IN THE DAYS before Restaurant Wars: the Battle for Manchester, and at a time that would have seen liquid nitrogen smoked out of the kitchen, good food existed in the city of Manchester.
The only time I ever saw Paul stuck for words was when one of his musical heroes, Ray Davies of The Kinks, came to the restaurant and performed an impromptu concert after his meal.
One of the guys leading the way was Paul Mertz of The Market Restaurant.
Paul, who passed away recently, was a big chap with a gentle and very skilful touch. His skill was demonstrated in many great dishes over twenty years at The Market, from his asparagus and Parma ham wrapped in filo, a beautiful venison and chestnut pie or his profiteroles, so light they needed to be weighed down with cream and chocolate to stop them floating away.
Paul was so good that he was part of the very small team that saw The Market Restaurant awarded the City Life Manchester Food and Drink Festival 'Restaurant of the Year 2005'.
Paul was not only a gifted chef, he was also generous with his knowledge and time. Many customers of the Market trotted off clutching one of his hand written recipes, having discussed the dish with him post-service when he'd come out into the dining room for a (gallon) of beer or coffee and a chat with the diners.
Market Restaurant
He loved music and sport and would talk knowledgably for hours about football, cricket, rugby, tennis and the like. One of the great mysteries to me was how Paul could get so much enjoyment from listening to golf commentaries on the kitchen radio.
The only time I ever saw Paul stuck for words was when one of his musical heroes, Ray Davies of The Kinks, came to the restaurant and performed an impromptu concert after his meal. Paul was dumbstruck.
Still, his greatest love was always cooking.
The atmosphere in Paul's kitchen was the complete opposite of what you see on TV with the likes of Gordon Ramsay. He was known, however, to occasionally mutter an oath when asked to provide a customer with a glass of home-mulled wine in the middle of a busy Christmas evening.
Before starring at The Market Restaurant, Paul had spent time perfecting his craft under George, his mentor, at the Masonic Hall in Stockport. He also spent several summers in the kitchens of the Harbour Hotel in Abersoch.
Paul had a fantastic sense of humour. When Barry the Printer misspelt his name as Paul Mortz on a recipe leaflet, Paul immediately dubbed him 'Barney the Pointer' - a case of tit for tat typo wars.
If there is such a thing as the heavenly banquet – then there's now a truly great chef providing the feast. Thanks for everything Paul.
Peter O'Grady formerly Owner & Partner of the Market Restaurant in Manchester.
Paul Mertz
