The true ‘nonna style’ classic Italian food that’s a hidden gem in Macclesfield’s Picturedrome

In the middle of a busy Cheshire food hall there’s a classic ‘nonna style’ Italian food stall. Terroni Pastificio is based at the Picturedrome in Macclesfield and is run by Johnny Mulyk.

Off the back of Jamie Savage being hand-picked by Gordon Ramsay his new BBC show, Cheshire Live visited the Picturedrome to see what other traders serve up at the budding food hall.

Terroni serves fresh handmade pasta dishes, made by Johnny himself alongside a selection of hot Italian sandwiches. The word ‘nonna’ is an Italian word that translates to ‘grandmother’ in English.

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Judging by the name, Johnny’s cooking is inspired by deeply rooted culinary traditions of Italy. ‘Nonna style’ food gives you the impression that his dishes will be traditional and packed with warmth.

CheshireLive visited the Italian stall on a busy Wednesday afternoon to see what other up-and-coming chefs are based at the venue. Based in a spectacular venue, the Macclesfield food hall delivers on everything it sets out to.

The atmosphere was laid-back and brimming with customers, even during the middle of the week.

At the Picturedrome, there are no table bookings, you simply walk in and sit where you like. Even if there is someone else on the opposite end of the table, but I liked the sociable atmosphere this creates.

And then my interest was piqued when spotting a waiter carrying one of Johnny’s fresh pasta dishes. It looked like a spaghetti bolognese, but far better than any I have eaten at home.

After scanning the menu, I found the ‘Shortrib Bolognese’ that I’d spotted earlier on. Then after speaking to Johnny, he personally recommended the same dish, so it became an obvious choice.

But when seeing the sandwiches on offer, I became torn. So I decided that I’d order a range of dishes, not that I had any chance of finishing them off.

The Shortrib Bolognese had to be the starting point and it didn’t disappoint. You could taste the effort Johnny had put into his freshly-made pasta and it really made a difference to the dish.

The meat was soft and tender, and it delivered on everything a bolognese should – and some more.

Then there was the Porchetta Sandwich, which was one of my off-the-hip choices. I’m usually hit and miss with pork but this was a pleasant surprise.

The fat on the porchetta was perfectly rendered down and the crackling added a nice texture to the sandwich. The salsa verde was something new to me but added brilliant Italian seasoning to the dish.

It was messy to eat and the salsa verde ended up covering my fingers. But that doesn’t bother me, especially when it tastes that good.

Last but definitely not least was the ‘Nonna Style Potatoes’ and as Johnny specialises in ‘nonna’ style cooking, it was an obvious choice. And because you can never turn down roast potatoes.

The potatoes were crispy and packed with flavour thanks to the brilliantly made roast garlic aioli.

Johnny delivers on what he sets out to, by serving classic Italian dishes with a modern twist. The portion sizes are generous and the food is reasonably priced, especially for high quality Italian food.

And after being blown away by the three dishes I tried, I am certain I will be back at the Picturedrome and Terroni in the near future. Having tried Savages Mussels and Terroni Pastificio so far, neither have disappointed.

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