Northwest Food News – February 2014

For a lot of us, January went by with a subtext of abstinence, penitence and general absence from society. Now, like some slogan for a divorcee dating site, we’re telling you: you’ve got to get back out there! Don’t worry, we’re not advocating speed-dating (yet), just some new openings to enjoy and a couple of those festival thingies.  

FEAST YOUR SENSES
We’ll start with a modernist culinary adventure in Liverpool. If the words Synaesthesia Feast: Project Zero conjure up images of food and art exhibitions, then well done, you’re pretty much on the right track. Synaesthesia is often described as a 'union of senses', so, fittingly, the organisers of this feast – held at Camp and Furnace, Liverpool’s premiere food-event space – have supplemented a five-course meal with music from the likes of Singing Bowl Orchestra’s Alex Rami Smith and visuals from artists Jess Doyle and John Late. The menu, created by Gina Tsang, is wholly vegetarian and courses have evocative titles like more than the sum and habitat. If you actually ‘suffer’ from synaesthesia, we’re guessing the experience will either be intensely pleasurable or akin to an acid trip gone wrong. Camp and Furnace, Liverpool, 5 Feb, 7pm, £30 (plus £1.40 booking fee) from Eventbrite, synaesthesiafeast.tumblr.com 

DRINK SOME BEER
It often feels like North Manchester gets somewhat neglected when it comes to surveying the culinary landscape (something this neighbourhood reporter and many of his ilk are guilty of). While the city centre and yuppie/boho southern suburbs garner praise and – sometimes – acclaim, places north of Ancoats rarely get a mention. With the notable exception of Aumbry, Prestwich suffers this fate. But, at the end of the month, Prestwich Beer Festival is hoping to attract some new blood to the area. It would be superfluous of us to point out how such festivals work (drink beer, have a good time), however there are a couple of pointers to be made: a VIP event at the aforementioned Aumbry will feature a tapas-style menu matched with TicketyBrew beers, an after-dinner talk by Simon Rimmer, and comedy from Justin Moorhouse. Elsewhere, there’s music from Manc band The Marivaux and a set from Mike Joyce, former drummer with The Smiths. 27 Feb–1 Mar, £3-£12 (£30 for the VIP event), prestwichbeerfestival.co.uk   

While we’re on the topic, February also sees the Liverpool & Districts CAMRA Beer Festival come to town. It really would be above and beyond to give all the details about this one, save to say it’s happening, there’ll be 200-plus beers, and a healthy supply of anoraks no doubt. Tickets were sold out at the time of going to press, but there is potential for space to become avaliable, so keep an eye on it. 20-22 Feb, £7.50 (plus £0.84 booking fee) from Eventbrite, liverpoolcamra.org.uk/lbf

BAKE LIKE MAD
If the mere mention of The Great British Bake Off precipitates anecdotes about multi-tiered supercakes or nightmares about a marauding Paul Hollywood quiff, then you know you’ve got it bad. You’re also probably a little bit in love with the affable John Whaite, the law grad turned 2012 Bake Off winner. Well, Wigan Food and Drink Festival caps off the month, and if you head along, he’ll be making an appearance in his home town for a very special afternoon tea. So that’s the main draw out of the way, but what else is there? There are baking classes, bread-making classes, how-to-cook-the-perfect-steak classes, events like The Godfather Banquet Part III and The Pudding Club, and the local leg of the Chilli Cook Off. 27 Feb–9 Mar, £2–£49.95 depending on event, wlct.org/wigan/whats-on/food

GET THE BARBIE OUT 
Red’s True Barbecue (or should we say their PR guys) win this month’s prize for the most unintentionally insulting press release, the opening gambit of which included the immortal lines: 'in February 2014, Manchester will be saved from bad barbecue'. First of all, there aren’t really that many BBQ joints in the city; and the traders who do create something very close to the genuine article – think Fire & Salt BBQ – do a damned good job. They’re also bringing 'culinary salvation to the Northwest': barbecue will save your souls, heathens! If you look on their website, the religious overtones continue, so we’re thinking this is all simply branding – be that as it may, the Leeds-based restaurant are opening their new eaterie on Albert Square, aka by the town hall, and the thought of gorging on their food is keeping this Food editor going (at the time of writing, it’s mid-January and I’m currently fixated on an image of a brisket-filled hoagie). We’re talking: a Pit Burger with pulled pork and brisket, 24 hour dry-rubbed baby-back ribs smoked over hickory and fruit woods, beef shortribs, Texas smoked sausage... unashamedly meaty. Their site makes some bold claims; the proof will be in the eating. Opens end of February, 22 Lloyd Street, Albert Square (formerly Livebait), truebarbecue.com 

MAKE FRIENDS AND EAT WITH PEOPLE
Next, we’ll counter the established with the not-so-established: The Baltic Social opened in Liverpool at the tail-end of last year and we’ll wager it’s not yet etched itself into our collective consciousness. It’s the sibling of the popular Onion Deli, meaning their pedigree is up to scratch, and it’s located on the ground floor of the creative hub that is Elevator Studios, meaning its hip credentials are sorted. Think old cinema seats, mismatched and colourful reclaimed furniture, and unpretentious food (judging by their Twitter photos at least), and you’ll get a good idea of the vibe. 25–29 Parliament Street, L8 5RN

PAY YOUR RESPECTS
Finally, like the cheesy translation of Andrea Bocelli's Con te Partiro, it's Time to Say Goodbye. The lack of Food News in January meant that we omitted to bid farewell to two much-loved Mancunian institutions. The Lass O’Gowrie’s closure (as we knew it) shows just how much fortunes can change in a year; and is an unfortunate side effect of the BBC’s departure to MediaCity. Voted Best Pub in Britain in 2012, the Lass was deemed to be underperforming by owners Greene King, and landlord Gareth Kavanagh stepped down. The Mark Addy (again, as we knew it) also bowed out amid mounting repair costs. Despite the inconveniently placed men's bogs and mouldering interior, on a good day the Addy could claim to do the best British grub in the city. Their former Executive Head Chef Robert Owen-Brown is reportedly moving on to focus on events catering – last year he was hiring out his creative cooking to events as diverse as Salford’s Biospheric Project and the odd wedding, flogging some kebabs that were prett-ay, prett-ay, prett-ay good. Both establishments will return, but we'll have to wait and see in what shape.