WATCH out, Preston – the Big Manc has landed. ‘Dirty food purveyors‘ Solita have expanded their ‘South of Little Italy’ empire yet further by acquiring Heathcote’s Brasserie and the adjacent Olive Press there. Merged, the two will create the largest Solita to date, joining siblings in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Prestwich and Didsbury, while we await the summer opening of 50s New York-style Solita Steakhouse in the Barton Arcade. There are plans too for a further Prestwich venue, offering wood-fire pizza and craft beer.
Business partners Franco Sotgiu and Simon Pogson moved swiftly when after 26 years Paul Heathcote, put his remaining restaurants up for sale to concentrate on his catering business. “We’ve been keen to expand north (of Manchester) and Preston has always been one of our target cities,” Sotgiu and Pogson told us. “When Paul asked us if we’d be interested in the site we did the deal in a matter of days. We feel Preston has massive potential.”
Refurb work on the Winckley Square site will begin next month. A new bar area will be created plus new kitchens, private dining rooms and a bespoke meat ageing room.
Expect the Preston menu to follow the formula that has served Solita so well in a whirlwind four years of existence – deep-fried Mac ‘n’ cheese balls, calorific burgers with titles like Walk of Shame, Manc-hattan and the inimitable Big Manc (2 x 6 ounce minced chuck steak patties, iceberg, home pickles, Monterey Jack cheese and Big Manc sauce).