Manchester Craft Beer Festival

Next month we are heading to Manchester Craft Beer Festival to explore some of Manchester's culture and celebrate the art of craft beer.

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Taking place on the 23rd to the 24th July at Manchester Depot Mayfield the brand new festival is dedicated to celebrating craft beer and pairing it with sounds of the city with music from Craig Charles, Daddy G from Massive attack plus many more artists.

Created by the team behind London Craft Beer Festival the celebration aims to give those visiting an opportunity to discover, learn and explore the world of craft beer.

The event will also give a platform to pop-up kitchens as the festival has teamed up with some of Manchester’s top foodies to offer guests a taste of their mouth-watering dishes.

Brewers attending include Manchester Manchester Union, Marble, Pomona Island, Track Brewing Co and the brand new Bundobust Brew Pub. International names will also be showcasing their creations from some of Europe’s most popular breweries include Norway’s Lervig, Denmark’s Mikkeller and Netherlands’ Fontaal and Kees. As well as a New York showcase including Grimm, Barrier, KCBC and Equilibrium breweries. While Brew York, Brixton, Northern Monk, Gipsy Hill, Signature, Full Circle, North, Salt, Stone & Wood, The Kernel, Verdant and Vocation are also confirmed for the festival’s line-up, with more to be announced.

Music wise guests can expect to hear sounds from the King of funk & soul Craig Charles, Daddy G of Massive Attack and of Bristol’s legendary Wild Bunch Sound System - known for his bass heavy reggae, jungle, hip-hop and funk sets - and London’s art rock band Django Django will all be taking over the decks to provide guests with the perfect sonic backdrop to the festival, with more acts to be announced.

Co-founder of We are Beer, Greg Wells said: “We’re ecstatic that we can go ahead with the launch of Manchester Craft Beer Festival this year, we’ve wanted to do something epic in the city for ages - it’s got such great breweries and a creative culture and buzz that is second to none. Our festival showcases the best of beer from the UK and around the world and is a complete learning and exploration experience, a chance to drink your favourite beers as well as try something completely new. But it’s also an amazing night out - the whole experience is elevated by having some sensational DJs spinning the decks and delicious food to eat so there’s definitely something for everyone.”

Each ticket is priced at £49.50 and allocates guests entry for a five-hour session on the Friday or Saturday to sample the mega line-up of brewers and enjoy live music from heavyweight headline acts. The ticket also includes a special festival beer glass and access to the festival’s pop-up kitchens. Click here for tickets

Inspired by nature, BRACE, the Italian Nordic restaurant

Described simply as the modern Italian restaurant in Copenhagen BRACE offers it’s diners an exclusive taste at Italian Nordic infused dishes created by the highly regarded and internationally recognised chef Nicola Fanetti.

Nicola grew up in Northern Italy where he soaked up the culture and traditional cooking, he pursued developing his culinary skills and it was here he studied at the renowned Italian school ALMA, where some of the best chef’s in the world have been born.

He then moved to Denmark and rooted himself as the cofounder of BRACE in 2017, a restaurant which respects the environment priding itself on sustainability, fresh cooking and guidance by nature with its micro seasonal menu changes, the Italian dishes are supported by local Nordic suppliers who share the restaurants sustainable, nature-led values.

We found out more about Nicola’s inspiration for BRACE, delving into the values of the restaurant and his own personal passion for cooking.

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Nicola pictured above, all below photos feature the dishes and restaurant

When did Nicola realise he wanted to be a chef?

Nicola explains that he wasn’t born with the passion but his hobbies and habits influenced by his grandparents lead him down the culinary route, he said: “I have matured with the desire to be a chef overtime, since I was a child my habits and enjoyment related to gastronomy.

“I have a lot of memories from my childhood related to it which have projected me to my current passion and profession.

“I remember my walks in the woods with my grandparents picking wild herbs which I really enjoyed doing, I always liked discovering something new that we would then use in the kitchen shortly after.

“It is a practice that I still continue to do here in the Danish woods, giving me the same feeling of that time.

“I have always enjoyed eating well and making others eat well; I've always liked doing it by taking what was normal in home cooking a little to the extreme.

“All this, combined together, gave me the input necessary to transform a passion into a real job.”

What was his inspiration for BRACE?

BRACE has been an award winning restaurant for the past four years and was recognised as the first Italian restaurant that is rooted in Nordic taste and style, Nicola said: “After years of sacrifices, studies and experiences around Italy as well as here in Copenhagen I wanted to create something that didn’t exist in the city.

“I took inspiration from my Italian origins for the food and wine, and techniques I have observed since I was a child such as processing and preservation. I mixed this with the style, care for research of raw materials and the Nordic taste that I’ve been fascinated with ever since moving here.

“The overall inspiration is my own story, experiences, the people I met along the way professionally and personally and even today I am constantly being inspired.”

What was it about the Nordic approach that appealed to Nicola?

BRACE is recognised as an Italian Nordic infused restaurant, Nicola spoke about how the restaurant has been crafted in this way, he said: “Until not too long ago Nordic cuisine had almost no real traditions and mainly foreign influences.

