07-02-2025
Top chef from highly-praised gastropub announces new Manchester restaurant
A top chef who had a key role in one of the city's most-praised venues right now has unveiled details of his next venture in the form of a new Manchester restaurant.
Chef Shaun Moffat, who was the Executive Chef of Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats for two years, will take the lead as Chef Patron of the new Winsome Restaurant when it opens later this spring.
Housed within the Whitworth Locke Hotel's vast Atrium bar on Princess Street, it will be the first restaurant in the space since South American restaurant Peru Perdu closed its doors last June.
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The new restaurant will feature a focus on 'Northern hospitality' and will serve 'thoughtful British cooking' with seasonal and local produce. Its regularly-changing menu will showcase 'the very best ingredients with a comforting familiarity'.
Named Manchester Chef of the Year in 2023, Moffat has previously worked at the likes of Manteca, Hix and St. Leonards and was also most recently Head Chef at Canal Street restaurant MAYA.
He spent two years at the Edinburgh Castle pub, which received a mention in the Top 50 Gastro Pubs list and acclaim from critics including Jay Rayner during his time there. He left the role in October last year.
Speaking about Winsome Restaurant, Moffat said: 'Opening the doors will be a big moment in my career, I am truly excited to share Winsome with the people of Manchester.'
Dishes at Winsome will be paired with a carefully-curated selection of old world wines, with a drinks programme led by Tom Fastiggi, previously of SCHOFIELDS bar. The menu will include a selection of familiar drinks and 'hotel classics', alongside a big no and low selection and some of Fastiggi's own creations.
'The Atrium space truly gives a unique feel to this bar,' Fastiggi, who was named as a top ten finalist in the Diageo World Class competition for bartenders in 2023, said. 'The drinks will be familiar and a warm welcome will await all guests. It's a great new addition to Manchester's hospitality scene.'
Also joining the team will be Owain Williams, who is the founder of the renowned Belzan in Liverpool, Madre and Manchester's Medlock Canteen amongst other notable hospitality venues across the North West.
Winsome will open in the spring.
