Simon Rogan, widely considered to be one of the top chefs in the UK, has hinted at a possible Manchester opening.
During an interview at the Northern Restaurant and Bar Show, he told attendees “I’ve always enjoyed my time here. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out in the long run at The Midland…”
This refers to Rogan’s three-year stint at The French at The Midland Hotel. He left part-way into a five-year contract, wanting to concentrate his efforts on his own three Michelin starred restaurant L’Enclume.
“...but that’s not to say we wouldn’t come back here in a heartbeat if the right proposition fell into our lap.” The chef added.
So, could the rumours be true? Rogan went on to say that he has been sworn to secrecy by Sam Ward, the managing director of his restaurant business.
In February, Rogan’s first restaurant L’Enclume was awarded another Michelin star, making it one of only eight in the UK to hold three stars. In 2021, L’Enclume was also awarded a Michelin green star, which celebrates restaurants with true dedication to sustainability.
Rogan said when asked about L’Enclume, “There are always more Michelin stars to earn, and always other places. The main focus at L’Enclume is keeping the standards up, keep at that level. And I have no qualms about that.”
Manchester has become a real food hub in recent years, with openings like Mana and Where the Light Gets In (the latter of which is actually headed up by L’Enclume acolyte Sam Buckley).
Rogan finished up by saying, “We have lots of propositions going on all over the world at the moment, but Manchester is very much in our thoughts, and it’s something we’d really love to come back to one day.”
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