I spent a day wandering on the Wirral foodie street winning fans from far and wide

Sitting on a main road connecting Chester with the west of the Wirral peninsula is a vibrant stretch of restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars that is growing both in size and in reputation. Telegraph Road, in Heswall, is already a top destination with the local community but is now starting to win fans from further afield.

I spent the afternoon strolling down the A540 speaking to some of the businesses to get a sense of the community spirit that has transformed a highway into a high street.

One business that has benefited from the transition is Franklyn's Bar & Kitchen. Owner Rob Murch, 44, tells the ECHO how things have changed since he opened the bar 12 years ago.

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Describing Franklyn's as "a cocktail bar where you can get some good food and socialise," he says: "We opened in 2012 because we felt it's what the road needed. There were a number of pubs but not a real cocktail place. But now [Telegraph Road] has got everything. You've got Italian, Mediterranean, pubs, bars. Heswall Tandoori has been there since I was born."

He adds: "Businesses have changed a lot, habits changed since Covid but the community has stayed relatively the same. It's an eclectic community. We get a broad range because of the A540. It's easily accessible. It's a good place to be"

One of the newer businesses on Telegraph Road is Cake Avenue. Jenny Percy, 28, opened her café a year and a half ago when she decided that she was tired with her office job and wanted to explore her passion for making cake. Jenny tells the ECHO: "I was fed up working in an office, working for someone else so I decided to take the plunge."

Explaining why Telegraph Road is a suitable venue for Cake Avenue Jenny adds: "I wanted a small space because I didn't know how it was going to go. The passing traffic means that the road is always busy, I'm very happy to be here. Everyone is friendly, people support independents. Yeah we've got a bunch of regulars. Every day we get the same people as well as some new faces. It's great."

One business on Telegraph Road that is certainly familiar with the community's loyalty and friendliness is Burnt Truffle Bistro. Josh Edwards, 27, who recently started working at the restaurant explains how the bistro came to Heswall. He says: "This venue was actually crowdfunded, fans of Gary [Usher]'s other restaurants and people of Heswall donated to open up Burnt Truffle in 2015."

Raising more than £100,000, Burnt Truffle is the first UK restaurant to be opened with the initial finance raised through non-equity funding. In November 2023, however, owner Gary Usher did make a plea on social media to the Heswall community to dine at Burnt Truffle saying, otherwise, he would be forced to close.

Enough people responded to the plea as, a year later, the bistro remains open and Josh tells the ECHO that "business is good" and "the community has been really important". He says: "Telegraph Road is really unique. You don't get many of these street destinations in the Wirral. It's the type of thing you'd see in a London suburb."

John Smith, 48, is another business owner who, after finding success elsewhere in the North West, decided Heswall would be the best destination for further expansion. The Bow-Legged Beagle, on Telegraph Road, is named after John's pet beagle Bobby and his wonky knees. It is the fourth of it's kind with venues of the same name in Bromborough, Upton, and on Victoria Road in New Brighton.

Approaching the Bow-Legged Beagle's one year anniversary on Telegraph Road, John says business has been "good but tough". He says: "The street is more predominately food-centric than the other areas we're in which is good because as a wet pub we can stand out. But we're still in that process of trying to stand out.

"We're not just a pub for people who drink for the sake of drinking. We aim for our clientele to be people who appreciate good beer. We are experienced in the breweries we like and we aim to provide a better product for a cheaper price."

It's clear Telegraph Road is becoming a destination for locals looking for a drink or a bite to eat as well as business owners looking for a welcoming environment for success. The variety of offerings on Telegraph Road means that the A540 through Heswall acts as much more than an A road.