AN authentic celebration of Catalan food and wine will launch in June on King Street, with the opening of Tast Cuina Catalana, roughly translated as ‘Taste from the Catalan Kitchen.’At the helm will be multi-Michelin star chef Paco Perez.
Paco is the renowned international patron-chef of two Michelin 2* restaurants – Miramar, in Llançà (Girona) and Enoteca at the Arts Hotel in Barcelona, a city where he has six restaurants in all. He is also behind the Michelin 1* Restaurant Cinc at the Hotel Das Stue in Berlin.
Taking over the ill-fated site of Quill and Suri (below), Tast looks certain to cement the growing links between Manchester and the independence-seeking Spanish region. Investors include Manchester City trio Pep Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano in collaboration with the Fazenda group, whose award-winning ‘rodizio’ grilled meat restaurants have proved hugely successful in Manchester Spinniingfields, Leeds, Liverpool and more recently Edinburgh.
Tast will have 120-covers over three floors, with a casual dining and bar area on the ground floor, a first-floor dining room and a second floor with private rooms offering a tasting menu. Its creators are keen to point out it is not chasing stars despite Paco Perez’s record; the aim is to create a warm, friendly and affordable atmosphere for anyone wishing to experience the best of Catalan food and drink.
It will create a kind of ‘Catalan Corridor’ along King Street, where the acclaimed El Gato Negro is already inspired by the cuisine of North East Spain.
Catalonia is renowned worldwide for its gastronomy. Geographically diverse, it produces a variety of fresh, high-quality seafood, meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables. The Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees are the perfect environment for unique produce, and its distinctive cuisine benefits from French and Spanish influences.
The region produces some of the best old world wines with renowned D.O's (Denominació d’Origen) including Penedès, Montsant, Empordà, Tarragona and Costers del Segre and one D.O.C (Denominació d’Origen Controlada), Priorat.
As well as serving traditional Catalan starters and mains, the Tast menu will offer ‘tastets’ – small portions and nibbles to savour and to share. Paco Perez says: “We are delighted to bring the Catalan cuisine to Manchester and to be part of the amazing team behind Tast.”
Fazenda director Tomas Maunier tells ToM: “We are hugely excited to be working with these amazing creative talents. Catalonia has a distinctive identity and culture from that of Spain and our ambition is to introduce people to its wonderful tastes and flavours. Paco’s reputation is immense and we will serve some of his and Pep’s favourite Catalan dishes, both traditional and with innovative modern twists.”
Tast Cuina Catalana, 20-22 King Street Manchester, M2 6AG. Opening June 2018.