A cafe famed for its luxury ice cream has brought back its epic Easter egg desserts and customers can't get enough of them.
Grandpa Greene's has always been a popular spot for those heading for a tub of the cool stuff - it was so busy during lockdown that Oldham Council wouldn't let it trade at weekends, saying the large number of visitors is 'potentially creating a serious public health risk.'
Things have calmed down since then, but it still has customers travelling miles to sample its goodies, especially at Easter time.
Read more: Things to do with the kids in the Easter holidays
Among them was little old me, who decided to pay a visit with my two children during the school holidays.
Undeterred by the 50-mile round trip from the other side of Manchester, it has Happy Valley feels as you approach the place, which is set in the picturesque village of Diggle, in Saddleworth, Oldham.
There are various seating options - an indoor bit which really needs booking in advance to get a spot, walk-ins under a heated canopy, for which there can still be quite a wait, or picnic tables you can grab along the tow path as soon as you spot a free one. Its winter igloos can also be booked until April 16.
As we excitedly took our seats in the canopy section, all eyes were on the prize. It seemed most people around us were sampling something from the Easter range, for which the company has teamed up with chocolatier Slattery.
We felt it was a wise choice to opt for something savoury first. The photos I'd seen of its toasties looked incredible and they didn't disappoint. Despite it being a late lunch, my eldest was able to get her favourite, a basic sausage barm, off the 'all day breakfast muffin' menu.
Time for the sweet stuff and it was obviously in the public interest to get a dessert each.
I wouldn't usually opt for a hot chocolate in the sunshine, but put an Easter egg in anything and I'm there.
And there are no half measures here - you get a whole egg - which, once covered with the creamy hot chocolate, melts into the marshmallows and cream. I should have rescued more of it really and if we're getting technical, I'd advise anyone to remove half the shell and cream to eat that separately to the drink to avoid it getting too cool too quick. You can thank me later.
My youngest went for a Mini Egg Waffle, which is quite a thicker textured Belgian-style waffle covered with ice cream, drizzled with chocolate and scattered with mini eggs. It tasted as good as it sounds.
But the pièce de résistance had to be the Slattery Easter Egg Sundae, a mammoth dessert with a whole egg, ice cream, marshmallows, mini eggs and cream.
In hindsight this could have fed two of us after our various sandwiches - more if my children weren't older and on more or less adult portions.
Of course we couldn't finish it all, but we did our very best.
I preferred the milk chocolate to the white option, but that's just personal preference. The danger with some of these 'Instagrammable' desserts is that they can look amazing, but are made with the cheapest of everything - and nobody likes cheap chocolate, especially at Easter.
At least with Slattery, you know that what you're getting is decent quality. That goes for the ice cream too, which is all made in Greater Manchester by a family continuing the tradition of their 'Grandpa Greene' who first started making ice creams in the back yard of his corner shop in Salford.
Of course it's not just the menu that makes this place so special. It's the beautiful waterside location, which is perfect for taking a stroll to either work up an appetite or work off some of the grub.
And, over the school holidays there's even more reason to take a walk as the Diggle Scarecrow Trail is taking place too. You can buy a trail sheet online for £3, or pick one up from the café while you're there.
This year's trail theme is music and you'll find everyone from Oasis brothers Liam and Noel to Matilda and The Muppets along the route.
Grandpa Greene's is in no way a cheap eats sort of place. The Egg Sundaes are £11.50 a pop, with Easter Egg Hot Chocolates £9.50 and waffles, which also come in Creme Egg or Malteser flavour - £7.95.
But as Easter treats go, it's up there with the best of them. And if you make a day out of it with the trail too, it's enough to make a 50-mile trip worthwhile.
The Easter desserts are being served until April 17, which is the day after the scarecrow trail ends. Visit Grandpa Greene's website to book.
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