Dusk is falling over the Manchester skyline as I enjoy a coffee at the Second Floor Bar and Brasserie at Harvey Nichols. I’m sat on the coveted table 10, joined by Head Chef Matthew Horsfield.
Horsfield joined the kitchen over seven years ago as a Chef de Partie, and it’s inspiring to see a long-standing member of the team still so enthusiastic. He’s worked his way up - with five promotions in seven years - to become Head Chef, steering the kitchen through some of the most dramatic changes we’ve seen at the Second Floor.
Four months ago, Horsfield revealed his new menu (read our recent review here) and set the scene for a more relaxed dining style, with an increased focus on well-sourced, simple food.
So, tell us about your new menu at Harvey Nichols.
It’s a brand new dining concept for us at Harvey Nichols Manchester, so the menu reflects this change completely. We’ve added new fantastic flavours, introduced small plates for sharing and updated the classic dishes we’re renowned for. We’ve also included a choice of aged meat from our Josper grill and a tempting selection of desserts to finish. We’ve really listened to what our customers wanted, and tailored our offer around this. It’s about enjoying food and choosing what you want to eat, when you want to eat it.
How has the food changed at Harvey Nichols?
Small things make a big difference to food, so I believe it’s very important to spend time on sourcing the right ingredients from the right suppliers, especially from local producers - it brings integrity to our menu. If the food already tastes good, then simple touches will enhance the flavours further.
One of the biggest hurdles for me personally was being bold, just because a dish is meant to have a certain component, doesn’t mean it has to. It’s about trying something new and that sits at the core of our menu.
And what has inspired your cooking here?
If I’m honest, I’m a greedy person. I love eating. That’s where it stemmed from. When I grew up, my parents had an allotment, so everything we ate was from there. I only really understand how well I ate as a child now that I’m a Chef. It’s not something you really reflect on until you start cooking for yourself and you realise – my parents actually gave me some great food. Some things in life just excite you and cooking is definitely one of them for me, seeing satisfied customers; nothing makes me more proud.
Eating home-grown veg from the allotment, living in the countryside; it all sounds idyllic. Has this had an effect on how you cook now?
Massively! I think it made me appreciate quality ingredients and where food comes from. I’ve barely stepped foot in a supermarket for nearly two and a half years. I don’t grow everything myself, I use local farm shops as well, but I’m an advocate of the ‘grow-your-own’ lifestyle. It’s one of the things in life that everyone can get such pleasure from, to grow your own meal and cook the ingredients from your garden.
Finally – I always ask people if they have anything to add at the end of an interview. Generally, interviewees are happy to leave it there, but this time I ask I’m rewarded with a lovely answer.
It’s been really nice having coffee. I’m enjoying meeting interesting people and talking about what they’ve achieved with their lives, it’s inspiring. It just makes my brain switch on and I try and absorb it. You can never stop – never stop learning.
For further information or to make a booking at the Second Floor Bar and Brasserie, call 0161 828 8898 or email [email protected]
In association with Harvey Nichols.
