One of the north’s best restaurants has had to raise its prices to a whopping £250 per person as the cost of living crisis continues to push costs higher.
L’Enclume, which is the only restaurant in the north to have three Michelin stars, said that ‘every single thing’ they pay for has become more expensive in recent months.
In an interview with The Times, L’Enclume said it’s facing some ‘astronomical’ overheads.
The Lake District restaurant is now having to up its prices to try and cover those costs and prevent it from operating at a loss.
Credit: L’Enclume
The tasting menu is rising almost 30%, from £195 per person to £250 – and that doesn’t include wine, which costs between £90 and £275 for a paired flight.
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The restaurant has also scrapped its £100 lunch option, leaving just the £250 tasting menu at all times of day.
Headed up by Simon Rogan, the acclaimed chef who previously ran The French in Manchester’s Midland Hotel, L’Enclume is widely considered to be one of the best restaurants in the world.
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It’s now on its way to being one of the most expensive in the UK, too.
Simon Rogan at work. Credit: L’Enclume
Sam Ward, managing director for Rogan’s restaurants, told The Times: “The rapid change that’s happened over the past three months means that restaurants either don’t respond and take the losses or they raise their prices. Every single thing that we spend money on has gone up in price.
“Labour is a big one. We are committed to pay people to give them a decent standard of living. We will not have the price of our menus subsidised by our team making any sort of sacrifice.”
In a message to customers on Tripadvisor, L’Enclume added: “The decision to increase our tasting menu from £195 to £250 and to remove our £100 lunch menu from 1st June has not been taken lightly.
“A myriad of different reasons has meant that we cannot continue to operate at the same level with the existing price and menu structure. With the new pricing, we are confident that we will be able to support our team and our suppliers and therefore, the future of our restaurant and the community we are so proud to be part of, will be more stable.
“The overall cost of running a business has increased across the board to include rising food costs – with some ingredients almost doubling – soaring energy prices, and a considerable increase in labour costs.”
Featured image: L’Enclume
Food & Drink
The UK’s largest wine festival is returning to Manchester this autumn
Lydia Mastrolonardo
The UK’s biggest festival of wine will be coming back to Manchester this year, with more than 300 wines on offer plus plenty more.
The Laithwaites’ Wine Festival is returning up north, following the major success of last year.
As well as having hundreds of wines to showcase, the festival will also offer a chance to discover a selection of luxury spirits, plus join expert-led tastings, and visit artisan food stands, all under one roof.
As the UK’s longest-running wine tasting event, with 40 producers from 17 different countries, and artisan food all accompanied with carefully paired wines at each stall, it’s safe to say they know what they’re doing.
Struggling to think of a birthday present or ideas for how to celebrate with loved ones? Look no further – each ticket includes a tasting guide to help plan your route around the room and a complimentary tasting glass to sample over 300 different wines – trust me, they will love it.
As part of the Friday evening entertainment, guests can also expect a special appearance from wine presenter and communicator Tom Gilbey. Here, fans will be able to talk with Tom and sample the Signature Six case, which is a collection of wines approved by the man himself.
What’s more, is that this year, guests are invited to get creative at their brand new ‘design a wine label’ competition. You never know, maybe a few top-quality glasses of wine is the sweet spot for your drawing abilities to show themselves.
It is also possible to upgrade each ticket to gain access to expert-led masterclasses, with tutored tastings of sparkling wine, sherry and food, or cheese with wine. Fine Wine ticket holders will also be granted access to the Fine Wine Room and its rarer bottles.
Whether you spend ages aimlessly deliberating in a supermarket aisle, pick the cheapest bottle and call it a day, or you can smell the bottle and tell me the exact province it is from – this event welcomes all wine-drinkers, no matter the level of expertise.
The festival will be hosted at Manchester Central, starting with an evening session (6pm to 9pm) on Friday 20 November, as well as a lunchtime (12pm-3pm) and evening session (5pm to 8pm), on Saturday 21 November 2026.
Tickets are on sale now, starting at £40 per session. Click HERE to grab yours now.
Award-winning Manchester cocktail bar Red Light announces surprise return in new location
Daisy Jackson
Red Light, an award-winning cocktail bar that closed its doors earlier this year, has announced it’s making a grand return.
The celebrated watering hole had been at Kampus in the city centre for three years before it closed for good in August.
But now, in news that will thrill a lot of us in Manchester, the bar has announced it’s returning, with plenty of new ’surprises’ to come.
Announcing Red Light 2.0 this evening, they revealed a brand-new location, with all the cocktails we all loved before, plus a new bar snack offering.
Also new with its reopening will be a dedicated clubbing space (operating in a residential area was one of the reasons Red Light closed at Kampus) and the return of its legendary street parties.
They said: “Your love and support has meant the absolute world to us since we closed the doors to our Kampus venue.
“It’s been a tricky secret to keep but we’re thrilled to share that we’re back and in a brand new location!
“This one feels special, it’s not often you get a second chance at things in the current climate.”
They added: “We can’t wait to welcome you with open arms. Red Light NQ. LETS GO BABY!”
Although they’ve not announced the location, they have teased some pictures – and unless we’re very much mistaken, they’ll be moving into Tariff Street, in the old El Capo site.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd June 2022 
