Kate Mountain, the owner of the Roadhouse, recently announced that the club will soon be closing its doors at the end of May. While that’s a blow to the city’s music scene, what she has planned next for the Newton Street venue is very exciting, if rather different. This autumn, it is to reopen as a fine dining establishment. The restaurant will be managed by the award-winning chef Mary-Ellen McTague (pictured), who was formerly based at Aumbry, in Prestwich. That venue closed in January, after a disagreement with the landlord. This new site is vastly different not only in terms of locale but also size – being five times larger. And it will, of course, require major refurbishment to convert it from its grungey roots – a process likely to cost around £2 million. It’s not yet clear whether the result will bear the name Aumbry, however. All this may seem like an odd move for McTague, but she actually has links to the site, as she used tend bar at the Roadhouse. Here, she met Kate Mountain, who eventually became an investor in Aumbry.
Opening in autumn, 8 Newton Street, Manchester, M1 2AN
- Words:
- A. James Simpkin
- Published on:
- Fri 27 Mar 2015
