Aiden Byrne to take over the historic Black Friar pub in Salford

Chef Aiden Byrne, who announced the closure of Restaurant MCR in Manchester’s Spinningfields earlier this month, is to take over the running of the Black Friar pub in Salford.

Located at the entrance way to a new residential scheme called Local Blackfriars, the Black Friar is to undergo a £2m transformation according to the Manchester Evening News. The Grade II-listed pub dates from 1886 and has been closed for some time.

Byrne will work with Simon Ismail, founder and director of Manchester property developer Salboy, and Lee McCarren of construction business Domis to oversee the renovation of the pub with the creation of traditional features. He is expected to offer a different dining experience on each of the building’s three floors.

Local Blackfriars features two apartment towers comprising a total of 380 residencies.

Byrne closed Restaurant MCR, formerly Manchester House, as the result of the difficulties of operating under a two-month rolling lease which made it challenging to invest in the site.

The chef had left Manchester House in 2017 to join D&D London’s 20 Stories, also in Manchester, after five years of overseeing the then Living Ventures-owned restaurant. Following Manchester House being placed into administration in 2018, Byrne announced a return to the site with private investors funding the relaunch.

The chef also operates the Church Green in Lymm, Cheshire.