Tast
A taste of Catalonia has arrived in Manchester following the opening of Tast Cuina Catalana. An authentic celebration of Catalan food and wine, Tast Cuina Catalana roughly translates as ‘Taste from the Catalan Kitchen.’
The opening of Tast coincides with a growing link between Manchester and Catalonia, with investment from Pep Guardiola, Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano. Acting in a personal capacity the investors have teamed up with the independent Fazenda group, whose directors’ passion for South American cuisine has made their award-winning ‘rodizio’ grilled meat restaurants in Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and recently-opened Edinburgh, a great popular success.
Tast’s Executive Chef Paco is the renowned international patron-chef of two Michelin 2* restaurants – Miramar, in Llançà, (Girona) and Enoteca at the Arts Hotel in Barcelona, a city where he has six restaurants in all. He is also behind the Michelin 1* Restaurant Cinco at the Hotel Das Stue in Berlin.
Tast will have 120-covers over three floors, with a casual dining and bar area on the ground floor, a first-floor dining room and a second floor with private rooms offering a tasting menu.
The design of Tast has been led by Barcelona-based Nordicthink. The interior is representative of Catalonia and its natural colours set within a contemporary environment. The warm and welcoming space is home to colours and materials that reflect and complement the restaurant’s culinary offering. The use of metals such as brass reflects the industrial tradition of Barcelona, for example. Moving through each floor, the intensity of the environment is raised by playing on the tones and materials and by reducing light intensity.
Catalonia is renowned worldwide for its gastronomy. Geographically diverse, it produces a variety of fresh, high-quality seafood, meat, poultry, fruit and vegetables. The Mediterranean sea and the Pyrenees are the perfect environment for unique produce, and its distinctive cuisine benefits from French and Spanish influences.
Despite Paco Pérez’s record, Tast Cuina Catalan is not pursuing awards, but will simply create a warm and friendly atmosphere for anyone wishing to experience the best of Catalan food and drink. Head chef at Tast will be Miquel Villacrosa, formerly head chef at Restaurant Cinco in Berlin. Miquel, 27, is a Catalan who grew up in Sant Hilari Sacalm, a small mountain town where he helped out in his parents’ restaurant. He said:
“Sant Hilari Sacalm is a small town, lost in the mountains, with a lot of water, mushroom culture and gamey gastronomy – so you can imagine how shocked I was my first time in Miramar. I fell in love with Paco’s vision of cuisine and of how he was as a chef and as a person – he cared for me like no one before.
“I consider myself an ambitious person and a passionate learner, who never gives up, who tries to be a good leader and to do things a bit better every day, as Paco has taught me. When he asked me to be head chef in Manchester it was a challenge I just had to accept.”
Paco Pérez added:
“We are delighted to bring the Catalan cuisine to Manchester and to be part of the amazing team behind Tast.”
For more information, please visit www.tastcatala.com.
For booking and enquiries please contact T:0161 806 0547 or email hola@tastcatala.com
