A Cumbrian chef who trained under Simon Rogan is getting ready to open his first restaurant.
Tom Barnes, from Barrow, who is also a Roux Scholar, is opening Skof, which aims to be an unpretentious yet ambitious dining experience in Manchester, in spring 2024.
Having been rumoured for some time, Skof will open as a 36-cover restaurant in the NOMA neighbourhood in Manchester city centre.
Known as one of the most skilful young chefs in the country, Tom was the winner of the Great British Menu in 2020 and has worked in some of the best restaurants in the world.
In his new venture, he is aiming to remove some of the seriousness associated with tasting menu restaurants.
Tom said: “I am so excited to be opening my first restaurant in Manchester. It feels like the right place for me. The food scene is changing so frequently, and everyone I’ve met has been incredibly welcoming.
“Growing up in Barrow, I knew I wouldn’t want to be too far from my childhood home and my family, so it’s the perfect place.
“I am so grateful for Simon’s support, and I plan on utilising all the skills that he has taught me over the many years that we have worked together. I’m so happy with what we have achieved and look forward to this new chapter.”
After 12 years with Simon Rogan at UMBEL Restaurants, working as head chef at Rogan & Co when it received a Michelin star, and executive chef at L’Enclume when it gained its coveted third star, Tom will be moving away from the Lakes yet will remain closely linked to the group.
Skof will be owned and operated by Tom, but will form part of the next iteration of UMBEL Restaurants, where the group aim to support talented individuals in opening their own restaurants and businesses.
Tom will also continue to work closely with the team of growers at Our Farm, Simon’s regenerative farm in the Cartmel Valley and he will receive regular deliveries from The Lakes.
Simon Rogan, renowned chef and owner of UMBEL Restaurants, said: “It’s moments like these that make me so happy, and it’s so special to be able to help a chef who has worked with me for so long go on to realise his dreams.
“I’m so proud of Tom and everything he has accomplished. We’ve been working towards this moment for a while now, and I can’t wait for him to be able to show the world what he can do. He is a seriously talented chef, so I know Skof is going to be amazing!”
Skof will be based within the terracotta tiled Hanover building, built by the Co-operative Wholesale Society as a drapery warehouse in 1904.
Designed by London-based studio Blacksheep, the interiors will reference the dualities of Tom’s upbringing versus his new home in Manchester and the building’s character versus the city’s industrial history.
