Manchester original The Alchemist has today unveiled its new, sustainability focused menu, following a £550,000 refurbishment of its city centre flagship bar. The new-look menu and interiors represent a significant evolution for the brand, which first opened its doors in 2010, helping institute the area as a cosmopolitan social hub of restaurants and bars.
Re-opening to the public today, the all-day dining and cocktail space has stayed true to its roots in creative alchemy and molecular mixology, but now takes on a cosmic-inspired design palette with futuristic, divine influences from astrology and the cosmos featured throughout. The flagship branch is the first destination to reveal the new concept, which will be rolled out to its other sites over the next few months.
Going hand-in-hand with the new look, a carefully curated menu complete with an extensive array of plant-based dishes has also launched today and is designed to celebrate the sustainable efforts of the brand. In response to the progressive shift to a more ethical way of dining, and in order to cater to a number of dietary requirements, more than half the menu is vegetarian, nearly half vegan and over a third is gluten free.
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“We’ve really tuned into our guests and team members’ feedback and have worked our food offering to bring it even further in line with the sustainable efforts of the brand,” explains Seamus O'Donnell, culinary director. “We understand that many people have dietary requirements and are choosing a more Flexitarian lifestyle. Our menu is now sitting at 58% vegetarian and 44% plant based.
“Of course, theatre hasn’t been compromised with locally sourced seasonal fish from the coast of Scotland used in our electric-pink trout and the addition of our Yakitori grills, enhancing the magic at the table. We try to keep a sense of play at the forefront of our menus so doing that sustainably has been a great challenge and we’re proud to see it pay off.”
A collaboration between The Alchemist and Meatless Farm - producers of vegan and plant-based meats - has informed part of the restaurant’s new menus, ensuring that anyone from meat-eaters to flexitarians, vegetarians to vegans will be catered for with its extensive array of plant-based dishes. Steering the new menu is a selection of Asian-fusion classics and in true Alchemist style, its new Yakitori Grill brings a touch of signature theatre tableside.
The revamped menus includes dishes such as crispy shredded, plant-based duck bao buns served with vegan miso mayo, spring onions, cucumber and fresh chilli and BBQ chicken skewers with Shishito peppers and Kimchi slaw. Meanwhile, desserts with a creative twist encompass signatures such as Yakitori caramelised pineapple and a reimagined millionaire brownie with sweet and salty miso served with vanilla ice cream, biscoff crumb and finished with a Alchemist chocolate coin.
The Alchemist’s creative cocktail bars and restaurants can be found across the UK including London, Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Cheltenham, Nottingham, Cardiff and Edinburgh. The Alchemist Spinningfields new menu is available from today.
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