HOT CHEFS WILL COOK UP LUNCHES FOR THE MUSTARD TREE CHARITY

Brow●Fromleft,chefsDavidGale,SandraBanks,QuamarSohailandRobertOwenn FOUR of Manchester’s top chefs are to take over a homeless charity’s kitchen to help shine a spotlight on food poverty.

David Gale, from The Lawn Club, former Mark Addy chef Robert Owen Brown, Tampopo’s Sandra Banks and Turtle Bay’s Quamar Sohail will cook up a storm in a series of special lunches at the Mustard Tree centre in Ancoats.

Each will be challenged to create a feast using whatever ingredients happen to be donated to the centre that day – the same challenge faced daily by participants in the charity’s Freedom Project, who usually run the kitchen.

The project helps people who have faced problems such as homelessness, addiction, mental health issues or criminal records to turn their lives around through training courses, ready for work clubs, creative courses, counselling and mentoring.

The kitchen takeover, from September 14 to 18, is taking place as part of Manchester Food and Drink Festival.

Adrian Nottingham, CEO of Mustard Tree, said: “We’re excited to be partnering with MFDF this year.

“We look forward to connecting with local chefs and raising awareness of our work and daily challenges.

“Our kitchen team work tirelessly to create wholesome and great tasting dishes with little time for pre-planning due to them not knowing what will be donated until the last minute.

“It will be a pleasure to give the team a well deserved break and to watch some of Manchester’s finest chefs take over the Mustard Tree kitchen for the week.”

Mustard Tree will also be running a pop-up food drive, the Empty Pantry, at the Festival Hub on Albert Square from September 18 to 20.

Based on the successful Empty Shop concept previously seen at Manchester Arndale, festival visitors will be asked to help stock the pantry’s shelves with food donations, which the charity will then use to help feed people in need.

Organisers are aiming to collect two tonnes of food during the three-day stint, the same weight as the clothes donations collected at the Empty Shop during its 10 days at the shopping centre earlier this year.

Festival director Phil Jones said: “I’m delighted to announce this partnership with Mustard Tree.

“They’re an organisation that we’ve tried to support in various ways over the years, as what they do is incredibly important to this city, and the most vulnerable people in it.” EMILY HEWARD HE Alchemist was the first bar to open in the newly revitalised Spinninfields, back in 2011 – the original site’s success contributing to establishment of three further branches.

And following an extensive refurbishment earlier this year, it looks better than ever, having expanded considerably to take over the former All Saints store unit next door.

The results of the work are impressive, providing a uniquely stylish interior around the bar’s ‘molecular madness’ theme, with a wall of apothecary bottles, school desks used as tables and even a lighting structure created in the same molecular structure as alcohol.

The relaunch also brought exciting new food and cocktail menus, which my husband and I peruse with interest on our visit, during a bustling Sunday afternoon.

The food selection is wide and appetising, with a leaning towards eastern-inspired dishes, but plenty of options for those keen on other cuisines, with Mexican, Jamaican, American and Persian-style ingredients featured alongside traditional English grub.

After being welcomed and shown to our table by pleasant front of house staff, we order some tasty edamame beans with soy and sea salt (£2.95) while looking at the drinks options.

The cocktails live up to their reputation for flair and pizazz, with a huge choice of unique concoctions.

There is also a good selection of wines and non-alcohol cocktails, coffees and teas which complement a dedicated breakfast menu.

I opt for the Summer Of Love – Grey Goose, chenin blanc, grenadine, black grapes and pink grapefruit liqueur, with lemonade and black grapes (£6.95) – deliciously light and sweet on a hot day.

My husband chooses the intriguing Flavour Changing One (£7.50) – billed as a cocktail for those who get bored by the time they reach the end – which lives up to its claim, with various berries and other fruits coming to life as he drinks it.

To start, I choose the chicken laksa skewers (£5.50) – two generous pieces of chicken