3 February 2012

It’s all change at one of the region’s best restaurants, Ramsons. Having accumulated awards and accolades from the likes of the Good Food Guide, the Michelin Guide and the Manchester Food and Drink Festival, the British-Italian restaurant in Ramsbottom is undergoing a kitchen reshuffle as well as full refurbishment this spring.

Taste of Manchester can reveal that head chef, Abdulla Naseem, is leaving on February 14 after 12 years at the pass. Restaurant owner Chris Johnson explained that the split is entirely amicable. In the new configuration, current sous chef, Babak Masoudi, will take on head chef position, with Naseem cooking a ‘greatest hits’ menu called “Naseem’s Farewell” until he leaves for an as-yet-undisclosed new position in the middle of this month. You can find details of this menu here now. http://www.ramsons-restaurant.com/

In the wake of Naseem’s departure, Johnson plans to travel to Italy with Masoudi to visit a number of fine dining restaurants. The idea is to collect ideas and concepts to employ in Ramsons which will shift its culinary focus from British –Italian fusion to a contemporary Italian fine dining experience. Johnson said: “Naseem’s style is ‘Italian-influenced’. He trained in Lausanne in Switzerland, is from the Maldives and been to Italy on many occasions. As a result he is influenced by the style of Italian cooking. However as he leaves, we plan to evolve our cooking style as Masoudi wants to do a menu which is uncompromisingly Italian. We are going to travel through the home of slow food, Bra, Alba, Nieve and Brescia to look at and draw inspiration from some of my favourite places in northern Italy.”

Masoudi is from Tehran in Iran, and, according to Johnson is extremely talented at working with flour, in pasta and bread making. He’s just one of a number of chefs the restaurant has nurtured as Ramsons has developed a reputation as a training ground for exceptional regional chefs. Mary-Ellen McTague was a previous sous chef, before going on to open Aumbry in Prestwich to critical acclaim - and Naseem’s relocation could mean more choice of fine dining establishments for the citizens of Greater Manchester. Johnson hinted that Naseem would be taking up the reins of a restaurant, “not a million miles away”.

Ramsons will close on March 11, 2012 for two weeks as the restaurant undergoes a full refurbishment before reopening as normal. 16-18 Market Place Ramsbottom BL0 9HT. 01706 825 070