Skof chef and owner Tom Barnes has issued a statement following his first Michelin star win last night, saying it ‘means everything’.
In case you missed it, the Michelin Guide UK & Ireland ceremony for 2025 was hosted in Glasgow yesterday evening, and it was here that Manchester restaurant Skof and its chef and owner, Tom Barnes, scooped its first Michelin star in what was a monumental win for his team and the city’s culinary scene as a whole.
Manchester had only one Michelin star before last night’s ceremony, held by Mana in Ancoats – but prior to Mana, the city had famously not had a star for more than 40 years.
Skof only opened its doors to the public last May, and can be found inside an old textile warehouse just a short stroll from Manchester Victoria station.
Skof chef Tom Barnes has spoken out on his historic Michelin star win for Manchester / Credit: Cristian Barnett
Following the impressive victory last night, chef Tom Barnes took to Instagram to issue a statement shortly after the ceremony was over, sharing his gratitude to his team for helping Skof achieve such a prestigious honour.
His statement reads: “I opened Skof to share my own take on fine dining with Manchester and beyond, so to be recognised by the Michelin Guide for what we do, means everything.
“The idea of building something that people love and that celebrates this industry was the fire inside that pushed me to try again when something didn’t work, or to tweak a dish to see if an even better version could be achieved.
“This determination of mine wouldn’t have got me very far if it wasn’t shared by my team. Words will not be enough to show my thanks for their ambition, hard work and, above all, skill. Every single one of them is vital to the success of Skof and every accomplishment is theirs to claim.
“The encouragement from our guests and supporters has given us hope to keep going through a very long build and has made us smile countless times. You’ve brought so much joy into our restaurant and without you, it wouldn’t be the same. Thank you.
“To Carla and my family, you have been there for me at every step of this wild journey, this is your success too.
“And to my work family, Simon, Sam, and the support from the team at UMBEL restaurants and ASM Global, thank you for your trust and for helping me grow.”
Chef and owner Tom Barnes said a special thank you to his Skof team / Credit: Cristian Barnett.
After thanking his team, his loved ones, and his mentors within the industry, Barnes then closed out his statement by congratulating all of the other ‘amazing restaurants’ who gained and retained stars at the ceremony last night – particularly his colleagues from restaurants he’s trained at and worked in through his career.
“I hope the hangovers aren’t too bad this morning,” his statement comically concluded.
Elsewhere at the ceremony last night, Ormskirk restaurant Moor Hall became only the tenth establishment in the UK and Ireland to be awarded the hugely-coveted honour of having three Michelin stars, in what was another huge win for the North West.
Featured Image – Cristian Barnett
Eats
Award-winning chippy in Prestwich announces heartbreaking restaurant closure
Daisy Jackson
Chips @ No. 8, a chippy in Prestwich that’s lauded as one of the best in the UK, has announced the sad closure of its restaurant.
The award-winning takeaway made some big moves last year, expanding into the unit next door so that they could comfortable double their space downstairs and add a restaurant upstairs.
The restaurant was a brand-new concept for the much-loved Prestwich chippy, serving a seafood-focused menu that wasn’t necessarily all about the fryer.
But sadly, Chips @ No. 8 has announced that the restaurant element of its business, Loft @ No. 8, has closed for good.
They wrote that the economic climate and the huge amount of choice in Prestwich has left them struggling to fill seats in the chippy restaurant.
The good news is that the fish and chip shop itself remains open for business and thriving, and customers will be able to use the former restaurant space to eat their takeaway in.
The bar downstairs also remains open for business for a cheeky pint or glass of wine while you wait for your order.
The Loft @ No. 8 is closing. Credit: The Manc GroupCurry sauce on a Chips @ No 8 chippy tea. Credit: The Manc Group
In a statement, Chips @ No. 8 said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of Loft.
“With so many great places to eat in Prestwich, and the economic climate being what it is, we have struggled recently to fill enough seats to continue to make it a financially viable side to our business.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support whilst we were open, the team for their efforts, in particular, Craig, the creator of the delicious food that we had on offer up there.
“Chips @ No.8 remains open as normal and going forward, we are opening up the space upstairs for additional casual seating for the takeaway.
“The bar will remain open so you can still enjoy a pint or a glass of wine with your fish & chips, even if it is out of a box! We hope to see you soon!”
There’s a tiny Japanese restaurant inside a Manchester cafe serving matcha afternoon tea
Daisy Jackson
There’s a tiny little Japanese restaurant space in Manchester tucked inside a coffee shop – and they’ve just started serving matcha afternoon teas.
Niwa Yakitori is a brilliant addition to the city centre – by day, it’s sharing the space at North Star Piccadilly and operating as a matcha cafe.
And by night, it transforms the space into a cosy Japanese restaurant, complete with paper lanterns, bamboo plants, and neon signs.
While the word-of-mouth restaurant space is a real rising star thanks to its menu of freshly barbecued chicken and seafood, as well as delicious flights of sake, it’s the new matcha afternoon tea that we popped in for this time around.
Each table is presented with a tiered tower of treats infused with the popular Japanese green tea, and this is some world-class baking that’s going on at Niwa Yakitori.
Let’s break it down, tier by tier, to give you an idea of what you can get.
Up first is a Japanese egg mayo sandwich, made with fluffy shokupan bread and Kewpie mayo, then sprinkled in Furikake for a little bit of salt and texture.
The Japanese egg mayo sandoStrawberry sando with matcha creamThe half-and-half cookieMatcha basque cheesecakeScones with matcha cream and yuzu jamJapanese afternoon tea in Manchester
Also joining the sandwich line-up are strawberry sandos (yes, the ones that M&S had a go at this summer), made with a matcha cream and more of that pillow-soft shokupan.
Moving on up, and what afternoon tea would be complete without some scones? These ones come with a matcha cream and a yuzu and chilli jam. Divine.
Then the very top tier has a gang of miniature treats, including an adorable teddy bear-shaped matcha chocolate truffle; a matcha muffin; and a matcha-infused madeleine.
A real star is the chunky cookie, a clever half-half yin-yang of matcha and white chocolate, vs vanilla and dark chocolate.
Niwa Yakitori is a tiny Japanese restaurant in ManchesterJapanese afternoon tea in ManchesterMatcha and hojita at Niwa Yakitori
And they show off their baking prowess with a slice of matcha basque cheesecake, with three layers and a scoop of strawberry ice cream on top.
All washed down with ceremonial-grade matcha or hojicha lattes, which can be made table-side in a traditional tea ceremony.
The team at Niwa Yakitori are hoping this afternoon tea will fill crucial tables in their tiny space at a time where hospitality is being crippled with rising costs.
So please, for the love of all that is matcha, get this lovely Manchester Japanese spot on your list to visit.
Emily Sergeant -
11th February 2025 
