Mary-Ellen McTague to launch Manchester Art Gallery Café

Former Fat Duck chef, chef-proprietor of Aumbry in Prestwich and Great British Menu competitor Mary-Ellen McTague, will be opening a new concept at Manchester Art Gallery next month.

Opening on 16 June, the 100-cover Gallery Café will offer updated traditional British and classic café dishes, with a focus on Mancunian culinary heritage. Cakes, pastries, homemade sourdough, soups, sandwiches, salads and cheese boards will feature on the menu.

Food will be locally sourced where possible, a Victorian kitchen garden located at the front of the gallery will provide some produce, and everything will be made in-house, including the bread and cured meats.

The children's menu will be created in partnership with Real Junk Food Project Manchester, a not-for-profit company that sources food that would otherwise go to waste, to offer nutritious children's meals on a ‘pay as you feel' basis.

McTague said: "The café is in one of the most beautiful and iconic buildings in Manchester, right at the heart of the city. Our aim is to create something for all to enjoy; we want to see people coming into our café whether or not they are visiting the gallery, because they can count on the quality of the food and drink and a warm welcome. We'll be cooking classic dishes such as quiche and Welsh rarebit, griddle scones, Chelsea buns, lardy cake and crumpets, and reviving the Breville toastie."

Thom Hetherington, a trustee of the gallery, added: "The gallery has nourished the souls of Mancunians and tourists for generations, but it is important that it also fills their bellies. Mary-Ellen delivers clever, crowd-pleasing and ethical food which will match the ambitions of the gallery and undoubtedly attract a new audience to one of the city's most delightful dining spaces."

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