THE countdown is on for the hospitality industry’s biggest show outside London. Northern Restaurant Bar has become a landmark calendar event for those involved in food and drink and this year’s – March 15 and 16 at Manchester Central – looks the biggest and brightest yet.
Certainly the centrepiece NRB debate, this year on Food Entrepreneurship, has attracted some big hitters to the panel. Not least Gary Usher (pictured above), chef behind Sticky Walnut, Burnt Truffle and, if his latest crowd funding project goes to plan, Hispi in Chorlton. His social media exploits are legendary and his food’s pretty fine, too on the evidence of a couple of visits to Sticky Walnut in Chester.
Joining him on the panel for the Debate on Wednesday, March 16 will be Cynthia Shanmugalingam, CEO and founder of food start-up incubator Kitchenette, and John Quilter (pictured below), broadcaster, ‘food-busking’ chef and founder of CRU Kafe, which produces fair trade speciality coffee in a Nespresso compatible pod. Back in the day he launched Marmalade in Beech Road, Chorlton, where Parlour is now.
Thom Hetherington, CEO of NRB organisers Holden Media, says of Usher: “When you talk about ‘Food Entrepreneurism’ people automatically think about street food, pop-ups and small scale artisan production but it’s important not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There will always be a place for the classic model of restaurants run by chef-patrons, but Gary goes about it in an incredibly sharp, creative and contemporary way.”
The NRB Debate is headlined by a conversation with Observer food critic Jay Rayner and includes a buffet lunch. Tickets are priced £55+VAT. There are just a few left. Book online at nrbdebate.co.uk
The NRB Top Fifty Awards, celebrating the region’s top operators, will be announced the same day.
Over 250 exhibitors are already confirmed for the exhibition and there will be more than 50 live demonstrations across four theatres as well as specialist areas for food and drink in the Market Kitchen, Craft Beer Quarter & the Spirit Room.
The Chef Live timetable is particularly impressive. For full timetable visit this link.
It features, among others, Simon Shaw (picture by Joby Catto), Simon Rogan, Nigel Haworth, Aiden Byrne, Steven Smith, Adam Reid and Stosie Madi as well as Pip Lacey from Murano, London and much travelled Jason Wass, once of TNQ Manchester now chef with Polpo, which has just opened in Harvey Nichols, Leeds.
A series of fringe events take place under the umbrella of the exhibition including Action Against Hunger’s Too Many Critics Dinner at Fazenda in Manchester, trade-only after parties at some of the city’s coolest bars, and special dining, drinks and hotel special offers only available with an NRB ticket.
For further information on the exhibition, events, exhibitors and how to get free tickets (if you are in the trade) visit northernrestaurantandbar.co.uk. Follow them on twitter, facebook and Instagram.