REAL Junk Food Manchester has been involved in some great chef collaborations but the upcoming one with Ernst Van Zyl promises to be the most interesting yet.
On Wednesday, February 21, he will step into their Oxford Street kitchen to create a five course set menu for 70 diners using only ingredients that have been intercepted from food businesses, and would otherwise have gone to waste,
The chef himself will have no idea what ingredients await him on the day, and will develop his entire evening menu in the hours leading up to service.
Ernst’s cooking style is is unrelentingly innovative, his plates visually stunning (see above) , inspired by chef stages he has done in cutting edge restaurants such as Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck and Copenhagen’s Noma. Originally from South Africa, he came to the UK in October 1998 to join the Hilton Manchester, before promotions across the group in London.
Back in the North West his special menus at Etrop Grange further stretched his cooking repertoire, then as chef-patron at The Lord Clyde in Kerridge he achieved three AA rosettes before running another food pub near Macclesfield, the Hanging Gate at Sutton.
Next step was to be exec chef at a project planned for Liverpool’s Cunard Building but they parted company in the autumn, since when he has been a chef for hire.
Real Junk Food Project looks a good one-off fit. Manchester director Corin Bell told us: “Ernst is a big fan of nose to tail cooking and hates wastage of food and that’s why we thought of a collaboration with him. It’s going to be an exciting evening of dishes that will challenge and educate by using everyday ingredients that would otherwise been thrown away.”
The Real Junk Food policy of pay-as-you-feel will apply. Book here. Places are limited, so if you book a seat and then can’t attend let them know or cancel your ticket through Eventbrite.
A selection of organic wines, organic Prosecco and local independent beers are also available from the bar until until 11pm.
Ernst van Zyl Guest Chef Dinner, 7pm, Wed Feb 21. Real Junk Food Project Restaurant, 85 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 6EQ.