Eat Well Mcr, San Carlo and Selfridges join forces with MIF - plus what's cooking in Festival Square?
Tickets have gone on sale for Manchester International Festival's "Festival Supper Clubs", four evenings of culinary adventure showcasing the best of Manchester's cooking talent, in keeping with this year's theme of community and localism
The five chefs are Mary Ellen McTague, Anna Søgaard, Julià Castelló and a partnership between Isobel Jenkins and Josh Al-Kazrajhi.
Without question it's the hardest three weeks of our working year, mentally, creatively and physically
Manchester International Festival has teamed up with Selfridges and Eat Well MCR to host four Festival Supper Clubs – each one catered by a Manchester-based chef from the Eat Well MCR collective and hosted at San Carlo Bottega in Selfridges Exchange Square.
The price includes a four-course dinner with a welcome drink, and diners have the option to select and buy wine pairings or other drinks on the night. COVID-19 restrictions and limited capacity means only parties of two or four can be accommodated.
Anna Søgaard will be cooking for the inaugaral supper club on 5 July. Anna is the sous chef at Erst in Ancoats. After attending culinary school and working as a chef in Copenhagen for several years, Anna moved to England to join the opening team at Erst. Diners can expect a a forward-thinking Danish/Southern US-inspired meal. Anna also co-runs Supp-HER, A collaborative supper club from some leading women in the Manchester food and drink scene.
On 6 July, supper will be cooked by Julià Castelló, the Head Chef of Tast. Born in Girona, Julià trained as a chef in Catalonia, cut his teeth on the Costa Brava and spent two years at the Michelin-starred Cinco in Berlin before moving to Manchester to open Tast in 2018. After starting as sous chef under Paco Pérez, he was promoted to head chef this year.
Mary-Ellen McTague is a longtime friend of MIF – and one of the city’s most acclaimed chefs. In April 2020, the start of the first lockdown, she co-founded Eat Well MCR, a hospitality collective that has provided almost 45,000 chef-made meals to vulnerable adults and children around Greater Manchester. She will be hosting her supper club on Monday 12 July.
The final supper club will take place on Tuesday 13 July under the direction of Isobel Jenkins chef and co-owner of Isca Wines and the co-founder of supper club Season’s Eatings. She will be cooking alongside Josh Al-Kazrajhi of the Moorcock Inn in Sowerby Bridge, known for its innovative menus.
Each supper club is expected to last around two hours and is suitable for over-16s only.
Eat Well Mcr will also be at Festival Square, the food and drink hub of MIF for the entire run of the festival.
Sourdough wood-fired pizzas will be served up daily by Mackie Mayor and Altrincham Market favourites Honest Crust, while Stellar will be on hand to provide beautiful vegan food.
Festival Square's official beer supplier, local family brewery JW Lees, will be serving beers, wines, Champagnes, soft drinks. Coffee will be supplied by the Co-Op, who will be giving away tickets to a select show at MIF.
Long-term MIF partner Heathcote & Co will return to Festival Square with a signature menu of reinvented British classics. The team said: “Without question it's the hardest three weeks of our working year, mentally, creatively and physically.”
There is also a host of live acts at Festival Square, making it the heart of MIF for its two-week duration.
MIF Supper Clubs are held at San Carlo Bottega, Selfridges, 1 Exchange Square, M3 1BD. You can book tickets for the supper clubs at the Manchester International Festival website. A table for 2 costs £130 and a table for 4 costs £260.
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