Award winning chef delighted to be back home

Aiden Byrne

He might be a born and bred Scouser but chef Aiden Byrne declares he is back home where he belongs as stands proudly in his Manchester restaurant.

The 46-year-old was back in business this weekend at the fine dining establishment he set up in 2012 at an estimated cost of £3m.

There might be a new name over the door but Manchester House is back in business once again.

And Aiden openly admits he still struggles with the fact that he has had to change the name of his beloved Manchester House.

The restaurant on the edge of Spinningfields was launched by Aiden but he left in 2017 and the business was taken over by Living Ventures.

And the news that it had gone into administration was one of the biggest stories of the city’s restaurant scene this year.

The deal with the administrators means that The Manchester House name has gone and the venture will be called MCR.

But Aiden said: “In my head it is still Manchester House and the truth is that everyone will call it that. I think it will always be thought of that.

“I still have to keep reminding myself that the name has changed every time I pick up the phone, I automatically want to say the name.”

Aiden Byrne

And the chef, who was the youngest ever to win a Michelin star, says his phone has not stopped ringing over the last six weeks.

He knew as soon as heard that the restaurant was closing that he would be back.

Aiden said: “The last couple of weeks have been a bit crazy and I dread to think what my phone bill is going to be, but I knew straight away that I wanted to come back.

“This place feels like home to me and it always will. I put in a phone call to the administrators and things just went from there.”

One of the first people Aiden called was a friend and fellow Liverpudlian Gemma McGowan.

Gemma runs the Isla Gladstone Conservatory in Stanley Park in Liverpool and has been friends with Aiden for some time.

She said: “We just got on from the very time we met, we just clicked and we are very similar in the way we think about things.

“Aiden rang for some advice and as soon as he started talking about Manchester House I just knew I wanted to be involved.”

Gemma is working with Aiden on the business side of the project and like him is obviously excited about the venture.

There has been hardly any time to launch such a high class venue which means that plenty of things have a familiar feel.

The décor is staying the same and the menu is full of Aiden’s signature dishes.

He said: “We have taken on about 17 staff which will go up to 30 and we have stripped  back in the kitchen. The aim is to cook the dishes that people know  me for and when we get up and running the creative juices will start flowing again.

“We will also look at having a refurbishment in the summer. At the moment we have kept the décor as the same but have taken a few of the tables out.

“We will be doing about 60 covers a night but that is because we want people to come here and enjoy themselves.

“Every restaurant has to make money but we are not about cutting costs and getting people through the door. This is all about having an experience. We want people to come here and enjoy themselves and remember the experience

“We don’t want people to feel like they are being rushed out of the door.”

Which is brave stance as the reason for Manchester House closing was the lack of trade.

But thanks to Aiden’s reputation there has been enormous interest around the restaurant which opened for business this weekend.

It has been a rocky year for the trade in the city with a number of high profile casualties but there never seems to be a shortage of newcomers on the scene.

Last week there were three high-profile openings in the shape of MCR, Dishoom in the nearby Manchester Hall and Mamucium close to Victoria Station.

Aiden, who most recently helped to launch 20 Stories before parting company with the restaurant eight months after it opened, clearly feels he is back where he belongs.

He said: “It was important for us to open before Christmas and we are delighted with the response we have had.

“People are glad that we are back and the aim is to give our customers something special.

“Manchester House has always been about pushing the boundaries, delivering a unique fine dining experience and staying true to that endeavour.

“It belongs to Manchester, an institution in its own right and we want our customers to feel as if they belong here too.”

MCR will serve a 12 course tasting menu, priced at £90, and six courses for £45.

Aiden was the youngest chef in the UK to be awarded a Michelin star in 1994 when he worked at Adlards Restaurant.

He owns The Church Green in Lymm in Cheshire, where he lives with his wife Sarah and their three children.

Aiden says that he has lost none of the drive and commitment which saw him land the accolade at such an early age.

He said: “When you are younger it is all about being competitive and being the best chef around. You are competing against your peers.

“What drives me now is about creating the experience and giving people a great night out. The buzz comes from seeing people enjoying themselves and enjoying the experience we create for them.

“It is not just the food, it is also the atmosphere and the service.

“So many people made contact when the news broke last week, while it’s been a crazy week turning this around.

“The key ingredient for the new restaurant is putting the guest at the heart of everything we’re doing.

“If our guests want something other than what is on the menu, if we have the ingredients then we can make it work for them.”

And of course the key question is will Manchester ever land a Michelin Star? The last time the city had one was four decades ago and the wait goes on.

When the question is posed Aiden just laughs and heads off to his kitchen.

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