Neil Sowerby gets a taste of what Tast will offer and Matt White interviews chef Perez on camera…
THE bounty on offer over the two days of the Northern Restaurant & Bar show can be quite overwhelming. So many new gins, so little time – that kind of thing. Essentially a trade show, it packs Manchester Central with the hospitality professionals.
We at ToM don’t attend to pick up new bar fittings or explore produce deals; we’re there for the live demos (well maybe, just a little gin on the side).
So stand-outs over the two days included sitting in on the Chef’s Table to sample some amazing Welsh lamb cooked by Gareth Ward, chef/patron of Michelin-starred Ynyshir Hall, or over at the Market Kitchen relishing the dandelion syrup (billed as vegan honey) from Macclesfield’s award-winning Fruits of the Forage (both pictured at the end).
But what blew us away was a modest looking (super heat resistant) bag of peas and pancetta that unleashed an explosion of verdant, earthy aroma. Equally startling was the texture and savouriness in the mouth. We were again sitting on stage at the chef’s table – to welcome multi Michelin-starred Paco Perez and hear how he was lured to launch the city’s first Catalan restaurant. Tast Cuina Catalana will open on King Street in July.
If expectations were already high, that dish combining simple ingredients and awesome technique raised the bar considerably. It was so good we selfishly didn't let our own Matty White have a taste, but he still videoed a lovely interview with Paco.
A world away from brash celeb chefs, the man himself obviously lets his cooking tell the story. After an apprenticeship in France under the great Michel Guerard, his innovative but deceptively simple cuisine has earned him two Michelin stars at his flagship restaurant, the Miramar at Llanca on the Costa Brava, a further two at the Hotel des Arts in Barcelona and one star at 5 Cinco in Berlin.
So why Manchester now for this Andalucian-born adopted Catalan (pictured above inspecting the Taste site, formerly Suri, with Tomas Maunier and the team)?
Well it’s all down to Pep Guardiola and the Catalan contingent at Manchester City with a little help from Tomas Maunier, owner of their favourite haunt, Fazenda (who translated on stage for Paco).
It all started when City chief exec Ferran Soriano visited and asked Paco to consider Manchester, a city he had visited as an ardent football fan and which we recognised shared an innovative vitality with Barcelona.
"It all started in Llanca," said Paco. "Ferran and his wife came to dinner and they both said Things moved on, Pep got involved and we all agreed that maybe Manchester needs to understand Catalan food more. Pep is a great ambassador for Catalan food and wine and that's how it progressed."
Guardiola (above), Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain have each put money into Tast, but it goes beyond a financial investment, Paco told us: "He has a passion for food and drink and is very picky. He's very big on the details and focused on quality. He loves really good wine too, and understands how to build a good team, which is what we want to do in Manchester."
The best restaurant teams need a top front of house and Tomas Maunier, whose team will run the restaurant, has secured the services of Fernando Marques, who worked for Simon Rogan at Mr Cooper’s in the Midland Hotel. The Tast kitchen will be in the hands of Miquel head chef from 5 Cinco and initially, Luis, head chef at Miramar. Paco himself will come over to cook every 20 days.
“I'll come here for a couple of days,” said. “I want to get to know Manchester and I'll be trying to incorporate some local produce into what we do. But the restaurant will be Catalan and some products you can only get there, so we will bring them over.
"What's our ambition? That people enjoy it. That we can show the best of Catalan food and drink, quite distinct from other regions of Spain, and that we can make everyone who comes in feels a bit special.”
Many thanks to TOUR.MEDIA for the shots of Paco Perez, his team and Tomas Maunier
