![]() ![]() It’s important to realise that this is more of a transition than it is a new restaurant. I’m not going to start cooking things at the side of the table, but I’m really looking at the way I can work the restaurant to give customers that modern feel of being able to interact with the chef."ĪR: "Changes won’t be too subtle you’ll walk in and see a restaurant that’s under new direction. Basically I love interacting with customers, not stuck in a sweaty kitchen sending food out to people waiting for their plate to arrive. I don’t want to commit to specifics until we’ve confirmed we can actually do it. The banquettes are staying because we introduced that in August and I was involved. Work to the restaurants interior will commence in FebruaryĪR: "Two weeks in January, which should be the right amount of time when you don’t have to change anything structural. I’m a city lad and I feel comfortable in an urban environment." You can’t necessarily do that much to the room, but you can certainly make the tone and the ambience of the restaurant reflect me rather than the rural feel we tried to achieve with Simon in charge. Will there be a physical change of the restaurant?ĪR: "we’re going to have a refurbishment in February. I’m a good northern lad, I like my hearty and tasty food, so a shorter tasting menu with a focus on prime ingredients." For example, I’m going from ten to nine courses but it won't change value for money. What you’re going to see is a style change, more reflective of the way I feel comfortable cooking. The quality of what we produce isn’t going to change whatsoever. If I didn’t feel that the commitment was there long term to make this restaurant what I would like it to be, then I certainly wouldn’t be taking this on aiming to make the product even better."ĪR: "Although I’ve been working around the boundaries and parameters that Simon has set, I have been cooking day in day out on the pass, so it’s going to be a progression of that. ![]() Was there any question of you NOT taking over?ĪR: "I can't speak for the hotel, but I can speak for myself. We thought it would have been more around opening two restaurants at high level, but it kind of ended up being more about will we or won't we, or who’ll get it first (the programme also featured Aiden Byrne opening Manchester House) which I think was a bit unfair" I think the Restaurant Wars programme didn't do us any favours in the beginning because the focus was on stars. I think there’s more made of this than it deserves. ![]() Was the Michelin disappointment a factor?ĪR: "Not at all. We’ve achieved an amazing amount but we don’t want to stop there, we want to carry on going forward." He wants this restaurant to be the best it possibly can, and if he feels he’s not putting 100% into something, when his name is above the door, then it’s not fair on him or the restaurant. Simon's a busy guy, he’s got a lot going on in terms of the way he wants to progress L’Enclume and his Cartmel businesses and the demands down at Fera at Claridges. Maybe Simon and his team have been working things out behind the scenes for a while, but I was asked not too long ago if I would take this on and obviously it was a definite yes because I've worked at it for three and a half years, so why would I give up on it now?"ĪR: "It was an amicable decision between the two parties. How long have you known about the opportunity to take over The French?ĪR: "Obviously I knew earlier last month, but these things have to be planned so you can’t just go blurting things out. It was supposed to be shown in April, but the BBC rescheduled it to September and luckily, with what's happened, the timing has worked out perfectly." “I’m trying to keep up with what secret I’m supposed to be keeping,” he tells us, checking we’re talking about his restaurant takeover and not Great British Menu, the television series on which his winning dish was served as the dessert course at The Great Briton’s Banquet. But after his recent success on Great British Menu, we discover he is no stranger to keeping secrets… I want to bring in more of an urban industrial Manchester feel modern and interesting On the day the four AA Rosette restaurant relaunches as ‘Adam Reid at The French’, we get the inside story on Adam's upcoming plans. IT'S ALL change once again at The Midland French as Head Chef Adam Reid takes up the mantle as Simon Rogan leaves, three years into a five year contract, to concentrate on his other restaurants.
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