HISPI, the much anticipated, latest venture from chef Gary Usher, is set to open its doors on Friday 7th October on School Lane in Didsbury, South Manchester. The 85-cover restaurant will follow in the footsteps of the renowned Sticky Walnut in Chester, named the AA Guide’s 2014 Restaurant of the Year and Burnt Truffle in Heswall on the Wirral, realising Usher’s vision to bring this relaxed style of bistro and multi award-winning food to the South of Manchester.
The restaurant was part-funded by Usher’s massively successful, Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, which received nearly £60,000 in pledges, almost 20% more than the original target. The third venture for chef-proprietor, Usher is fiercely aware that people have put their hard-earned money into HISPI and he is determined to give it everything that he has got.
“Our bistros are about offering people the freedom to eat really great food on their doorstep. The world is filled with exceptional, but often pretentious restaurants where you feel that you need to put on a tie to eat well. You can walk into HISPI knowing that you will get good, inspired food in a relaxed atmosphere at a really amazing price.”
Joining Usher for the HISPI venture is a first-class team, including head chef Richard Sharples, with previous experience at venues such as the Prestwich institution, Aumbry, under Mary-Ellen McTague. The restaurant will be managed by Gareth Jones, who, after a hugely successful stint in London, managing the likes of Michelin-starred Kitchen W8, Arbutus and Wild Honey, has decided to move up north to oversee the HISPI venture.
HISPI, which takes its name from a variety of cabbage, discovered in a dish in France by Sticky Walnut’s Head Chef, will be serving neighborhood bistro grub, including ‘Chargrilled hispi cabbage’ … well they couldn’t leave it off the menu now could they?!
The cooking that has given Usher’s restaurants epic reviews and exposure since the beginning, shines through on HISPI’s menu, from ‘Crispy lamb’s breast’ and ‘Gin cured sea trout’ starters to unusual cuts of meat such as ‘Braised Featherblade’.
Classics such as ‘Chicken Liver Paté’ that have always been a huge hit and sides such ‘Hand cut truffle and parmesan chips’, will be omnipresent. Mouth-watering fresh bread, which has already been filing Didsbury village with an alluring aroma for various trials in the run up to the launch, will also play a key role.
HISPI officially opens its doors on Friday 7th October with bookings already being taken online at www.hispi.net. However, Usher is keen to encourage drop-ins, highlighting that this really is neighborhood bistro, where people should be able to call in whenever they fancy.