IT has been a long strange culinary career for Beastro chef Richard Brown, whose first restaurant experience was being hired at the age of 13 by Michelin-starred maverick Paul Kitching at his Altrincham restaurant, Juniper. “It started as work experience but I was allowed to stay on as pot washer, but after two weeks he told me I was the worst pot washer he’d ever had,’’ Richard tells ToM.
“He’s still absolutely rubbish at it,” weighs in Heather Taylor, co-partner with husband James and Richard in the new 45-cover restaurant at Leftbank, Spinningfields. We’ve come in for a peek just as their soft launch starts in the build-up to opening full-time to the public on Saturday, April 8.
The trio have had to earn the right to be launching this smart farmhouse kitchen-inspired space. Victory in the yearlong street food competition at The Kitchens has been followed by nine months’ gestation for their own bespoke bistro on the site, supported by landlords Allied London.
This conversion of three contestant units looks a treat, an open plan farmhouse-style kitchen, overlooked by a six-seater chef’s table and serving a further 40 punters on pine tables. The phalanx of plates on the walls is a nice touch (and we rather suspect they won’t let Richard dust them).
]We love the attention to detail going on. James showed us some beautiful ceramics from Salford’s Fire Station Square Pottery.
The plan is to upgrade their current crockery and these might fit the bill, taking them one step further from their street food past as Bangers & Bacon and Well Hung and the folk behind sausage brand Bobby’s Bangers. A loyal fanbase is obviously following them on their journey. Soft launch tickets were snapped up in a trice.
Despite their surprise enthusiasm for Bury Black Pudding Company’s new veggie black pudding, the butchers background of James and Heather still dominates the gutsy food on offer, but the promise is of a more refined approach to the menus, which will encompass breakfast, brunch and dinner.
Oh, and there’s even a vegan breakfast alongside full English, eggs Benedict, sweet or savoury pancake stacks, pastries and granola (served 7am-12pm).
Lunch (12-4pm) can be eaten in or taken out. Sandwiches include their glorious Cubano (pictured) or grilled Philly cheese steak alongside soup, stews, burgers and home-made cakes.
Dinner is from 4pm until 10pm with promised dishes such as slow cooked oxtail with beetroot and pearl barley risotto, or curried cod with scallops on shallot puree, while 30 day aged steaks look the real deal. Shindigger beers on tap and an individual wine list complete the Beastro offering.
Beastro, Irwell Square, Leftbank, Manchester M3 3AG. 0161 327 0265.
