It's the deep-fried snack which has taken bars and pubs by storm.

The Manchester Egg – the brainchild of amateur cook Ben Holden – is being toasted by the city’s most discerning foodies.

And the calorific dish is now going on sale at acclaimed gastropub The Mark Addy.

Aspiring chef Ben wanted to give the Scotch egg a Mancunian make-over.

Instead of a hard-boiled egg, Ben took a pickled egg which he encased in Bury black pudding before coating in breadcrumbs and frying.

His recipe has been championed by top chef Robert Owen Brown, who has already revived his Salford pub’s menu with dishes such as spam fritters and corned beef.

Ben, a web developer who runs a company in the Northern Quarter, said he was thrilled his homemade recipe had found its way to the restaurant.

He said: "I’m really chuffed that Rob has decided to put the Manchester Egg on his menu.

"The Mark Addy is a great place. The response to the egg so far has been brilliant and I hope lots more places will be serving it soon."

Robert, who has recently served dishes such as wild boar and castrated rooster at his restaurant, said: "When Ben was refining the recipe for his Manchester Egg, I was able to help him out with it.

"I thought it was about time I added it to the menu and I am sure it will be a big hit with our customers."

An average Scotch egg can contain 21 grammes of fat - nearly one fifth of an adult man’s daily recommended intake.

South Manchester-based personal nutritionist Bev Brammer said the dish should be enjoyed in moderation.

She said: "Most people know that sausage meet and deep-fried food isn’t the most nutritious. But if you like Scotch eggs, then everything is OK in moderation."

Scotch eggs have long been a buffet favourite across the land.

London department store Fortnum and Mason claims to have invented them in 1738, but others say they may have been inspired by a traditional dish from Moghul India.

But Manchester itself is probably best known to foodies for the Manchester tart – a shortcrust pastry spread over with raspberry jam, custard, coconut and cherries.

The tart was a staple on school dinner menus until the mid-1980s and was a variation on an earlier recipe, called the Manchester Pudding, which was first recorded by Victorian cookery writer Mrs Beeton.

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