Town that's less than hour from Liverpool is Golden Triangle Cheshire 'without the pretension'

A town less than an hour's drive from Liverpool is "Cheshire without the pretension". Knutsford has long been known as a playground for the rich and famous, and it's easy to see why the area attracts expensive tastes. Its two main high streets and all the nooks in between are lined with unique businesses, from sweet shops and chocolatiers to cigar lounges and craft ale bars.

Knutsford town centre revolves around two streets: Princess Street and King Street - both known locally as the "top" and "bottom" street. They are filled to the brim with independent shops, cafes and restaurants, while historic buildings line the narrow lanes.

Sandra Curties, the town centre manager for Knutsford Town Council, told the ECHO: "Knutsford is a traditional market town that boasts amazing architecture and is home to over 150 independent shops, bars and restaurants. It offers a great day out or weekend away. The town is on the doorstep of Tatton Park, and throughout the year hosts a varied calendar of events - [including] a monthly food tour showcasing the town’s independent restaurants, a music festival and specialist events focusing on fashion and interiors."

There's something in Knutsford for every age group to enjoy; families with children might pop into the Knutsford Olde Sweet Shoppe, where an array of sweet treats spanning from nostalgic favourites to modern sweets as well as American candy, chocolate, and fudge are tantalisingly displayed. The grown-ups who have moved passed their confectionery phase can step into La Casa del Habano instead.

La Casa del Habano is an international franchise with more than 155 shops in more than 60 countries and 120 cities, with a boutique concept specialising in the exclusive sale of cigarros Habanos (Havana cigars). The premises in Knutsford comprises of a ground floor cigar shop and walk-in humidor with client lockers and a first floor sampling lounge.

Manager Andrew Clegg showed the ECHO around the Knutsford establishment, which is owned by the same family as Liverpool's Puffin Rooms, C.Gars Ltd. He said: "We can only sell Cuban cigars here and we also carry a stock of fine wines. We do sampling events where we pair our cigars with everything from wines to whiskies and rums."

For those seeking an unmatched experience, the VIP area at La Casa del Habano presents a whisky sampling room stocked with premium single malt whiskies and Cuban rums, alongside the sampling lounge that offers guests the convenience of complimentary espressos and soft drinks in a relaxed environment. For patrons wishing to indulge in the full ambiance of 1930s high society, there's the added touch of daily newspapers available on site.

If you're thirsty but whisky and cigars are a little too rich for your taste, head down to craft ale specialists Dexter & Jones, which is run by husband and wife owners, Katy and Adam Rickitt. Alongside their passion for ale, Adam is also an actor of stage and screen, appearing on Coronation Street as Nick Tilsley and later on Hollyoaks as Kyle Kelly, while Katy is a journalist and TV news reporter for Good Morning Britain.

Speaking to the ECHO, Adam said: “I’m born and bred around here. I was friends with the owners of the old restaurant at this site when I was younger so I’ve literally been raised in this building. Knutsford is a very old town and really picturesque. It’s a welcoming place and although it’s part of the Cheshire Golden Triangle, it’s not got the pretension that other Cheshire towns have."

He continued: “Myself and Katy were both working in Birmingham and she said she wanted to move somewhere countryside and rural but where she can still get cocktails; I said ‘that’s Knutsford’. She didn’t believe me but I told her to come and see what she thought. When she came here she was brought to tears.

“This place opened in 2016 and we were literally the second customers through the door - it was a very different beast back then. It was our local and we used to (half-jokingly) say to the owners that if they were ever going to sell the place, to sell it to us. Then in 2019, we were about to get on a plane and they rang and asked if we wanted the place as they wanted to sell. We bought it and we absolutely adore the place."

Dexter & Jones stocks 1000 beers, mostly from the UK, and is dog friendly with Adam stating: “If dogs drank beer, I wouldn’t bother with humans." He added: “We’re one of the biggest and most well respected bottle shops in the country now. We try to specialise in finding new breweries; we want to champion the brewers which make the craft beer industry in this country so great.

“Beer has become so expensive these days; there’s some places in town that charge £7.50 for an Estrella. We have some pints for a fiver because however good our beer is, it’s still beer. Also, the stuff we’ve got is made with passion; it’s from one man and his dog in a shed, all the way up to the most respected breweries in the country. So, we definitely try to make our products affordable."

Knutsford is spoilt for choice in terms of food options. There's a Mowgli, Piccolino and tons of independents. One such establishment is Lindon Stores, which offers modern British cuisine in a relaxed setting. Originally situated in London, the restaurant moved to Cheshire last year when owners Laura Christie and Chris Bousted moved up north.

Laura told the ECHO: “We’ve had this place for seven years but were originally in London until opening in Knutsford at the end of November last year. We had a child and wanted to buy a bigger house, but we didn’t have £1m. I’m from the Wirral originally so we wanted to be back up here but wanted a more rural location so Knutsford looked perfect. We’ve been really busy since opening here and I think we’ve offered the town something a bit different."

The 36-year-old described Lindon Stores as "modern fine dining". She added: "There’s no dress code and no ‘yes sir, yes madam’. The service is more casual and it’s not the sort of place where you can’t laugh too loudly. We’re about good food and good drink. We’ve been nominated for Restaurant of the Year in the Cheshire Life Awards."

Praising the town, Laura said: “Knutsford is a lovely town and is great for a wholesome day out. You can potter about and spend the afternoon there happily. There’s independent clothes shops, art shops, the sweet shop and then later in the evening there’s a good selection of bars and restaurants.

"There’s also really nice places to stay if you’re wanting to make a weekend out of it, like the Silk Rooms which is a really good boutique hotel. The town has lots of events all through the year, like the Halloween ‘Pumpkin Path’ for kids. The town closes and all the shops give out sweets - it’s free too!"

The town centre is also conveniently right next to the entrance to the historic country estate of Tatton Park. Pedestrians can head through the main gates along Knutsford Drive and walk around the parkland for free during daytime hours. For those wanting to visit the park's mansion house and formal gardens, you can drive around to the Rostherne Entrance where parking and entry fees apply.

Knutsford has a range of art and design shops and has become known in recent years as an interior design hub, with 10 shops dedicated to interiors to be found around the town. It also boasts a traditional indoor market hall which is open every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday with local traders, such as The Market Cafe, a barber shop, a vinyl records store, a butcher and a green grocers.