Amy’s Courtyard & Gallery: Macclesfield’s Hidden Gem
It’s not often that I venture into my old home town of Macclesfield since moving away 8 years ago. I mean – my parents live in the area so I’m always back and forth, but I don’t have much call to visit the town centre. Until that is: August 2020 came round, and I found myself in Macclesfield town centre every week for one thing or another. It was on that first occasion that I discovered Amy’s Courtyard (thanks to a friend suggesting we meet there) and the totally awesome milkshakes got me hooked. I’ve since returned twice more. Let me show and tell you why!
Table of Contents
Amy’s Courtyard Setting
First of all as the name suggests Amy’s Courtyard has an outdoor courtyard setting which in this day and age is perfect for meeting friends outside in a socially distant manner.
My first experience of Amy’s Courtyard was during 29°C temperatures so sitting outside (though in the shade) was fabulous! There are 4 tables in the courtyard and it seems that when the sun is out, for the most part 2 are in the sun and 2 are in the shade, therefore it’s the best of both worlds.
Of course with the British weather being as unpredictable as it is, there’s also plenty of indoor seating…far more than is immediately apparent when venturing inside. Upstairs the place becomes a rabbit warren of rooms, all with tables in. I only discovered the ‘gallery room’ on my last visit when I used the toilet facilities and realised the upstairs extends further than the first couple of rooms.
The Food at Amy’s Courtyard
Let’s get into the food! As that’s why we’re really here isn’t it?!
Milkshakes
So, I mentioned the milkshakes earlier. Well, there’s no boring vanilla, strawberry or chocolate here, but instead the flavours include Nutella, KitKat, Oreo, Lotus Biscuit and Mint Aero. And yes, there isn’t just a hint of the flavour; it’s like drinking that particular biscuit or chocolate in liquid form. Straws stand straight up in them which is always the sign of a good thick shake and they are just all kinds of amazing-ness!
Pizza
On my first visit to Amy’s Courtyard, I was intrigued by the concept of the dessert pizza which features Nutella, banana, strawberries and melted marshmallows. It really shouldn’t work on pizza dough should it, but oh it really does!
Pizzas are another of Amy’s specialities as they have a dedicated stone-baked pizza oven and the normal pizzas are fabulous, arriving with just a slight hint of chargrill round the edges and very tasty.
My second visit saw my nephew and I order the Margherita and Cheesy Garlic Bread pizzas. Only order the latter if you really love garlic and cheese – it comes fully loaded with both. Epic!
Crepes
My latest visit (at which point I finally figured I should write a blog post about it) saw me ordering a crepe with Nutella, banana and strawberries… oh and a Nutella milkshake of course! Are you by any chance noticing a theme here? It was packed with all three and far superior to the typical Nutella and Strawberry crepe you get from street vendors where there’s hardly any filling at the edges and nowhere near enough berries! In fact, you could almost charge them with over-doing the Nutella… Nah, is that possible? It’s all so well presented too and arrives very quickly.
Afternoon Tea
Amy’s Courtyard also fulfils the typical tea house option too if that’s your thing. There’s a large range of teas and coffee available and the first thing you’ll notice on the counter when you walk in is the day’s offerings of fresh cakes and scones. These look fantastic, but I have not yet had chance to sample them.
The Vegan triple layered chocolate cake looks tremendous, as do the scones, and maybe, just maybe I may venture into this domain next visit, if I can pull myself away from milkshakes, pizzas and crepes!
Sandwiches, Light Bites and Salads
Yep, these are available too! Though personally I don’t think I’ll ever make it past the real calorific treats on offer.
Gluten/Dairy free diets are well catered for as are Vegetarian and Vegan requirements.
Amy’s Courtyard Gallery
The interior of Amy’s Courtyard is bright and cheerful with a light aqua blue colour running throughout. It reminds me a lot of being at the seaside – whether this is just the colour scheme or some deeper memory that the venue is bringing to mind, I’m not certain; but it’s not a bad thing when you consider we are nowhere near the sea in Macclesfield.
There is artwork on display throughout Amy’s, all of which is for sale too. The large landscape paintings by John Connelly (signatured a simple JC in the bottom corner) many of which feature woodland scenes in vivid greens are beautiful and lend the setting a lovely calm atmosphere – just what you want from a daytime eating establishment in my opinion.
There are many other works by a variety of artists in the main ‘gallery room’ which you’ll find if you turn left at the top of the stairs and go through the doorway following the toilets sign. These range from £20 right up to four figures. My nephew’s favourite was the giraffe painting… And he also highly recommends the Oreo milkshake!
Amy’s Courtyard Response to Covid-19
I was very impressed by the response Amy’s has taken to Covid-19. Tables are well spaced out and it is not a problem keeping apart, even when it is busy. There is hand sanitiser available at the counter and upstairs and the toilet was clean, with wipes and sanitiser to hand.
The menus are written on large black boards in all seating areas and you order at the counter when you are ready. Alternatively there are details at each table of how to order online via your phone (and the Deliveroo app) to be delivered to your table if you feel the need to do it this way.
There is no one-way facility up and down stairs or through doorways but the stairs are wooden and you can hear when people are coming up or down and can move accordingly. Some people may not be happy to access the upstairs areas by walking between the two kitchen spaces, but I did not personally find this an issue and it was easy to keep distance from the staff.
Location
Amy’s Courtyard can be found right in the heart of Macclesfield off the pedestrianised part of Chestergate, opposite the entrance to the Grosvenor Shopping Centre. Look out for the Aqua blue sign and head down the short narrow ginnel which opens out into the courtyard.
Opening Hours: (as of October 2020)
- 10am – 4pm: Tuesday – Saturday
- 10am – 4pm: Treacle Market Sundays
Amy’s Courtyard posts regular updates to offers, opening hours, menu items and lots of fabulous food images on their Facebook page, so why not give them a follow.
Get in Touch!
So, have I got your tastebuds going? Have I left you with a serious case of food envy?
Have you already been to Amy’s Courtyard – if so what would you recommend? Please drop me a line and let me know in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
I’ll leave you salivating over another of their awesome pizzas: one with chicken, homemade pesto and peppers.
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Further Reading
Visiting Macclesfield? Then you might like to check out my favourite rural beauty spots of East Cheshire.
I don’t write many food review posts – so when I do, you definitely know it’s a great place to visit. Check out what dining at The Courthouse in nearby Knutsford is like. It’s quite a superb setting.
For those afternoon tea addicts out there, you can see where I had my all time favourite afternoon tea experience here – it’s a corker!
Explore more of Cheshire….
Join a public house tour of Combermere Abbey, situated in South Cheshire between Nantwich and Whitchurch
Visit Tarporley – the heart of rural Cheshire and head to the nearby Cheshire Ice Cream Farm and my favourite farm shop in Cheshire – The Hollies
Explore the outdoors at Wigg Island in Runcorn and Risley Moss Nature Reserve near Warrington
Have a fab day out at the Cheshire Steam Fair – held near Warrington each July
Check out Cheshire’s National Trust properties: Little Moreton Hall, Speke Hall and Dunham Massey in spring
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