Oldham canal side café serves up decadence in a mug

Grandpa Greene's has been well-established for some time, having built up its reputation as the grandfather of luxury ice cream in a picturesque setting by the canal.

And it's all ours, being tucked up in Diggle just off Ward Lane. 

Last week, the parlour announced it had teamed up with Slattery again to roll out its hotly anticipated Easter menu with the added promise that it is "bigger and better" than ever before.

In other words, its Mini Egg pancakes and waffles, Easter egg sundaes and either white or chocolate Eater egg hot chocolates - all, of course, slathered in chocolate sauce with a mountain of gluttonous toppings - were back with a vengeance.

So, armed with my sweet tooth and helpful housemate, we went along on Saturday to see if the place lived up to its promise.

Here is what we thought.

Yours truly tucking into the chocolate lava (Image: Newsquest)

The venue and staff

Grandpa Greene's is a little bit tucked away, but that only adds to its charm. 

Walking down the entrance path, which is semi-concealed by bushes, you're soon affronted by giant igloos overlooking the canal, a heated patio, picnic benches hugging the side of the water and the hustle and bustle of a cosy cafe. 

It's a wonderful scene for any walker or runner to stumble upon as many did on this crisp Saturday afternoon.

But, unfortunately for us, seemingly the whole of Oldham had the exact same idea and the place was rammed from wall to igloo.

This meant we had to grab a bench in the takeout zone, which is not heated, but at least we still had scenic views to soak in.

The extravagant Easter egg hot chocolate (Image: Newsquest)

Being so busy at the time, the staff were a little bit flustered and were legging it back and forth from the kitchen without really noticing us waiting to be seated. 

Perhaps they weren't expecting such a tirade of hungry families and fur babies (there is a menu just for dogs) but, if anything, this just proved to me that this Easter menu is worth baring a cold bench for.

We were eventually rescued by a friendly staff member, Liam, who also took it upon himself to craft my order of an Easter egg hot chocolate - and what a great job he did.

The Easter egg hot chocolate

The hot chocolate itself comes in a giant silver milk jug while the Easter egg is halved and suspended in the glass.

It is generously stuffed with whipped cream, marshmallows and Mini eggs while a drizzle of chocolate sauce glazes over the top.

Pouring the hot chocolate in sent an avalanche of Mini eggs crumbling into the glass to merge with the marshmallows while the chocolate egg melted, all together forming a thick chocolatey lava.

Priced at £9.50, I'm glad there was no scrimping on the toppings going on. This was a whole meal in itself and I thoroughly enjoyed gorging on this delightfully decadent drink.

@theoldhamtimes Come with me to try this Easter egg hot chocolate at Grandpa Greene’s parlor in Oldham 🤤 #oldham #diggle #easteregg #easterideas🐣 #chocolate #foodtiktok #foodie #hotchocolate #grandpagreenes ♬ Calm Dooowwnnn Lalalaaa (Remix) - FAITAH NADA

The food

My housemate and I decided that we also wanted some hot food to heat us up - and as she had just watched me descend into a chocolate coma, it was only fair that she got something, too.

I ordered the beef brisket chilli grilled cheese (£12.50) while Josie opted for the classic BLT artisan sandwich with vegan bacon (£10.50 - an added quid for the veggie alternative) which both came with a side salad, house slaw and pretzels.

Admittedly, it did take around 40 minutes for the food to arrive in our takeout boxes, by which point we were quite cold.

Battle of the butty - my beef brisket chilli cheese grill vs Josie's BLT (Image: Newsquest)

However, I was equally grateful for the break to come back down from my chocolate high.

Still, the toasties were hot, crispy and delicious. Josie said her vegan butty was "posh" and she appreciated that it had a bit of chew and didn't fall apart.

Again, both sandwiches were large and generous.

We did have to retire to the car to finish them off after being so cold for a while and the salad and slaw were somewhat redundant since we didn't have the cutlery to eat them.

@theoldhamtimes Grandpa Greene’s Luxury Ice Cream Parlour in Diggle did not disappoint 😍🤤 #icecream #easter #cafe #foodtiktok #foodies #chocolate #toastie #grilledcheese #oldham #hotchocolate #vegan ♬ Storytelling - Adriel

Overall experience

If I had to nitpick, I would definitely recommend booking your spot if you don't want to be left canalside in the cold - or just wrap up warm and sensibly if you plan on going during the cold snap that's on the way.

But the cafe certainly has the charm and a menu that caters for all - whether you're sweet, savoury or vegan.

The Easter egg hot chocolate was definitely the highlight for me and is unlike anything I've ever tried before.

All in all, we had a wonderful afternoon at Grandpa Greene's. Being surrounded by nature, sat next to dogs and watching the ducks on the canal made it a very wholesome Saturday trip for us.

So thanks for having us, Grandpa. Until next time!