Having been rumoured for some time, chef, Roux Scholar, Great British Menu winner and Simon Rogan alumnus Tom Barnes is finally opening his first restaurant in Manchester this May. The former executive chef of three Michelin-starred restaurant L’Enclume in Cartmel, Lake District will open Skof, a 36-cover restaurant in the NOMA neighbourhood in Manchester city centre.
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With a vision to create an unpretentious yet ambitious dining experience in the North, Tom Barnes will open Skof on Federation and Hanover Street, just a stone’s throw away from New Century on May 29. Known as one of the most skilful young chefs in the country, Tom has been developing menus that are deceptively simple yet brimming with technique and full of flavour.
As a chef in some of the best restaurants in the world, his dishes are naturally in season, with local ingredients taking centre stage. Tom also aims to remove some of the seriousness associated with tasting menu restaurants by bringing an element of surprise and joy to his guests, which was evident with his Great British Menu win in 2020.
Ahead of the opening, Tom has also revealed a taste of what’s to come with the release of a sample menu. At both lunch (Thursday to Saturday) and dinner (Wednesday to Saturday), he will serve two variations of his tasting menu, one 12-course and one 15-course which will be priced at £120 and £165 respectively. At lunch, Skof will also serve a four-course offering, priced at £50 per head.
After 12 years with Simon Rogan at UMBEL Restaurants, notably, as head chef at Rogan & Co when it received a Michelin star, and executive chef at L’Enclume when it gained its coveted third star, Tom will be moving away from The Lakes yet will remain closely linked to the group. Skof will be owned and operated by Tom but will form part of the next iteration of UMBEL Restaurants, where the group will support talented individuals in opening their own restaurants and businesses.
As part of this new venture, Tom will continue to work closely with the team of growers at Our Farm, Simon’s regenerative farm in the Cartmel Valley. He will receive regular deliveries from The Lakes, allowing him to utilise ingredients grown with minimal environmental impact.
Dishes on the first set of menus include Roasted Sladesdown duck, peach leaf, Ibis celeriac, wholemeal bread and Isle of Mull cheddar, broad beans, whipped roe and verbena.
In the lead up to the opening of Skof, Tom has been working on preserving ingredients to add depth of flavour to his dishes, also allowing them to be used all year round. As a continuation of this mindset, the team at Skof will create their own miso, used to flavour a Lightly set custard, served with Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms, truffle, mushroom dashi and their own Amasake sorbet flavoured with milk Oolong tea.
A lot of thought has gone into preparing different drinks pairings at Skof with Tom, restaurant manager Sean Oakford and assistant restaurant manager Max Lawrence (both ex-L’Enclume), creating a range of drinks options to include alcohol-free or mixed-alcohol pairings, or matching wines to go with the menu. The small but well-rounded wine list aims to give a variety of exciting options, spotlighting small-scale producers and the team’s personal recommendations.
In addition, Tom has also collaborated with Manchester brewery, Track, to create Sidney, a light and refreshing beer intended as an alternative to kick off the meal.
On the decision to choose Manchester as the location for his first solo restaurant, Tom 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.”
Skof will be situated within the terracotta tiled Hanover building, built by the Co-operative Wholesale Society as a drapery warehouse in 1904. Designed by London-based studio Blacksheep, the interiors will reference the dualities of Tom’s upbringing versus his new home in Manchester and the building’s character versus the city’s industrial history, echoing the natural and the urban, Edwardian and industrial. The restaurant will be an inviting space bathed in natural light, which combines carefully restored original features with a refined, modern edge.
Commenting on the opening, Tom Barnes, said: “It’s been a long time coming, so I’m excited to be able to finally release our reservations. I can’t wait to share what we’ve been working on and to return some of the incredible hospitality I’ve received from the people of Manchester. With Skof, my purpose is to create an incredible experience that focuses on great quality ingredients but above all, puts a smile on peoples faces.”
Skof will open at 3 Federation Street, Manchester, M4 4BF from Wednesday 29th May with bookings available to book here until Saturday 14th September.