Award-winning kitchens confirmed for new up and coming independent food venue, Exhibition
MANCHESTER foodies are in for a treat with Osma, Sao Paulo Project and Baratxuri confirmed as residents at the multi-kitchen venue opening in November in the city’s Grade II listed former Museum of Natural History (1909) site.
The original industrial shell has been revived on the site of the 1817 Peterloo Massacre and the place where the body of Hannah Beswick (the Manchester Mummy) was found.
The 6,000 sq. ft venue will comprise of multi-kitchens, two bars and a dedicated exhibition space for local artists.
Neighbourhood Prestwich favourite and Michelin Guide-named Osma will bring a new relaxed edge to their famous Scandinavian concept, Ramsbottom’s Basque fire cookery restaurant, Baratxuri will fire-up classic big cuts of meat and whole fish and, The Great British Menu contestant and Manchester’s Chef of the Year nominee Caroline Martins plans to serve a Brazilian-fusion menu showcasing dishes from across the 26 states of Brazil. Read more about Martins here.
“You are going to walk into the room and see projections on the wall. I want you to feel like you have arrived in Brazil – cool beaches, the sights and smells via a mist,” Caroline Martins, The São Paulo Project Pop-up, told Eatnorth earlier this year.
The Sao Paulo Bistro will be a more relaxed spin on her popular fine-dining residency at Blossom Street Social, Ancoats. Martins will continue working closely with local producers such as Platt Fields Market Garden, Dormouse Chocolates, Northern Cure and The Flat Baker.
Menu highlights will include hand-dived scallops with creamy cassava sauce, Sao Paulo steak sandwich made with Lancashire ribeye and Garstang blue sauce, and a showstopper chocolate dessert using liquid nitrogen.
Osma – that gained a mention in the Michelin Guide within its first year of opening – will be bringing its ethos of Scandinavian taste experiences with a relaxed edge, and all dishes on the menu will be crafted using local ingredients.
By day, Osma will serve open sandwiches with fillings such as cured Scottish salmon, golden beetroots, spinach & mustard, or rump of beef with onion jam, rocket and parmesan, all alongside fresh salads and hearty soups. In the evening, there will be a brand-new selection of tempting small plates such as Avruga caviar pots with toasted brioche, a sashimi plate served with caper and shallot sauce, whole lobster with herb butter or a dish of roasted and pickled beetroots with raspberry and rose.
Specialist fire cookery restaurant, Baratxuri – a well-loved favourite in Ramsbottom – will introduce the concept of Asado (bigger dishes for sharing) such as its famed Capricho Oro’ Txuleton – a 1kg bone-in rib steak, and Raciones (smaller plates) featuring dishes such as Boquerones, Jamon Iberico de Bellota. The team will also boast an extensive range of Pintxos served daily at lunchtime.
Baratxuri owner Joe Botham said: “This venue is shaping up to be a ‘must visit’ and we are humbled and extremely proud to be cooking alongside such incredible kitchens. I honestly believe that Exhibition will rival the great market kitchens of Bilbao and Madrid and bring to Manchester a proper grown-up, casual yet really high-quality dining experience.”
Caroline Martins added: “Exhibition will be hard to beat for fans of fine food in Manchester.”
Osma chef Danielle Heron said: “What we find the most thrilling about Exhibition is how it combines great food and drinks with exciting art and music, all under one roof.”
The main bar will be the first in the city to offer Manchester Union straight from the in-venue tanks, alongside a dedicated rotational line for Manchester breweries such as Sureshot, Cloudwater and Pomona. In addition, Exhibition’s wine list will complement the food partners with approachable styles and a high quality Verdejo on draught.
Award winning drinks expert Gethin Jones will spearhead the curation of the drinks’ menu for both bars.
The drinks concept will change depending on the season with the cocktail bar promoting a new spirit each season. Brandy will be the focus for Autumn with drinks created with everything from Cognac to Calvados, to Pisco.
After dark, Exhibition will turn into a late-night bar with DJs, live singers and instrumentalist.
Seven dedicated areas will also see a new local artist showing their work every season. Artwork throughout Exhibition will nod towards Beswick, best known as the Manchester Mummy. In the 1700s, Beswick’s body had been embalmed and displayed due to her fear of a premature burial. Eventually, Beswick’s corpse became an attraction at The Museum of the Manchester Natural History Society, which once stood on the site of St George’s House.
For more information go to here.
Instagram: @exhibition.mcr