Tim Hortons has been popping up across the UK over the past five years - and now it’s finally landed in Stockport.
Friends of mine who have experienced the coffee and doughnut chain in its birthplace of Canada rave about it, saying it was a rite of passage for them during their trip.
“You have to try the Timbits,” they eagerly tell me.
READ MORE: The tiny Mexican gem having to turn diners away that you've almost certainly driven past
So when the new drive-thru restaurant opened on Great Portwood Street at the Peel Retail Park, I thought I had to head down to see what all the fuss was about. And it seemed half of Stockport had joined me.
It was a sunny Sunday morning, and there was a constant stream of customers lining up to get their hands on a Tim Hortons breakfast.
We arrived just after 11 am but realised, once we’d got there, that if we had arrived just 10 minutes earlier, we would have been able to get the breakfast meal deal for £2.99 - a price you can't afford to miss!
This month they're also offering £2.99 evening meals between 5 pm-11 pm.
Despite there being a cluster of people waiting for their order, we were able to walk straight up to a touchscreen board to submit our orders.
My boyfriend selected the sausage and egg bagel meal with chipotle mayo and a hash brown for £4.99, with a french vanilla latte for an extra 50p. He added on a cookie dough doughnut for £2.99.
To my disappointment, there was no vegan sausage option like the one advertised online.
So as a veggie, I went for the egg muffin meal, as I noticed outside there was a sign saying their eggs are freshly cracked. I paired this with a honeycomb iced latte for an extra 50p, so my meal came to £4.79.
I then added a box of 10 Timbits in my virtual basket, as advised, for £3.99.
It took about five minutes for the busy staff to make up the order, and then our number was called out loudly from the woman at the till.
As far as the atmosphere goes, don’t expect relaxed coffee shop vibes, as this alarming shout of order numbers continued throughout our visit, every few minutes.
I found myself sharing a pitying smile when she had to repeat the order number a few times, with no one coming forward.
It became less of a distraction the longer we were there as it dissolved into background noise, and we settled into our seats comfortably.
There was a choice of tables, big armchairs, and even sofas - could it be the retail park’s answer to a ‘Central Perk Cafe’ spot for friends and families?
Before biting into the hot food, I was a bit apprehensive as Google reviews online for this location were a mixed bag.
Out of 68 reviews, the restaurant received an average score of three stars. Quite a few complained of the food being dry, in particular the meat.
I tucked in regardless and was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was. The hashbrown soaking through its greaseproof paper was not a good look, but it didn’t taste oily. There was just a light frying of breadcrumbs and it was incredibly soft and fluffy inside.
The egg muffin with its gooey 'plastic cheese' was also enjoyable and when I looked up to see what my boyfriend thought of his bagel, he was nodding in delight.
“It’s miles better than Maccie's breakfast,” he said.
I’ve not had a McDonald’s breakfast for a long time, but I’d agree. There was a much better selection and the food, although fast, didn’t feel too heavy or greasy, so it’s something I could have more regularly for an easy Sunday morning.
The coffees were a sweet addition to the meal, and we finished off with our doughnuts.
The box of Timbits created an element of surprise over what you were going to get next.
The choice of 10 is made up of the following flavours: apple fritter; apple pie; chocolate glaze; chocolate truffle; honey cruller; two honey dip; old fashioned glaze; white birthday cake; and cinnamon biscuit.
With a few of them, we were unsure as to which flavour they were supposed to be, with some of them tasting a bit similar.
For my personal taste, there was too much nutmeg in the birthday cake bite, and I’m not really a fan of cinnamon either (controversial, I know).
But that was part of the fun in picking out anonymous balls of deep-fried doughnut - kind of like when you buy a bag of Revels and hope to pick up your favourites.
Although I was a bit puzzled by them after being told how great they are, when I dipped my hand in the box to find it was empty, I was left wanting more.
We also shared the cookie dough doughnut too, which came in its own burger box, garnished with cookie dough balls on top of chocolate icing, oozing with a thick chocolate ganache inside.
It was quite sickly, but also delicious.
The chain was founded by the hockey superstar of the same name when he first opened up shop in Hamilton, Canada, in 1964.
It took more than 50 years for it to hit the UK, but they are definitely upping their game to be seen as a competitor among the fast food giants here.
The Stockport restaurant opened a few weeks ago, but there are another four in Greater Manchester, with a new site on its way in the city centre, with a prized spot on Market Street.
Thankfully, we now don't have to fly all the way over the pond for a taste of Canada. But I'd strongly suggest you get down to Peel Park to see what the fuss is about for yourself.
To get the latest email updates from the Manchester Evening News, click here.
READ MORE on Stockport:
READ MORE on food and drink:
