Northern chef and Roux Scholar Tom Barnes has confirmed he is set to open his first restaurant in Manchester. Skof, a 36-cover restaurant, is set to launch in Spring 2024.
The restaurant will be located in the NOMA district of Manchester city centre and will be situated within the Hanover building, built by the Co-operative Wholesale Society as a drapery warehouse in 1904. Tom says the restaurant will be underpinned by a vision to create an 'unpretentious yet ambitious' dining experience in the North.
Tom, who has spent the last 12 years with renowned chef Simon Rogan's UMBEL Restaurants, notably, as head chef at Rogan & Co when it received a Michelin star, and executive chef at L’Enclume when it gained its coveted third star, Tom will be moving away from The Lake District, but will remain closely linked to the group, as his new venture will form part of the next iteration of UMBEL Restaurants.
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Speaking about his first solo project in Manchester, Tom said; “I am so excited to be opening my first restaurant in Manchester. 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.”
Designed by London-based studio Blacksheep, the interiors of Skof will reference both Tom’s upbringing in the Lakes versus his new home in Manchester whilst also reflecting the building’s character versus the city's industrial history. The restaurant will be bathed in natural light, which combines carefully restored original features with a refined, modern edge.
A key element of the restaurant is Tom's desire to remove some of the seriousness associated with tasting menu restaurants by bringing an element of 'surprise and joy' to his guests. Dishes will be seasonal and feature local ingredients, and as part of this new venture, the chef will continue to work closely with the team of growers at Our Farm, Simon Rogan's regenerative farm in the Cartmel Valley.
Simon Rogan, chef/owner of UMBEL Restaurants, added: “It’s moments like these that make me so happy, and it’s so special to be able to help a chef who has worked with me for so long go on to realise his dreams. 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!”
Cumbrian born chef Tom Barnes has worked in multi Michelin starred kitchens for the majority of his career. He joined Simon Rogan's team at L'Enclume in 2011 and quickly climbed the ranks from chef de partie to head chef in 2013 - the year in which the restaurant won its second Michelin star.
Awarded the Roux Scholarship in 2014 at the age of 25, Tom went to Hof Van Cleve in Kruishoutem in Belgium as his prize stage, followed by a stint at three-Michelin starred Restaurant Geranium in Copenhagen. He returned in early 2018 as head chef at Simon Rogan's neighbourhood Cartmel restaurant Rogan & Co, which was awarded its first Michelin star less than six months later.
In 2020, he was invited to compete in the 15th series of BBC2's Great British Menu, where he won the main course at the final banquet.
