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
Beloved Manc butty shop Bada Bing set for a sensational return to the city centre
Danny Jones
Sandwich lovers rejoice because one of the finest butty shops to ever grace Manchester is returning: that’s right, Bada Bing is bada-back!
The Sopranos-inspired deli and sandwich shop that took its name from one of the central locations featured in the iconic US drama (yes, the strip club), was a huge success when it first opened in Manchester a few short years ago, so it was a huge blow when it closed in February 2022.
Starting out by serving sandwiches out of a window at The B Lounge pub on Paton Street near Piccadilly, before moving to a small kitchen on Radium Street and eventually setting up their stall inside Ancoats General Store, they would regularly have lines around the block every lunchtime.
These Italian-American sarnies were so popular you’d often struggle to get your claws on one – and believe us, they really are a two-handed task – as they’d sell out on what felt like most days. But now, whether you were a regular or someone who missed out, there is hope once again:
Announcing their sensational return to a new site over in the Northern Quarter, which will now mark the fourth premises they’ve popped up at, Bada Bing is back with a bang and, as you can, they dropped the news with one of the best reveal videos we’ve ever seen.
If you know, you know…
Set to take over 125 Oldham Street, owners Sam Gormally and Meg Lingenfelter haven’t yet graced us with an opening date but the new unit should hopefully be open sooner rather than later.
The duo, who previously worked at fellow NQ favourite Another Heart to Feed, came up with the concept during lockdown and it didn’t take long for the idea to take off, nor for them to earn their spot amongst the very best sandwich places in Manchester.
Seriously, these things were so big and unwieldy (in the best way possible) that they even used to come with eating instructions: both hands and the trademark Tony Soprano hunch recommended, though the slightly stained wife-beater, boxer shorts and open dressing gown look is optional.
From slices of provolone cheese, all the thinly sliced Italian meats you could think of and the closest thing to actual ‘gabagool‘ as you’ll find in Greater Manchester, the menu was fitting of being served up to the iconic characters that once sat outside Satriale’s and a big approving grin from the man himself.
Simply put, we cannot wait and we will certainly keep you posted when we find out exactly when Bada Bing confirms their official reopening date.
Burger King is giving away free burgers to new drivers today
Emily Sergeant
Burger King will be giving away burgers to drivers who have recently passed their tests for free of charge today.
In case it wasn’t on your radar, tomorrow (Thursday 24 July) is actually National Drive-Thru Day, and in a bid to properly celebrate this unofficial holiday, Burger King has decided to hand out a bunch of freebies to newbies today.
The fast food chain is asking all new drivers to “buckle up”, head on down to their nearest Burger King drive-thru, and help themselves to a free burger.
All newly-qualified drivers will be able to take their pick from either the Whopper or Chicken Royale without parting ways with a penny, and all they’ll need to do the claim their freebie is simply show off their learner’s ‘L Plates’ to the staff at their local Burger King restaurant.
/ Credit: Burger King UK (via Instagram) | Supplied
Hundreds of Burger King drive-thrus across the UK are taking part in the one-day promotion – including several across in Greater Manchester.
Although it might seem a little too good to be true, there’s a reason Burger King has chosen to dish out the freebies, and that’s because the company says it knows that one of the first activities newly-qualified drivers like do once they’ve passed their test is make a pit stop at a drive-thru with their mates to show off their new wheels and skills.
Sometimes though, navigating a drive-thru for the first time can be tricky, and this leaves new drivers feeling a bit like a rabbit in the headlights.
Luckily with this one-day Burger King offer, new drivers’ first drive-thru trip couldn’t be any easier.
The offer is available nationwide today (Wednesday 24 July) at Burger King drive-thru lanes only, while stock lasts, and newly qualified drivers must verbally mention “BK Plates” at the drive-thru lane to unlock their free burger.