Celebrity Chef Angers Manchester Restaurant Owners
Jan 29th, 2009 by DavePF
Consumer advice agency Which? have released the Which? Good Food Guide 2009. The food guide gives independent reviews and comprehensive details of around 1,000 UK restaurants. The city of Manchester has a reputation as a hot bed of top food outlets in the UK but in 2009, Manchester restaurants have been snubbed by the Which? Good Food Guide. A pathetic 3 restaurants from the South Manchester area have managed to get into the guide and this has become a big issue in the North West of England.
Celebrity TV chef Simon Rimmer, star of BBC Saturday morning TV show Something for the Weekend and another show; Recipe for Success, has slammed restaurants in south Manchester. Simon Rimmer’s own restaurant Greens, is one of the few Manchester restaurants that have made it into the 2009 Good Food Guide. Rimmer has been quoted as saying “It has always been one of my biggest criticisms of the restaurant scene in south Manchester, that it has become so incredibly chain led. I think that the Which? Good Food Guide is a relatively accurate reflection of what is on offer across south Manchester.”
2 top restaurants in the south Manchester region have now lost their Michelin awards. Palmiro in Whalley Range and Didsbury restaurant Jem & I, have both dropped off of the Michelin Bib Gourmand award list for good food at moderate prices for 2009. Does this therefore mean that restaurants in Manchester have their days numbered. The country as a whole is now officially in a recession so people’s finances have decreased and competition has already started to get much tougher.
Simon Rimmer’s quote has angered and infuriated other south Manchester restaurant employees who have hit back by stating that Manchester has a wide and high quality dining scene. Many people feel that south Manchester has plenty of amazing places to eat and that more inclusions were deserved for Manchester in the food guide.
According to people living in the area and food critics there is a high demand for high quality food in the area and locals frequently visit Manchester and Liverpool restaurants. Admittedly there are many chain restaurants in both Manchester and Liverpool but there are also many non chain businesses in the North West that are thriving. These establishments shouldn’t be punished as they are keen to produce high quality food to keep people coming back for more and to generate positive opinions of their food. Rather than chains which employ people that don’t always care about the quality of the ingredients, service and cooking, just increased profits.
