THE Monastery, Manchester has attracted a chef with Michelin star experience to head up the kitchen.
The worry is that over time Campbell will feel his talents isolated and the attention a chef craves for his craft too hidden in Gorton.
Graham Campbell, aged 29, was the youngest chef in Scotland to gain at Michelin star at the age of 25 in 2008, when he was at Ballachulish Country House Hotel in Glencoe, Scotland.
Originally from Oban in Scotland, Graham will head up a team of six chefs. He explains: “I want people to know that the fine-dining elements of food in restaurants can successfully transfer into large scale banqueting and I intend to show this to guests at The Monastery”.
Graham believes in making everything from fresh including baking his own bread. He also is a strong advocate of locally sourced food, “as long as the quality is there” he adds, and prefers to source fresh foods from no more than 60 miles away.
Commenting on the appointment of the new head chef, Susan Baldwin, General Manager of The Monastery said: “To have a chef of this calibre joining the existing team in a conference and wedding venue will set us apart from the rest. Graham will bring fine-dining experience to our unique events venue and we believe this will be an irresistible combination.”
Paul Griffiths, Chairman of The Monastery Manchester added: “We’re incredibly lucky to have found Graham. We knew when we saw the presentation of the food and tasted the fabulous dishes he created during the cook-off that we had found the right man for The Monastery. He understands our ethos and is keen to train local people, something which is very important to us. We already have a unique venue and now want The Monastery to be recognised equally for the outstanding quality of the food and service we offer.”
Monastery
So the above is the official word on the new chef.
Confidential thinks The Monastery (aka Gorton Monastery), née St Francis's, is lucky in gaining his talents. The Edward Pugin designed former church dates from 1872 and is a masterwork of Victorian Gothic architecture. It provides one of the most dramatic, in terms of building, settings for conferencing and events in Britain.
The survival of the building - and its present profile and success - is testament to the incredible work of the enthusiasts, amateurs and professionals who saved it from virtual ruin.
But it is a long way out of the city centre, stranded in a sea of inner-urban housing.
The worry is that over time Campbell will feel his talents isolated and the attention a chef craves for his craft too hidden in Gorton.
Having said that you can't get more isolated than Campbell's last posting in the wilds of Glencoe, where the salmon outnumber the people ten thousand to one. Maybe he'll be used to it.
Either way Confidential will be down to The Monastery to sample Campbell's foody delights soon.
Monastery
