IT’S the roll call of hospitality honour – the annual Northern Restaurant Bar Show Top 50 and the just announced 2016 list offers proof indeed of the vibrant resurgence of quality food and drink across the North.
An exciting nine new entries made it into the 2016 Top 50 (in association with Kuits Solicitors), which was unveiled on the second day of the two day event at Manchester Central, which featured more than 250 trade exhibitors and a terrific range of chef demos from the likes of Manchester House's Aiden Byrne, above.
Three special achievement awards, underlining the span of the resurgence., went to Michael O’Hare of the Michelin-starred Man Behind The Curtain in Leeds; Mohammed Aslam of Aagrah Restaurants, and the Mission Mars team made up of Roy Ellis, Neil Macleod, Joel Wilkinson, Adelaide Winter and Dan Mullen, which has smashed takings records in Manchester with its new venture, Albert’s Schloss (below).
Thom Hetherington, CEO of organisers Holden Media, says: “We received a record number of entrants to the NRB Top 50 this year, making the judging an arduous but ultimately very rewarding process. There has been an influx of national brands to the North in the last year but if anything that seems to be have spurred the region’s operators onto ever higher levels.
“Restaurants and bars created right here in the North are redefining what can be achieved in the local food and drink scene, both creatively and commercially, it is quite simply the best time ever to be a Northern foodie.”
NRB Top Fifty 2016
(listed alphabetically by surname and grouped by company)
Martin Ainscough, Owner, Ainscoughs
Mark Andrew, MD, Mark Andrew Developments
Sax, Arshad and Haz Arshad, Directors, Mughli
Paul Askew, Chef Patron, The Art School
Mohammed Aslam MBE, Owner, Aagrah Group
Tim Bacon, Chairman, Paul Moran, MD and Jeremy Roberts, CEO, Living Ventures
Craig Bancroft, MD and Nigel Haworth, Chef Patron, Northcote
Ken Buckley, MD, Bravo Inns
Marie Carte and Beau Myers, Directors, Beautiful Drinks
Sue Crimes, MD, Gusto
Morgan Davies, Founder/CEO, Barburrito
Jimmy del Giudice, Operations Director and Mark McQuater, CEO, Revolution Bars Group plc
Carlo Distefano, Chairman and Marcello Distefano, MD, San Carlo Group
James Douglas and Scott Munro, Co Owners/Directors Reds True BBQ
Roy Ellis, Neil Macleod, Dan Mullen, Joel Wilkinson and Adelaide Winter, Directors, Mission Mars
John Ennis, Matthew Farrell and Nick Thomas, Owners, Graffitti Spirit
Ged Feltham, CEO and Paul Lane, MD, Leelex
Jobe Ferguson, Lyndon Higginson and Ross Mackenzie, Directors, Blackdog Ballroom
Duncan Fisher, Owner, Apartment Group
Kit Graves and Charles Graves, Directors, Dan Hope, Sales & Marketing Director, Lake District Hotels
Chris Hill, Managing Director, New World Trading Company
Chris Hopkins, MD, Hydes Brewery
Matthew Jones, MD, Jones and Ben Jones, Operations & Finance Director, Jones Bar Group
Kim Kaewkraikhot, Chairwoman and Martin Stead, Owner, Thai Leisure Group
Peter Kinsella and Elaine Kinsella, Founders, Lunya
Terry Laybourne, Owner, 21 Hospitality Group
William Lees Jones, MD, JW Lees
James MacKenzie, Chief Proprietor, Pipe and Glass
Mike Magrane, General Manager, The Midland Hotel
Colin Manning, Managing Partner and Gary Manning, Chef Patron, 60 Hope St
Tomas Maunier and Robert Melman, Directors, Fazenda Rodizio Bar & Grill
Stephen, Miles, General Manager, Radisson Blu Edwardian Manchester
Dave Mooney, Co Owner & Chef Patron and Paul Newman, MD, New Moon Co
Lucy Nelson, Sales & Marketing Director, and Andrew Nelson, Operations Director, Nelson Hotels
Joycelyn Neve, MD, Seafood Pub Company
Michael O'Hare, Chef Patron, The Man Behind the Curtain
Eamonn O'Loughlin, Owner, Eclectic Hotels
Si Ord, Owner, Sandinista
Andrew Pern, Owner Executive Chef, The Star at Harome/Star Inn The City
Steve Pilling, and Simon Stanley, Co-owners, Damson Group
Jonathan Poole and Paddy Smith, Director, Red and Blue
Oliver, Robinson, Managing Director, Frederic Robinson
Simon Rogan, Co Owner, Umbel Restaurant Group
Richard Smith, Chef Patron, Relax, Eat & Drink/ Brewkitchen
Franco Sotgiu, Co-Owner, Solita
Chris Ure, Owner, and Martin Wolstencroft, MD/Owner, Arc Inspirations
Gary Usher, Owner, Sticky Walnut, Chester
Steven Walker, CEO, Individual Restaurants
Roger Ward, Owner, The Victorian Chophouse Company
Marc Wilkinson, Chef Patron, Restaurant Fraiche, Oxton