The team behind Northern Quarterâs Castle are launching a new bar and restaurant. Call the Parlour, the new venture opens in the former premises of Marmalade in Chorlton on Friday 27 August.
With a menu of modern British pub food and six ales on draught as well as Chesterfield sofas and a quality juke box, its likely to be autumnâs bar of choice for Chorltonites.
In itâs prior incarnation as Marmalade, the venue was not strictly a âfree houseâ. However, Punch Taverns have since sold their interest and the venue has been snapped up by the Castle crew.
Jonny Booth and Rupert Hill are working on the project alongside and two catering experts from London. Jamie Langrish has worked in the restaurant of Master Chefâs Gregg Wallace and with his wife Goska he will be running the Parlour on a day-to-day basis. Together, theyâre a credible team, made more so by the addition of chef Jenny Cole.
Taste of Manchester has been given an exclusive preview of the former Great John Street chefâs menu. On sale from next Friday, modern British mains include dishes such as faggots with sage butter mashed potato, broad beans and onion gravy (£9.50), rib-eye steak and hunterâs pie. There is a bespoke Sunday roast menu as well as breakfast and lunch menus featuring catch-all favourites such as Lancashire hot-pot and home-made beans on toast.
With a background in bars such as The Temple, Big Hands, Matt and Phreds and Trof, Booth has an excellent track record in running successful Mancunian bars. Input from business partner and former Coronation Street actor Rupert Hill hasnât hurt at all and paired with the catering nouse of Langrish and Cole, the Parlour looks set to take the team into new territory.
Booth told Taste of Manchester: âAt the Parlour, the food is a big thing. Weâre going for modern British, hearty pub food. Itâs going to be much less formal than it was before when it was Marmalade. Weâve got a great atmosphere, juke box, top-end food, and if you want to eat if off your knee you can. Itâs a different slant on good food and we hope people are going to like it a lot.â
In fact, the regional flavours, and classic British recipes remind me of recent Michelin star-winner, the Pipe and Glass, near Hull. Like the Parlour, the Pipe is both pub and restaurant, run by a switched-on backstage team. Maybe, just maybe, the Parlour might secure Manchester first Michelin star tooâ¦
The Parlour, Beech Road, Chorlton, from Friday 27 August.
