Tom Barnes to open Skof restaurant in Manchester in 2024

Roux Scholar and former senior Simon Rogan group chef Tom Barnes is to open his first restaurant in Manchester next spring.

Skof will launch within the terracotta tiled Hanover building, which opened as a drapery warehouse in 1904, and serve dishes designed by the chef to remove some of the “seriousness” associated with tasting menu restaurants.

Barnes won the Roux Scholarship at the age of 25 in 2004 and has spent 12 years at Simon Rogan’s Umbel Restaurants, including as head chef at Rogan & Co when it received a Michelin star and executive chef at L’Enclume when it gained a third star.

Despite moving away from the Lake District, he will remain linked to the group. Skof will form part of the “next iteration” of Umbel restaurants which will see the group support talented individuals to open their own businesses.

Barnes will source produce from Our Farm, Rogan’s regenerative farm in the Cartmel Valley, and receive regular deliveries from the Lakes.

“I am so excited to be opening my first restaurant in Manchester,” said Barnes.

“It feels like the right place for me. The food scene is changing so frequently, and everyone I’ve met has been incredibly welcoming. Growing up in Barrow-in-Furness, I knew I wouldn’t want to be too far from my childhood home and my family, so it’s the perfect place.

“I am so grateful for Simon’s support, and I plan on utilising all the skills that he has taught me over the many years that we have worked together. I’m so happy with what we have achieved and look forward to this new chapter.”

Rogan said it was “so special” to help one of his long-time chefs to realise their dream of opening a restaurant.

Rogan added: “I’m so proud of Tom and everything he has accomplished. We’ve been working towards this moment for a while now, and I can’t wait for him to be able to show the world what he can do. He is a seriously talented chef, so I know Skof is going to be amazing!”

In 2020, Barnes was invited to compete in the 15th series of the BBC's Great British Menu, where he won the main course at the final banquet.