? Acclaimed chef Tom Barnes is all set to open his very first restaurant in Manchester! The restaurant, called Skof, is going to have 36 seats and is expected to open in Spring 2024. It’s going to be located in the NOMA district of Manchester city centre, inside the Hanover building, which was built in 1904 as a drapery warehouse by the Co-operative Wholesale Society. Tom says the restaurant is going to offer a dining experience that’s both ambitious and down-to-earth.
Tom, who has been working with the famous chef Simon Rogan’s UMBEL Restaurants for the past 12 years, is making this big move. He was the head chef at Rogan & Co when it got a Michelin star, and the executive chef at L’Enclume when it earned its coveted third star. Even though he’s leaving The Lake District, he’s still going to be connected to the group, as his new venture is going to be part of the next phase of UMBEL Restaurants.
Tom is super excited about this new project in Manchester. He said, “I am so excited to be opening my first restaurant in Manchester. It feels like the right place for me. The food scene is changing so frequently, and everyone I’ve met has been incredibly welcoming. Growing up in Barrow-in-Furness, I knew I wouldn’t want to be too far from my childhood home and my family, so it’s the perfect place. I am so grateful for Simon’s support, and I plan on utilising all the skills that he has taught me over the many years that we have worked together. I’m so happy with what we have achieved and look forward to this new chapter.”
The interiors of Skof, designed by the London-based studio Blacksheep, will reflect both Tom’s roots in the Lakes and his new life in Manchester, while also paying homage to the building’s character and the city’s industrial history. The restaurant will be filled with natural light and will blend restored original features with a modern touch.
One of the main things Tom wants to do with the restaurant is to bring a sense of fun and surprise to the guests, taking away some of the seriousness usually associated with tasting menu restaurants. The dishes will be seasonal and will showcase local ingredients. As part of this new venture, Tom will continue to work closely with the team of growers at Our Farm, Simon Rogan’s regenerative farm in the Cartmel Valley.
Simon Rogan, the chef/owner of UMBEL Restaurants, said, “It’s moments like these that make me so happy, and it’s so special to be able to help a chef who has worked with me for so long go on to realise his dreams. I’m so proud of Tom and everything he has accomplished. We’ve been working towards this moment for a while now, and I can’t wait for him to be able to show the world what he can do. He is a seriously talented chef, so I know Skof is going to be amazing!”
Tom Barnes, a chef from Cumbria, has worked in kitchens with multiple Michelin stars for most of his career. He joined Simon Rogan’s team at L’Enclume in 2011 and quickly rose through the ranks to become head chef in 2013, the same year the restaurant earned its second Michelin star. In 2014, at the age of 25, he won the Roux Scholarship and went to Hof Van Cleve in Belgium as his prize stage, followed by a stint at the three-Michelin starred Restaurant Geranium in Copenhagen. He returned in early 2018 as head chef at Simon Rogan’s neighbourhood Cartmel restaurant Rogan & Co, which earned its first Michelin star less than six months later. In 2020, he competed in the 15th series of BBC2’s Great British Menu and won the main course at the final banquet.
+ There are no comments
Add yours