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СпутникиРНSpaceXРоскосмосNASAThe viral tiramisu draws were a hit at last year's Christmas Markets, now fans can find them at a brand new cafe
Manchester Christmas Markets are famed for being some of the largest and most sprawling in the UK. Every November and December, locations across the city centre are transformed into festive wonderlands with wooden huts lining every street - stocked full of handcrafted gifts and European street food.
A haven for international food delights, visitors flock to try German Bratwurst, Yorkshire pudding wraps and steaming mugs of gluhwein by the buckle load. But in recent years, the markets have provided a great platform for some of the city's newest operators to interact with a larger audience and test out new dishes.
This past year saw the great demand for French toast on Albert Square, as well as tasty stews and delicious croquettes courtesy of Little Piece of Bahia's stall on Piccadilly Gardens, and produced huge queues for The Waffle Kart on King Street, with its waffle prawn toast, chicken and waffles, and chilli crisp chicken sandwiches.
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New to the markets this year and quickly becoming a huge success due to visitors sharing on social media was Misu Tiramisu, a dessert stall on Piccadilly Gardens. Its miniature tiramisu drawers were a hit on Instagram and TikTok, drawing queues down the street as people waited up to two hours to try the stall's take on the beloved Italian dessert.
Literally translates to "pick me up" or "cheer me up" in Italian, the dessert became popular in the mid-to-late twentieth century thanks to its sublime mix of mascarpone, coffee and ladyfingers. Who can claim credit for its creation is highly contested, though the most widely accepted culinary origin traces the dessert to the late 1960s or early 1970s at the Le Beccherie restaurant in Treviso in Northern Italy.
The restaurant has laid claim to the dessert, stating that it was here that the dish was codified for the first time, in 1972, when the entry 'Tiramesu' appeared on the restaurant's dessert menu. Though apparently, its actual birth dates back some time before, when Alba Campeol and the pastry chef Roberto Linguanotto began a period of experimentation, which concluded between 1971 and 1972.
It was here that they modified a traditional strengthening mixture of beaten egg yolks and sugar by adding espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone, and cocoa.
Nothing is ever that simple though and the neighboring Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia fiercely contests Veneto's claim to the dessert, with a invention date stretching back decades earlier.
Meanwhile, another story and colorful piece of local folklore claims that tiramisu was first invented in the mid-19th century inside the pleasure houses of Treviso. The maîtresse is said to have served the calorie-dense, caffeinated, and sugar-rich dessert to male clients to reinvigorate them before they returned to their wives, dubbing it a natural aphrodisiac.
Regardless, since then it has become one of the most popular desserts globally, regularly ranking at the top of internet searches for Italian sweets. Its name is recognized in over 23 languages, and it remains a massive cultural phenomenon, celebrated annually on World Tiramisu Day.
It's no wonder then that Aleem and Aishah, owners of Misu Tiramisu, found themselves inundated when they launched their contemporary take on the classic. Served in swish pull-out box their handmade tiramisu options span classic, pistachio, Biscoff, mango, and lemon.
"The idea came from a trip to Italy where we tried tiramisu and we thought to ourselves that we could make it better," recalls Aleem.
"I think it took about a year to get the concept together including the recipe. We then tried the idea out at a makers market and received really good feedback.
"We applied for the Christmas Markets last year and we didn’t think we would get in - in fact, we booked a holiday for that time as we didn’t think it would come off. Bit it worked because it was so different and by 2pm on that first Saturday we had sold out.
"People were queuing for hours to try one. We realised it was maybe bigger than we thought and we went from 4 staff members to about 24 by the end of the markets and running multiple kitchens. A lot of people were asking afterwards what we would do next so we did a three-month pop-up at The Arndale."
Seeking to expand the brand beyond the markets and The Arndale pop-up, the couple turned their attention to a larger kitchen space.
“We knew we needed our own space to make the tiramisu, so this spot was originally designed to be a kitchen, but people were asking where can we buy the products, so we thought we would make it accessible to customers too."
Next it was a case of finding a location. An Greater Manchester area that is seeing major redevelopment quickly came up on their radar.
Stretford has undergone a series of transformations over recent years. Key among these is the new-look King Street. The shopping street reopened in August 2025 as a brand new high street along with Sir Tony Lloyd Square as part of Trafford council’s efforts to boost the local economy.
In June, demolition on Stretford Mall gathered pace too. The main building structure has been torn down and next will be the foundation removal, drainage works and the construction of a new entrance road.
The demolition will pave the way for the wider transformation of the area. This is expected to see a park, shops and hundreds of new homes built on the land. Last month, A new food hub and events space by GRUB was also given the green light and has moved into the multi-storey car park.
"We realised Stretford were wanting something different for the area and we thought lets add coffee to it, pastries and soon we’ll add lunch options too. So what started as a kitchen concept developed into something Stretford asked for.
“A lot of people have said to us ‘isn't it a risk to come to Stretford’, but eventually it will be busier. Right now there’s not a lot going on now but it’s very supportive community."
The pair's new cafe space can be found upstairs at The Mezzanine on King Street in Stretford, selling their handcrafted tiramisu, as well as smashable chocolate tubs of tiramisu. There's also speciality Italian coffee, and a savoury offering of pastries, and delicious lunch options including freshly baked focaccia sandwiches.
“I think what sets us apart is the branding, people love it, and the pull-out tray concept too. People come to us because of how we display it, but they come back to us because they like the taste of it.
“I think tiramisu is timeless and there’s two types of people - for some it’s their absolute favourite, while others have never had it. Ours is a good-sized portion to try it out."
Misu Tiramisu, Unit 6, The Mezzanine, 26 King Street, Stretford, Manchester, M32 8AE