Warrington’s Sourdough, Local Love & Breakfast Heaven

If you wander into Warrington on a weekday morning, there’s a fair chance you’ll catch the smell of freshly baked sourdough drifting across the Old Market Place – and if you’re listening to Phil In The Morning on Cheshire’s Mix 56, you might just be there in spirit too.

Reporter Stefan recently took the show out on the road to Mamars Artisan Bakery and Delicatessen, a warm, bustling corner of town where bread, breakfast and proper chat are very much the order of the day.

Owner Sonia greeted him in the middle of a quieter spell, but you could still hear the coffee machine hissing away and the gentle clatter of trays as the team worked behind the scenes.

Even the bread oven has a personality: he’s called Manjana, a “hot Portuguese man” who turned up late and promptly became part of the family.

Step through the door and the first thing that hits you is the smell. Mamars bakes its own sourdough and a range of yeasted loaves, plus cakes, all on site.

Their sourdough starts life with “Doris”, a lively 16‑year‑old starter that Sonia has been nurturing for much longer than the bakery has been open. True sourdough here is just flour, salt and water – nothing else – with Doris fed every day to keep her happy and bubbling.

Sonia explains that every bakery’s sourdough is slightly different, and Mamars’ style is a little softer than most, with a crumb that isn’t as dry. You can tap the bottom of a loaf to check it’s baked, but her favourite test is to give it a gentle squeeze and listen to that satisfying crackle from the crust.

For her, the perfect breakfast is simple: a thick slice of sourdough toast, plenty of butter and a poached egg on top – “what more do you need?” Cheese is another love, usually eaten just as it is, maybe with a bit of bread on the side, and if there’s a drink, it’s more likely to be a local beer than a glass of wine.

Mamars isn’t just about bread, either. Alongside the loaves you’ll find an ever‑changing line‑up of cakes, a generous cheese counter and a range of deli treats.

Their main cheesemonger is Harvey & Brockless, a family‑owned business working with independents nationwide, and the cured meats come from specialists like Amato and Tapas Lunch Company.

The shelves are stacked with jams and chutneys from Wild and Fruitful in Keswick, Spanish store‑cupboard goodies and a particularly impressive honey selection from Crafty Bees in Burtonwood and Dan and the Bees across Cheshire and Merseyside.

What really makes Mamars stand out – and why it struck such a chord on Phil In The Morning – is how seriously they take local.

Sonia only works with small businesses and independent producers, believing they’re the ones who pour genuine passion into what they make. Even the bakery’s own menu is built around the products on the shelves, so what you eat in the café is a showcase of the people they partner with.

If you’re a small producer with a non‑baked product, she’s always on the lookout for the next great jar, bottle or packet to champion.

That sense of community runs right through the place. Post‑Covid, Sonia has seen how important it is for people to have somewhere to go, sit down and just talk to each other. Regulars are greeted by name and staff often know exactly what they’re going to order before they reach the counter.

Local groups – including carers’ organisations – use Mamars as a welcoming base for coffee, cake and a catch‑up before heading off to the rest of their day. Strangers sit side by side and end up sharing stories over a latte and a slice of something sweet, simply because the room feels comfortable enough to make that first “hello” easy.

And if all this has you itching to get flour on your hands, Sonia also runs hands‑on bread classes on Sundays, teaching both sourdough and a classic yeasted white cob.

They book up fast – the spring dates are already oversubscribed – but if you do get a place, you’ll shape, prove and bake everything yourself, with the sourdough finished the following day after a proper 24‑hour prove.

It’s tactile, satisfying work, and another way Mamars brings people together around one simple truth: people really do love local, especially when it tastes this good for breakfast.