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Skof Preview

It’s rare that Manchester is graced with a truly high-profile new restaurant.  A couple of years ago we heard whispers of a pending Simon Rogan restaurant opening in the city, which ticked that rarity box.  The word was that it was going to be a branch of his Aulis concept; a super intimate Chef’s table type setup for up to 10 people.  Other Manchester food media folk tried to pick our brains when this was posted on one of our team’s personal social media, but we didn’t spill a further word. 

Fast forward a while, and the scoop was a touch uncalibrated yet still in the right lane.  Instead, Rogan’s Umbel Group was to facilitate and fund a restaurant which would be led by one of his most trusted Chefs; Tom Barnes, and the name of that venue would be Skof.

Now sadly, when the press launch happened in late May we were away on hols and hence couldn’t attend.  So it was super-appreciated to be invited in during a proper service once the doors had opened.  You often don’t get a truly accurate picture of things at press launches, as they are primarily about providing the kitchen with some practice runs ahead of paying customers arriving, along with creating a wave of social media content to boost anticipation.

Accessible, informal, casual; that’s the vibe here.  Even the playful name of the restaurant suggests as much.  Lots of effort, perhaps an iota too much, went into the pre-launch showcasing to let Manchester know that you don’t need to wear a 3-piece suit to be allowed in or to feel in keeping with the other clientele.  The media run up told us that it’s the kind of place that you can pop into for just a few beers, or the full-on high end tasting menu.  Of course in truth, the latter is the only reason why you’d really want to visit anyway.  Which leads me nicely onto what happened during our visit…

On arrival it’s a smart, tidy, modernly kitted out space, with nods to its former industrial usage which is obviously in keeping with Manchester’s broader history.  I wasn’t sure about the location when it was first released, but if you have a good nosey around the NoMa district, as I’ve admittedly not for a while, you’ll see that the area is blooming so my concerns were swiftly allayed.  It’s a good-looking place, undeniably, with its open kitchen being the rightful focus.

There’s 2 tasting menus to choose from; a shorter one priced at £125, along with a full length version for £165.  Plus there’s a lunch menu for £50 which feels like balanced value.  We were treated to the full length menu, and opted for both the regular and also spenny wine flights rather than getting two of the same, to try more wines, which is a trick that for us gives you a better experience, as well as costing less at the same time.

So onto the food.  Now I’m not going to take up too much of your time with a huge blurb on the whole menu, as 15 courses might be a bit too much to shoehorn in and we want you to discover these delights for yourselves, but our highlights were;

Snacks have always been a cornerstone of the Umbel Group’s culinary journey, and they are typically the best snacks in the country and Skof’s did not disappoint. If forced to choose only two then it would have to be the splendid croustade of Dexter beef.  Rich and meaty, with a perfect snap from the casing, finished with accurate acid balance.  The BBQ Lobster, wrapped in aged pork fat, soaked in its own emulsion, presented on a tranche of grilled sourdough was a hearty mouthful.

As to be expected the Orkney Scallop started the savoury section with perfect cooking and finesse but it was the Set Miso Custard with hen of the woods, truffle, and mushroom dashi that really caught our attention.  It was an explosion of umami and a showcase of all things fungi.  The aromas were huge, with the unmistakable scent of truffle screaming from the bowl.  It was a reminder of why the mushroom, in its many guises, is one of my very favourite foodstuffs.

Steamed West Coast Cod took us right back to our last visit to L’Enclume, a comparison which is sadly unavoidable to be fair.  Only this variant sported a sauce that was laced with smoked eel, elevating it even further from our memories.   A stunning dish and the menu is clearly ramping up in pace ahead of the main course.

Roasted Sladesdown Duck featured as said main. This was perfectly cooked protein of wonderful provenance, with that punchy sauce being served at tableside by Chef Tom himself.  This course also came paired with a fabulous stuffed mini loaf which was the best bread course that we’ve eaten on any continent, all year.  Fluffy, pillowy, light, served warm, then glazed with honey.  A ‘Manchester Bao’, was our takeaway memory of this.  Fabulous.

As any tasting menu aficionado is aware; you order coffee largely for the petit fours, but at Skof this isn’t the case.  Coffee or not you’re going to end the meal with Barney’s Tiramisu. I’ll let Tom explain the lovely backstory for this untraditional petit fours, but this is a Tiramisu to more than rival Mancheter’s infamous Tiramisu drawer!

Cooking standards across the board, even at this early stage, were impeccable, and the guys have hit the ground running for sure.  Yes, there was a touch of early life service-nerves, but that’s to be expected from a brand new team after only a handful of services.    It’s a given that this will pass, probably by the time that you read this article in fairness. 

Now as touched on at the start of this piece; we don’t get too many genuinely top shelf offerings popping up in Manchester.  And as a city, our food media often gets ahead of themselves with the praise of places which are doing a good job.  The good is often labelled as great, and the very good as world class.  But Skof is different from the usual OTT blurb and very much sits on that top shelf with 2 or perhaps 3 other venues in Gtr Manchester, and seems destined for wider national recognition.

It’s driven and owned by one of the top lieutenants of arguably the best Chef in the UK, whose Umbel Group facilitated Skof’s inception and holds a score of stars in the UK and also abroad.  Simon Rogan being that man.  His unattended influence at Skof is still clear to see by those with the trained eye, albeit publicly masked to a large degree with the focus rightfully being on Chef Barnes himself.

So, the usual prediction whispers of Michelin Stars will undoubtedly start in a few months, ahead of the award ceremony in early 2025.  Usually the speculations are unfounded and shortsighted, but you can be pretty certain that Skof will be on Michelin’s radar already, via a combo of that Rogan link, the 100% independent location, and the genuine quality of the whole package even at this fledgling stage.  It’s going to be pretty tough for them to ignore Skof at their awards in 8 months’ time to be honest.