As a self-confessed condiment fiend, I’m always excited to find and try a new sauce. Our cupboards are filled with lots of different bottles and jars which, much to my partner’s dismay, there can never be too many of in my opinion.
I’m apparently on a sauce ban until ‘you eat the ones you’ve already got’ but with so many brilliant new saucy concoctions being released by Manchester home chefs recently, it’d be rude not to try them (all).
As we explored recently in our Launched in Lockdown article, we’ve seen so many new small food businesses crop up since the start of the pandemic and quite a few of the Manchester sauce brands we’ve rounded up here did so too.
There’s a wonderful range of sauces here including a range of chilli oils, a banana ketchup and a whole lot of hot sauce. Enjoy and stay saucy.
Elliot Eastwick’s World Famous Hot Sauce
DJ turned sauce-maker, Elliott Eastwick launched his new brand of small-batch, all natural, vegan, gluten-free hot sauce – World Famous Hot – in November last year, and it’s had a create response so far.
Describing it on the website it reads: “No added sugar or daft stuff. It’s vegan, gluten free, and all natural. The fresh onions garlic and hot peppers we use are all oven roasted which gives it that deeeep flavour everyone loves.”
Bottles cost £5.50 and they are available to order here.
Pippy Eats
Noodle maker Pippa Middlehurst (aka Pippy Eats)has developed somewhat of a cult following for her range of Chinese-inspired oils. There’s the Sichuan hilli Oil ‘heady and fragrant’ with Sichuan peppercorn and a secret blend of spices; Chilli Crisp, a homemade version of the classic Lao Gan Ma Crispy Chilli Oil; and Chiu Chow Chilli Oil packed with fresh garlic and red chilli, originating from southern China.
The jars cost £6.95 each or £20.50 for three. They’re currently out of stock on her website but can all be ordered from her online shop alongside a wealth of other Manchester sauce makers and Asian products too. Take a look here.
Mama Z
A condiment that you’ll find in many households in the Filipines, Mama Z has created her own Banana Ketchup which she serves alongside her Filipino street food dishes. She has also bottled it up to sell in various shops in Manchester and on her website.
She has also just announced a new hot sauce called Hot Zos which will be available to order soon.
Visit Mama Z’s instagram page for full information on how to order.
Rice over Everything
From her kitchen in Whalley Range, Burmese-born cook May started making chilli oils during the first lockdown.
I got a little delivery of these sauces to try this week and May told me that she decided to make her own chilli oils because she ‘couldn’t find one hot enough’ for her. And, while they do pack a punch, her three varieties – original chilli, mushroom and peanut, and dried shrimp and fish sauce – aren’t all about the heat, they’re rich, smoky and packed full of umami. They really are delicious over everything.
Jars are £6.99-£7.99 and can be ordered via the Rice Over Everything website, as well as her freshly-launched Burmese rice bowls which are available for delivery or collection from Whalley Range.
Devil Dog Sauces
Devil Dog has created some special sauces in collaboration with some local breweriesWhen I visited the Devil Dog stall at a Maker’s Market last year, the owner took us on a sauce journey through their different varieties of chilli sauce which range from the rather mild like Jalapeno and Pineapple to the really bloody hot made with Carolina Reaper, Trinidad Scorpion & 7 Pot Primo chillies.
Alongside their standard range, they’ve got some exciting collaborations such as a Ghost Pepper, Smoked Porter and Mushroom Ketchup with Runaway Brewery and a Sour Cherry, Porter and Habanero Sauce with Runaway and Rivington Brewery.
Devil Dog’s sauces are stocked in a range of independent Manchester shops or you can order them online here.
KC Eats In – Nam Prik Pao
KC launched her Thai meal kits in November last year after creating a platform on Instagram to share her recipes while she couldn’t cook for friends and family during lockdown.
She has also created her own version of a classic Thai condiment – Nam Prik Pao. Normally made with dried shrimp paste, KC’s vegan version has lots of smoky, roasted chillies, garlic shallots and herbs. She says: “This versatile condiment can be used as a spread, dip, or staple ingredient in dishes such as Tom Yum soup or stir-fried Nam Prik Pao. Spread it on bread, burgers, or simply enjoy it as a dip for fruits, vegetables, prawn crackers, and so much more!”
Find the Nam Prik Pao on her website alongside her Thai cooking kits here.
Oh Mei Dumpling
Mei is well known for producing handmade, delicious and rather beautiful dumplings which many of us have enjoyed at various street food events across Greater Manchester. She also packages them up frozen for customers to enjoy at home.
Alongside her dumplings, Mei has created her own chilli oil and dipping sauces to drizzle over and dunk dumplings in. All her products are available to order for collection in Stockport (SK3) and her chilli oil is also available for delivery. Take a look here.
Slim Jim Food Co
Inspired by a variety of different cultures, Manchester-based Slim Jim Food Co have a range of sauces inspired by the flavours that they love including Middle Eastern Mango Amba and sweet and fiery Thai flavours in their Sriracha.
Using all natural ingredients, each of the sauces are slightly fermented to give them a rich flavour and also improve the shelf life.
All their small batch sauces cost £5.50 and can be ordered online, where you can also find a list of places that stock them include Bernie’s in Heaton Moor and Taste of Honey in Didsbury. Order here.
What’s Your Beef Burgers
What’s Your Beef was started by two mates from Rochdale who just love burgers. You’d normally find them serving up their ethically-sourced grass-fed beef and veggie burgers at various street food events in the city.
They created their own sauce range for their burgers and they’ve now bottled them up to enjoy at home as a marinade, a glaze, or to pour over whatever you like. The range includes a Chipotle Ketchup, Habanero Sweet Chilli and Garlic Sweet Chilli.
All the sauces as well as their burger kits can be orders through their web shop. Take a look here.
Little Yellow Rice Co
Little Yellow Rice Co normally host supper clubs which showcase Peranakan heritage as a tribute to the Ooi family klan, inspired by Hannah’s Great Grand-Father who set up the family business, a Kopi shop (coffee shop), after arriving in Malaysia from China in the 1920’s.
They have always served their homemade sauces at these events and towards the end of last year, Little Yellow Rice Co made these available for people to order to enjoy at home.
The three sauces are a Malaysian Shrimp Oil, a Chilli Garlic sauce and Sambal Tumis which can be ordered from the Pippy Eats marketplace or via the Little Yellow Rice Co Etsy shop. Shop here.