“Then there was a moment when the great pioneers of the cuisine gave birth to a new flow of thoughts and consciousness towards food.

“They gave an importance to something different, the respect for the link between food, seasons and nature. In some ways they have been heavily inspired by our healthy, balanced and seasonal Mediterranean diet.

“This principle has always felt right for me, and I felt it hugely when growing up. This is the start point of all the dishes me and the team create in the kitchen.”

What can customers expect when they come to the restaurant?

After the restaurant was shut for six months due to the pandemic BRACE welcomed customers back on the 18th May, Nicola shared the surprises and changes that customers have experienced since opening their doors again, he said: “All of our guests are currently united by the desire to know what we have managed to achieve and how, every time we open the doors the ‘wow’ effect takes place and we are so proud of it.

“The current atmosphere, the colours that characterise the dining room, the design that mixes with the Italian warmth of the service team, the kitchen overlooking the tables so that guests can see what happens in front of the stove, these are just a few of the aspects which our customers love.

“They expect an experience that is always better than the previous one, taking them to a different level of multi sensory.

“From the moment of the booking until the end of the evening our guests feel pampered, understood and totally satisfied.”

How are the dishes and restaurants sustainable?

BRACE prides itself on its sustainability, with thought going into the food, setting and uniform of the staff. Nicola explains: “We are always in search of absolutely local raw materials, from small producers or small companies which I discover from time to time and like to bring into the kitchen,

“Being sustainable also means respecting the climate, the seasons, the territory and never forcing the choice of what I buy with respect to what nature itself makes available to us.

“Our other big commitment is to try to minimise food waste, for example we make sure we use every single part of our ingredients. We also try to use our fruit and vegetable leftovers to make our much appreciated non-alcoholic pairings, for example we create Kombucha with coffee grounds.

“We also try to be sustainable in terms of our energy consumption, or water, for example we pay close attention to the recycling of glass bottles and to use plastic as little as possible.

“In addition to all of this our kitchen uniforms are made from old tablecloths from other restaurants and we have chosen not to use them on our tables, where in addition to this we also have on the tables small vases containing dried flowers.

“It’s not always easy to respect and be fully aware and convinced of this choice, but every time we succeed the satisfaction is really good!”

What does Nicola focus on when creating a new menu?

BRACE changes it’s menu eight times a year, in variation with the micro seasons, Nicola shared how he creates each menu, he said: “We use the variation of raw materials that the earth offers us. This philosophy of thought allows me to create menus in which the ingredients are at their best in their essence and quality and therefore become the real protagonists.

“At each change of menu I look for something new and something that I have never used before, and that the Danish territory with its small producers can introduce me to.

“I always start from the ingredients. Then it’s taste, test, experiment ...the right research combined with the necessary calm, to understand what to create and how to create it!

“Each season gives me, from time to time, something different that I am always able to fully appreciate. For example, in winter, I particularly like artichoke and pumpkin: in this period of the year the flavours become more complex and rustic.

“In summer, however, the dishes become decidedly fresher and more refined: we have all the new seasonal fruit and vegetables, juicy, fresh, more acidic; and it is precisely in this period that I prefer asparagus for example, or green peas. “It is always the ingredient that dictates the rule and the technique that best suits him. I like to use the processing that can give the best possible result with that particular product. This way, I can experience everything.”

Who and what inspires Nicola as a chef?

Nicola explains how he finds inspiration in everything, he said: “I get inspiration from

people who have taught me something professionally, as well as humanly; from my old experiences in different types of restaurants and from all the encounters I have had in each of them; it comes from the guests, from their reactions, from their appreciation and sometimes even from their criticisms… always very constructive for us.

“It comes from my team, from the comparisons I have with every single member of the kitchen, the dining room and the office… It comes from what we face every day, as a challenge as well as a new stimulus.

“It also comes from myself and from all the ambitions and projects that I intend to carry out. Everything around me is a point to reflect on and work on for me.”

What characteristics Nicola looks out for in chefs hoping to work with him?

BRACE is a sought after place of work for those with a passion in gastronomy, Nicola encourages a peaceful and calm workplace, he said: “My team, in every department of my restaurant, is made up of people with a thinking

mind. I don't like just having extra hands that work for me, but what I look for in every guy regardless of his background, is to be able to assert himself with ideas and with continuous comparisons.

“To get the best out of each of them, it is important to put them to the test, to make sure that they express themselves naturally and without forcing.

“I have long since abandoned the idea that in fine dining you have to have a military attitude towards your team, I rather preferred to create a peaceful and favourable environment for every type of person.

“I demand seriousness, professionalism, determination and education, but most of all I expect everyone to be an active part of the team and to make an important contribution to every single choice we want to make.”

What does the future hold for BRACE and Nicola?

Nicola shared his hopes for the future, he said: “I hope to achieve everything I aim to achieve, step by step and challenge after challenge, and to do it with the same passion and determination as always.

“With the new BRACE I hope to achieve even greater goals than the previous ones, with the urge to improve and perfect myself more every day.

“I also hope, and will work hard for this, to achieve recognition of being the best Italian restaurant in Denmark, increasing the sense of Italianness that belongs to us.

