It's rare to see the likes of tripe, oxtail soup and cow heel pie on the menu nowadays, but between the 1950s and 1970s, Manchester was home to a restaurant chain that offered all of these dishes.
UCP (United Cattle Products) were a big deal in the North of England, with nearly 150 restaurants and shops which helped to promote eating tripe - the stomach lining of various farm animals. Here in Manchester there were various branches, including a restaurant on Market Street on Pall Mall corner, and a tripe shop on Stretford Road in Hulme.
The company was founded in Lancashire by “tripe dressers” (people who prepare tripe) who combined their businesses. UCP’s restaurants were loved by many families for its cheap meals, which also included cold tripe salads, tripe pies, and tripe and onions.
