An acclaimed chef has launched his first self-funded restaurant project near Manchester - and guests at the small, exclusive venue won't know what's on the menu until they turn up. "You don't need a huge million pound kitchen to run a good restaurant," said Steven Halligan, chef patron at Restaurant Metamorphica in Haslingden, Rossendale.
He will serve up some grub to just four guests at a time, cooking for them on the chef's table in front of the open kitchen. But there's a twist - the menu depends on what ingredients are available that day, and guests won't discover exactly what's on it, until they arrive.
Self-sufficient and savvy Steven has fitted out the restaurant, which can only hold a maximum of 15 people, almost entirely himself, including the artwork, carpentry and joinery. "People in the food industry are more likely to pour cold water on your ambitions and idea than encourage you and will tell you that you'll never achieve it," the 28-year-old told LancsLive.
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He went on: "But I have done it and we couldn't afford to even open if I hadn't been self-sufficient. It has always been my dream to open my own restaurant.
"The guests really seem to love it, they can ask me questions, wander around and see what's going on - it's a much more personal experience and completely transparent."
Steven, who has previously worked at Mr Cooper's House in Manchester under Simon Rogan and with other top chefs including Phil Howard, says not having a strict set menu allows for more "freedom and flexibility" to source readily available ingredients, which are seasonal and fresh. As opposed to being restricted to ones more difficult and expensive to order in.
The 11-course taster menu will features a range of dishes, including more unusual ingredients diners may not regularly come across, such as Steven's favourite to cook with, Hogget. He also bakes his own bread and everything is "made from scratch."
"I like being able to edit the menu and there's lots of chance to experiment with dishes and ingredients" Steven, who was a semi-finalist in the prestigious National Chef Of the Year competition 2021.
"It has this perception of being harder, but it is actually easier and it really relieves the pressure of having to source certain food. I was always encouraged to experiment at catering college and one of my most inspiration cookbooks is Daniel Humm's Eleven Madison Park."
The chef runs the restaurant with the support of his dad, who also helps serve drinks and in kitchen, landed upon the vacant space in Haslingden by chance and has settled in well, gaining supporting from neighbouring traders and support from the town's residents, who are intrigued by Steven's unusual culinary vision.
"There's only a little food scene out here and Haslingden has a couple of restaurants, but we are offering something different," Steven added, "So it's nice to not have that pressure or expectation and to do out own thing. People are generally quite surprised when they come in and how nicely it is fitted out."
Eventually, Steven also hopes to hire staff from the local catering college, so they can learn from his expertise and also gain valuable work experience. Mindful of any potential backlash regarding the prices, Steven says: "You can easily pay £150 upwards for that type of fine dining menu elsewhere, but you won't get this kind of experience."
Guests can also opt to be taken on a 'drinks journey' during their meal, with wine, Perry and vintage British cider paired with each course. The 11-course taster menu is £63 per head during the soft launch period, which ends on June 20. After that it will rise to £78 when the restaurant is fully open. each dining experience should take around three hours and a deposit is required upon booking.
