Back’s Delicatessen

My girlfriend and I ventured into Back’s Deli earlier this afternoon for a spot of lunch, having only ever been in previously to buy items to take home. I think we must have arrived during the tail end of the Saturday lunch rush, as there was a bit of a queue and all the tables inside were occupied. That said, thanks to a small stroke of luck, one of the tables was cleared whilst we were in the queue so my girlfriend quickly grabbed it whilst I queued to order food.
I have to say I was quite proud of myself because, as a notoriously indecisive man, I usually take ages to decide on exactly what I want to eat but on this occasion I zoned in on their «Greek» sandwich and pretty much overlooked all else — including my usual, the New Yorker.
The sandwiches are made freshly to order from the range of deli ingredients at the counter, which are also made fresh in store in the case of items such as the deli salads and the pesto etc. There was an impressive array of meats available, as well as the usual deli suspects: olives, chargrilled peppers, cheeses etc.
My girlfriend ordered the nameless «Milano, Ham, Emmental and Sweet Chilli Peppers» sandwich with a low-​fat latte, whilst I went for the «Greek» sandwich of falafel, houmous, harissa and multi-​vitamin salad with a flat white. The multi-​vitamin salad was essentially finely sliced onion, carrot, peppers, lemon juice, coriander… to be honest, there were that many things in it I can’t actually remember them all. I do remember that it was cucumber free, so it got my vote for that reason.
The sandwiches were delicious. Mine was exactly as I was expecting, with the soft falafel not being overpowered by the harissa whilst still getting that little bit of heat from it and the crunchy salad providing texture to what would otherwise have been a very soft sandwich bound together by tasty houmous. My girlfriend was equally impressed with her selection.
The coffees were good too, with the cups being a decent size and the coffee having a rounded flavour which was big enough to not get lost in the foam but not so strong as to require you be a veteran of quadruple-​darker-​than-​dark-​roast espressos.
Two sandwiches and two coffees came to just over £13, so lunch for two here isn’t going to leave your wallet begging for mercy.
The only problem you may find with Back’s is in its size. As a deli which you can go to and pick up some groceries, which all looked reasonably priced to me (staples like pasta and lentils are £1.50 or less, mostly), it’s plenty big enough with an impressive selection of beers at the back from the likes of Marble and Saltaire. If you were looking for somewhere to sit and enjoy lunch, then you may find it difficult as there’s only four tables actually inside. There are a few more outside, but they’re metal tables and chairs which in winter I imagine won’t see an overly large amount of use.
I think, though, that if I were to knock my rating down purely for the tables that I would be doing a disservice to what is otherwise a cracker of a deli in Heaton Moor. And yes, they do sell crackers — in a variety of flavours.
Definitely worth a visit, and I’ll certainly be going back!

Despite walking past this place loads of times I only ventured in last week whilst on the search for a decent bottle of Prosecco to celebrate the weekend heat wave we were having (I don’t need much of an excuse).
I was pleasantly surprised with the range of stock Back’s has as it’s only a small place and not only does it have a fresh deli counter selling all manner of items as well as coffee to takeaway or enjoy on one of the handful of tables, but also a wide range of stock cupboard items, including my favourite Cool Chile range (a brilliant line of Mexican ingredients). On top of this they’ve also got a decent selection of wine and beers at the back of the shop and the Prosecco we picked up was fantastic.
We didn’t spend long perusing (as I had a husband desperate for a coffee elsewhere) but I look forward to going back and having a proper browse as well as trying out their food from the deli counter.

Great little deli, with a bunch of interesting stock — last time I was here, I picked up some decent Italian tinned tomatoes for a great price (57p or something), and some fantastic smoked pancetta, and there’s all sorts of other bits and bobs. If I lived locally I’d be buying stuff here all the time.
The sandwich I had was «good enough» rather than «great», but then sandwiches are not Manchester’s strong point in general.

Back’s Deli is owned by the ever amiable Andy, a trained chef who has created a top standard delicatessen in the Heaton Moor area of Stockport. Andy descends from a long line of foodies, his Great Grandfather owned Back’s Deli in 1920’s New York and Andy and his wife Karen have kept the family tradition alive.
Back’s sells an extensive selection of breakfasts, salads, sandwiches, jacket potatoes and local produce. They stock specialist breads, fruit and veg and eco-​friendly, natural products for babies. The shop is large, cream and airy with the menu written quaintly on enormous blackboards and the food displayed beautifully behind a huge glass counter. The shop make fab hampers for occasions and always sell out of the basket of unusual beers for Father’s day.
Back’s also provide outside catering and supply buffet requirements on request. Prices here are reasonable, this is M&S quality but with cheaper prices. Maybe its all in the mind, but when you buy cheese and olives from this deli, it tastes so much better from those purchased in the supermarket. On a Saturday, customers can pop by for a barbeque and the store also hold wine tasting events. This is wonderful, fresh produce and I would recommend this delicious deli to everyone– but to my fellow Unilocalers first of course.