“I would also like to continue to be more inspirational to others, because that would mean having done something important and to be remembered for.

“I would also like to increase my business, even outside the restaurant itself and why not, start paying attention to social initiatives that can educate people, for example, on the importance of food and the quality of raw materials for healthy nutrition.”

Jason Atherton talks lockdown, inspiration and restaurant reopening

With just a week to go until indoor dining is permitted in the UK, following a long period of closure and uncertainty due to the pandemic, we spoke to English chef Jason Atherton who’s restaurant Pollen Street Social gained a Michelin Star the first year it opened in 2011.

Jason Atherton Photo credit @johncarreyphoto

Jason is known for ‘The Social Company’ his globally renowned restaurant group, with dining across London, including City Social, Social Eating House, Little Social and The Betterment and Berners Tavern which has been named the ‘defining restaurant of the decade.’

Alongside these he also has restaurants in Shanghai, Dubai, St Moritz and the Michelin Starred New York restaurant The Clocktower.

Before the pandemic happened in March 2020 when restaurants were open a usual day for the critically acclaimed chef would be filled with meetings, supervising his teams and preparing for servings at the restaurants.

Jason said: “On a usual day I have a lot to keep busy with for example I would be checking and answering to my emails, supervising my teams in every restaurants to make sure everything is going well, joining different meetings and getting ready for a buzzy lunch and dinner service at Pollen Street Social, Little Social or in another one of my restaurants!”

Little Social Outdoors Photo credit: @johncarreyphoto

Once restaurants closed for many people, especially those in the culinary industry, normal life seemed to stop, Jason spoke about what he’s been doing to keep busy whilst the restaurants were closed, he said: “I have used most of my free time to think about how I can improve each of my businesses. “I have also been spending time with family, days off are for family time, and I like spending quality time at home or outdoors with my wife Irha and my three daughters.”

“I’ve also been trying to keep busy with exercise - I’m really into boxing at the moment, I absolutely love it!

During closure Jason has been revisiting old memories to tap into past experiences for inspiration.

He said: “Pre-pandemic I would travel a lot, for work or family holidays, and that’s where I found more of my inspiration. “I would always carry a notebook with me because I like to scribble down ideas and inspiration to make sure I don’t forget them. So during lockdown I took time flicking through all of my old notebooks, trying to find new inspirations for our reopening.”

Little Social desert Photo credit: @johncarreyphoto

In the period of the lockdown Jason has developed new ways to bring food lovers his dishes, including his Jason At Home Delivery boxes.

He said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the whole world to its knees but it’s also gave us the opportunity to push ourselves, to be more creative, and work in a way that we never thought before – I’ve launched my ‘Jason at home’ delivery boxes in collaboration with Lake District Farmers, one of my oldest suppliers, as well as my 'Jason at Home' online home-ware store created with Goodfellows - I couldn’t have done that pre-pandemic.

“It’s important to constantly change and keep up with the world, nothing should be taken for granted. It’s also essential to push ourselves, be creative, embrace the changes and identify how to overcome them.”

Little Social and Cafe Biltmore dishes Photo credit: @johncarreyphoto

Jason also made sure to keep in touch with staff to keep morale as high as possible. He added: “Keeping my staff happy, motivated and safe is one of my prime priorities, especially during these challenging times.

“I think communication is essential, so I tried to keep in touch with my employees on a regular cadence, making sure I was communicating effectively and that they were aware that we have taken all health and safety measures to ensure they return to work safely.”

All of Jason’s restaurants are due to open from the 18th May, he spoke about preparing to reopen and the changes guests can expect to experience, he said:

“I’m working closely with my team to create seasonal menus using the finest local produce and ingredients so, from May 18th, we will be back with an array of brand-new food and drinks menus. The quality and provenance of my ingredients has always been incredibly important to create dishes so whether I’m serving Michelin-starred food at Pollen Street Social or Bistro-style cuisine at Little Social, it’s always about seasonal, local produce and incredible food.”

Little Social Photo credit: @johncarreyphoto

He added: “As always, our restaurants and bars are continuing to maintain the highest possible hygiene standards. So just as we did after the first and second lockdown, all government social distancing and Covid measures will be adhered too, to ensure the safety of our guests and employees without affecting the overall dining experience.

“My teams and I worked hard over the past few months to reopen our restaurants. We’ve just launched two restaurants - both open for alfresco all-day dining & drinking - ‘Little Social’, a bistro-style and bar wine restaurant located just across Pollen Street Social in Mayfair and ‘Café Biltmore Restaurant & Terrace’, my brand-new addition to the ‘Biltmore Hotel’ in Grosvenor Square, in London. The team is now ready to welcome everyone from May 18th at Pollen Street Social, Social Eating House, The Blind Pig bar, Berners Tavern, City Social and Harrods Social with brand-new seasonal drinks and food menus.

“I’m so excited to be back and are looking forward to welcoming everyone very soon. I’m just simply looking forward to re-opening our doors, welcoming our lovely guests and showcasing what we have been working on.

“The opening of indoor hospitality also means we can bring back all our staff into work and get back to doing what we love the most, which is cooking in the buzz of service.”

You can find out more about Jason and his restaurants here