Manchester restaurant with months-long waiting list wins top award DAYS after opening

New Manchester restaurant Skof has only been open for a week - but it has already claimed its first top industry award. The restaurant is the debut solo venture from chef Tom Barnes and is based in an historic former drapery in the Hanover Building in the city centre.

Now, Skof has been given the "One to Watch" Award at the prestigious National Restaurant Awards 2024. The awards were announced in London on Monday night.

Tom was formerly executive chef at Simon Rogan's three Michelin Star restaurant L'Enclume in Cumbria. So bringing his first restaurant to Manchester has sparked feverish excitement among foodies.

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So much so that when reservations first opened for the venue, there was a huge clamour to book. Now you can't get a table for MONTHS.

The next available bookings are for mid-September - with June, July and August now operating a waiting list for table cancellations. The restaurant serves 12 course or 16 course tasting menus for £120 or £165 in the evenings, or there is also a £50 lunch option.

Announcing Skof's award on Instgram on Monday night, judges said: "This year’s One to Watch is @skof_manchester. The first restaurant by @cheftombarnes is a personal affair that looks set to make its mark on Manchester’s restaurant scene."

Skof shared a video of Tom collecting his award as the announcer says: "Taking up the entire ground floor of a handsome former textile warehouse in the city's NOMA district, Tom Barnes' debut restaurant Skof takes the concept of the open plan restaurant to the extreme.

"Barnes is a huge talent having spent the past decade working for farm-to-fork maestro Simon Rogan. Expectations are high."

Barnes is a Roux Scholar originally from Barrow-in-Furness. In opening his first Manchester venue he says he aims to bring "‘unpretentious yet ambitious" dining to the city.

As the team at Skof say: "There are no conventions, no dress codes - just great food and great vibes in a casual and beautiful space, much like the city we’ve chosen as our home."

As Tom explained to the Manchester Evening News earlier this year, the name, Skof, has also been carefully considered. “It’s a very Northern word really,” he revealed.

“It was the sort of thing my dad used to say when I was younger or complaining, ‘just skof it’, but it’s also Edwardian slang for food.”

He added: "I’m aiming to do the best food I possibly can and I’ve had some of the best training, worked with some incredible chefs in the world. I’ll take all that and put it into Skof to create something really special."

The National Restaurant Awards also announced its Top 100 best restaurants for 2024 on Monday night. Two Manchester restaurants rose up the ranks this year to gain a place in the top 20 - Michelin-starred Mana in Ancoats at number 14 and Higher Ground on New York Street at number 16.