Let’s go on a journey back through time to have a look at Mr Thomas’ and Sam’s Chop Houses, and how the two oldest restaurants in the city are tied together.
00:00Hello and welcome to Manchester World. My name is Theo Houston Betts and today we have something very special lined up for you.
00:05Now it feels like every week here in the city a brilliant new restaurant pops up with some amazing new viral food offering.
00:10But this week we're going to look at things slightly differently and look at the story of the two longest running restaurants here in the city.
00:17Now before we start with that we just want to give a quick shout out to a few places that just missed out.
00:22The French in the Midland Hotel is the go-to place for British cuisine and has been open since 1903.
00:26The Rice Bowl is a brilliant Chinese restaurant that's been open since 1960.
00:30Rajdu Tandoori, a brilliant Indian restaurant that's been open since 1966.
00:34And the Armenian Taverna has been serving happy customers since 1968.
00:38Now let's get into it.
00:41Now we're going to start here at Mr Thomas' Chop House, a dining establishment that's been open here in the city since 1867
00:47and is still churning out some brilliant food from the same original location.
00:51Now the interior is decorated with amazing Victorian tiles much like the ones that you'd see adorning places like the Peverell of the Peak
00:57with booths and an incredible old school atmosphere.
01:00The food is pretty classic too with menu staples being seen things such as a corned beef hash or steak and kidney pudding.
01:05While the prices aren't quite the Victorian ones it's certainly not the most expensive place that you'll find in the city either.
01:10Now the Chop House has a wonderful history having been founded by Thomas and Sarah Studd who'd worked together in the nearby Browns Chop House.
01:16While it's Thomas' name that adorns the restaurant even now he fell ill only seven years after the opening with Sarah stepping up to run the business.
01:23Something that was almost unheard of at the time.
01:25She opened a ladies room, an incredibly progressive thing to do at the time and after Tom died she led the Chop House into a bright future serving 400 meals a day.
01:33Back in 2019 the business was renamed Sarah's Chop House to honour her for International Women's Day.
01:38And while the business is no longer run by the Studd family it is still family run and its dedication to its past is brilliant.
01:43Now from one Chop House to another let's go to Sam's.
01:47So let's talk quickly about Chop Houses though I'm sure you've already figured them out.
01:51They were sort of eateries. Beer would pour freely with good quality food served to keep people well fed and satiated after long physical days of work.
01:58Now Sam's behind me was opened in 1869 just a year after Mr Thomas' and the connection between the two places is actually even closer than you may think.
02:05Not only are these the two oldest restaurants in Manchester, not only are they both named Chop Houses and not only do they serve a similarly British classic menu but in fact they were founded by members of the very same family.
02:18That's right the Sam in the name of this place is Samuel Studd, brother of the Thomas Studd that you've just heard me rambling on about.
02:23Now the reason that I'm not stood here in front of the Studd Chop House is because prior to the establishment of either Mr Thomas' or Sam's the brothers had a disagreement and went their separate ways.
02:32Sam's very quickly became an incredibly popular restaurant with local ales and fine wines being a massive draw for the Victorian crowds with a friendly atmosphere and proper home cooked meals.
02:42That's the legacy that the current owners are trying to maintain with a focus on fresh food cooked to order with food sourced from British suppliers and a brilliant friendly atmosphere that ensures everyone is welcome.
02:52It's an amazing story and these are two stunning restaurants so get down, try them out and follow Manchester World for more.
