A UNIQUE food, drink and music collaboration between bistro entrepreneur Gary Usher of Hispi and DJ duo turned restaurateurs, Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey, will take place as part of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival on Thursday, October 5 at The Mayfield Depot.
At this casual ‘Come As You Are’ Banquet in an iconic venue Gary will be joined by his Hispi head chef, Richard Sharples (below), to cook up a ‘tear and share’ menu, including gin cured sea trout, apple, kohlrabi, fennel and creme fraiche; whole chargrilled leg of lamb and dark chocolate pate; and cratedigger ice cream, hazelnut granola. Add signature Refuge cocktails to the mix and there’s all the ingredients for a food party to remember.
But it’s not just about the food and drink. Expect a banquet where guests spend as much time on their feet dancing as dining, as the Unabombers DJ throughout, with the evening culminating in a typically high octane set from the duo.
The banquet starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are priced at £55 and are available here.
Gary Usher is responsible for the acclaimed Hispi in Didsbury and is also chef proprietor of Sticky Walnut, Burnt Truffle and the soon to be opened Wreckfish bistros. His sidekick Richard Sharples’ cv includes the much-missed Aumbry in Prestwich.
Justin and Luke (above) are the team behind the award-winning Volta in West Didsbury and ‘The Refuge’ at Manchester’s Principal Hotel. Their food is inspired by their DJ globe-trotting to the likes of San Sebastian, Barcelona, Rome, Sydney, Tokyo and beyond.
Festival director Phil Jones is certainly a fan of the whole collaboration, telling ToM: “We’re passionate about bringing new and innovative ideas to the food and drink scene in Manchester and this fits the bill perfectly. The menu is outstanding and the Unabombers will be adding a fantastic DJ set to the whole affair. It’s certainly going to be a night to remember.”