Award-winning traders set to join Exhibition MCR

Exhibition, the new upcoming home of eclectic independent food, innovative drinks and boundary-pushing entertainment, has today revealed the award-winning kitchens that are set to join the space when it opens this November.

Prestwich favourite and Michelin Guide named Osma will bring a new relaxed edge to its famous Scandinavian concept, while also joining is Caroline Martins of the Sao Paulo Project with a brand new version of her Brazilian-British fusion cuisine. You’ll also find Ramsbottom’s Basque fire cookery restaurant, Baratxuri joining the line-up at the new venue in Manchester city centre.

With three award-winning independent kitchens ready to call the iconic St George’s House building off Peter Street home, Exhibition promises an exquisite dining experience, with global inspiration and local heart, all alongside incredible entertainment, two bars and dedicated exhibition spaces for local artists.

Caroline Martins, Great British Menu chef and Manchester’s Chef of the Year nominee, will be launching the Sao Paulo Bistro, a more relaxed spin on her popular fine-dining residency in Ancoats. Still focused on Brazilian-British fusion cuisine, local suppliers will be at the heart of the new menu. Supporting Mancunian small producers and traders, chef Caroline will work closely with Platt Fields Market Garden, Dormouse Chocolates, Northern Cure, The Flat Baker and much more. Menu highlights include hand-dived scallops with creamy cassava sauce, Sao Paulo steak sandwich made with Lancashire ribeye and Garstang blue sauce, and a showstopper chocolate dessert using liquid nitrogen.

The team behind Osma, the Prestwich-based restaurant named in the Michelin Guide within its first year of opening, will be bringing its ethos of Scandinavian taste experiences with a relaxed edge, and all dishes on the menu will be crafted using local ingredients. During the day, Osma will serve open sandwiches with fillings such as cured Scottish salmon, golden beetroots, spinach and mustard, or rump of beef with onion jam, rocket and parmesan, all alongside fresh salads and hearty soups. In the evening, there will be a brand new selection of tempting small plates such as Avruga caviar pots with toasted brioche, a sashimi plate served with caper and shallot sauce, whole lobster with herb butter or a dish of roasted and pickled beetroots with raspberry and rose.

Specialist fire cookery restaurant, Baratxuri is the third to join the lineup, already a well-loved favourite in Ramsbottom. Baratxuri will be introducing its classic Basque dishes of big cuts of meat and whole fish to the Manchester city centre space with Asado (bigger dishes for sharing) such as its famed Capricho Oro’ Txuleton – a 1kg bone-in rib steak, and Raciones (smaller plates), featuring dishes such as Boquerones, Jamon Iberico de Bellota. The team will also boast an extensive range of Pintxos served daily at lunchtime.

In keeping with the concept, curation has been at the forefront of the drinks menu creation for both bars in the 400-capacity venue, spearheaded by award-winning Gethin Jones, the new General Manager. Gethin is a stalwart in the Manchester hospitality scene, having previously worked as a drinks consultant, and previously managed the likes of Ducie Street Warehouse, Cottonopolis and Edinburgh Castle Pub.

The innovative new drinks program has been designed to elevate the experience, and where seasonality will dictate changes to the food, music and art, this will be echoed at the venue’s cocktail bar which will promote a new spirit each season. The first iteration for autumn will focus on brandy, a spirit category defined as being distilled from fermented fruit, with beautiful drinks created with everything from Cognac and Calvados, to Pisco and Eaux De Vie.

The main bar will be the first in the city to offer Manchester Union straight from the in-venue tanks, alongside a dedicated rotational line for Manchester breweries such as Sureshot, Cloudwater and Pomona. In addition, Exhibition’s wine list will complement the wonderful food partners, with the majority of products minimal intervention, approachable styles, with a high quality Verdejo on draught.

After dark, Exhibition will transform into a late night bar with DJs, live singers and instrumentalists taking centre stage. Expect an eclectic mix of genres and a curated roster of both local and international DJs, every Wednesday-Sunday.

Exhibition, which is from the family behind Peter Street’s Haunt, is set to open this autumn and will also play host to nightly DJs and entertainers, showcasing the very best of Manchester’s renowned creative scene. Seven dedicated areas will see a new local artist exhibiting their work every season.