TASTE of Manchester’s commitment to the city and its suburbs (and a less than extravagant budget) means that it only intermittently strays into the North West hinterland for reviews.
It’s good to see then that the Michelin inspectors, delivering their stars for 2019, concur with our special picks in Lancashire. Such a shame that they can’t spare one for Manchester (yes, we mean Adam Reid at the French).
In our ‘Out of Town Reviews’ we gave five stars to both Moor Hall at Aughton near Ormskirk (above) and The White Swan at Fence near Burnley.
Both are very different projects – one a big investment restaurant complex with rooms, giving full rein to former L’Enclume head chef Mark Birchall; the other a village pub still nicknamed ‘The Mucky Duck’ where Northcote-trained former young chef of the year Tom Parker (above) works with a much tighter brigade and budget.
Moor Hall soared to a first Michelin star within months of opening last year and this week scooped a second – one of only three new two star recipients, while the White Swan clinched its first, confirming a trend towards Michelin-starred food pubs.
Simon Rogan, once of the French and holder of two stars at L’Enclume in Cartmel, got scattered with stars for two other projects – one each for Roganic in London and Rogan and Co in Cartmel.
Next Monday (October 8) Manchester Food and Drink Awards hand out their own honours at the Gala Dinner at Gorton Monastery. You’ll read the results first in Taste of Manchester.