Pay what you feel at Real Junk Food’s first permanent base
MANCHESTER’S first pay-as-youfeel restaurant serving food that would otherwise have gone to waste will finally open next month.
Real Junk Food Manchester had planned to open its first permanent base in Ancoats, but after ‘unfortunate delays’ it will now pop up on Oxford Street where it has been offered a temporary space by developers Bruntwood.
The menu will change every day, using food that would otherwise be thrown away by grocers such as Ocado and New Smithfield Market.
Breakfast and lunch will be available five days a week along with ethical coffee from Second City Coffee, and there will also be regular fine dining evenings drawing on the project’s supper club beginnings.
There will be no set price to pay – instead customers will be asked to give what they can afford and feel the meal is worth.
In keeping with its sustainable principles, the 40-cover restaurant will be as up-cycled as possible, using donated equipment and volunteer plumbers, electricians and decorators to complete the fit-out.
It will be taking shape soon at 85 Oxford Street - where dessert bar MilkJam wrapped up its pop-up last week – ready to open in August.
Supporters pledged more than £39,000 towards the project in a crowdfunding campaign earlier this year.
Corin Bell, director of Real Junk Food Manchester says: “The support that we received from the Crowdfunder was just amazing, beyond all of our expectations. The delays have been unavoidable, but really tough.
“It’s just fabulous to have contracts signed and know that we’re not far from being able to fulfil our promise to everyone who’s supported us. We’ve been popping up for long enough now, and we can do so much more in a full time space of our own. We can’t wait to get going!”
Founded in Leeds, the Real Junk Food Project has grown into a network of pop-up projects all over the UK, which aim to demonstrate the scale and senselessness of food waste as well as providing meals to people in need.
The Manchester branch has been going since 2014, hosting everything from pop-up restaurants to weddings and gala dinners and supporting a range of social and community projects helping people who are struggling financially.
Acclaimed former Aumbry chef Mary-Ellen McTague, who has led the kitchen since last year, had been due to become head chef at the new restaurant but has since taken on a new challenge, overhauling the cafe at Manchester Art Gallery.
She remains involved as a director and executive chef and has incorporated the project’s pay-as-you-feel ethos into the gallery’s children’s menu, with all ingredients supplied by Real Junk Food Manchester.
Matt Bailey will take on the role of head chef and a sous chef is now being recruited for. The team are also appealing for any tradespeople who are willing to help them build the restaurant to get in touch.
Visit realjunkfoodmanchester.co.uk for more information.