Skof to Open on Wednesday 29th May
Anticipation builds as our former executive chef, Tom Barnes, announces that he will open Skof, his debut restaurant in Manchester’s NOMA district on Wednesday 29th May, with bookings available until Saturday 14th September.
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.
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.
To Manchester, Tom brings the farm-to-table ethos so crucial at our Lake District restaurants, weaving in new suppliers as he tailors the offering to a new market in the vibrant Northern city. So, alongside daily deliveries of produce grown specifically for him at Our Farm, Tom will work with small-scale suppliers such as Cinderwood Market Garden in Nantwich and Lake District Farmers.
A lot of thought has gone into preparing different drinks pairings at Skof. Tom, alongside his restaurant manager Sean Oakford and assistant restaurant manager Max Lawrence (both ex-L’Enclume), have created 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.