By Neil Sowerby
THE Northern food scenes coveted Oscars were handed out at the Northern Restaurant Bar Show in Manchester Central the third annual Top 50 Most Influential list.
Two of the three Special Achievement gongs went west to Liverpool and the Wirral. Paul Askew of London Carriage Works and the Hope Street Hotel in Liverpool city centre, and Michelin-starred one man band chef Marc Wilkinson of Fraiche at Oxton.
The third recognised the remarkable contribution of Tim Bacon and Jeremy Roberts of Living Ventures, who have given us Blackhouse Grill, Gusto, Manchester House and all those three As Artisan, Alchemist and Australasia.
Earlier Bacon and Marcello Distefano, of the San Carlo group, went head to head in the NRBs first Debate, ranging across their the whole dining scene from their own singular success stories to coming trends and a variety of issues. Bacon, in particular, was in controversial (or tongue-in-cheek) form, suggesting ugly people didnt make the best waiting staff and "Vegetarian restaurants can go in Room 101, it's such a tiny market and they complain more than anyone."
The awards celebrate the 50 best operators from across the North's hospitality industry, giving nods, among others, to: Joel Wilkinson (Trof), Roger Ward (Chop Houses), Dave Mooney and Paul Newman (New Moon Pubs), Beau Myers and Marie Carter (Beautiful Drinks), Cleo Farman (Odd Bars), Jobe Ferguson and Ross McKenzie (Black Dog), David Fox and Nick Jeffrey (Tampopo), Alex Hannah (Lucha Libre) and William Lee Jones (J W Lees).
North West newcomers to the list were Manchester Scott Munro and James Douglas (Red's True BBQ), Alex Hannah (Lucha Libre), James and Karina Hitchen (Neighbourhood/Southern 11), Mike Magrane, (Q Hotels), Gary McClarnan,(Teacup), Joyceln Neve(Seafood Pub Company), Andrew Nutter (Nutters), Simon Stanley (Damson Group) and Simon Rimmer, (Greens/Flying Pig and Lobster).