditional football fare like the meat pie and sausage rolls for the affections of football fans.
Chef Ben said: “I don’t think you can surpass the meat pie, but it’s about time football fans had another option.
“I think the Manchester Egg is perfect for eating on the hoof while walking to the match, washed down with a pint.
“We were overwhelmed by the success of the stall at the food and drink festival, and we’ve been looking for loads of ways to take it to a wider audience including at City.”
He added that he didn’t want the Egg to become ‘just a City thing or just a United thing’ – adding that a small number of eggs had gone down a storm with FC United members before a recent home game, selling out in just 15 minutes.
The egg will be available from December at City Square for two hours before matches and for one hour afterwards. The square is currently home to the Blue Moon café and a fish and chips stall.
Neil Worcester, head of catering operations for Manchester City, said: “The north west boasts some of the finest produce in the country and Manchester City prides itself on promoting locally-sourced ingredients across all our catering.
“The Manchester Egg is one of many locally-produced products that will be featured in our match-day offering in City Square.”
The Blue Moon Cafe has also started selling locally-sourced gourmet snacks created by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White, including chunky sausage rolls, onion bhajis and real pork pies.
Tom Brooks-Pollock
November 03, 2011
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