Adam Reid to take over from Simon Rogan at The French, The Midland

The agreement which placed Simon Rogan as chef patron at The Midland Hotel’s two restaurants, The French and Mr Cooper’s House & Garden, is to terminate at the end of this month.

But fans of the restaurants needn’t worry. Rising star Adam Reid, who has been involved from the start, will remain head chef at The French. It will be re-named Adam Reid at The French from 1 November 2016 and re-positioned to reflect Adam’s vision and style in January 2017.

Robert Taylor retains the top job at Mr Cooper’s having recently joined from Aiden Byrne’s Manchester House restaurant.

Both restaurants have built significant followings since they opened in 2013 and have become integral to the Manchester dining scene, winning numerous local and national awards.

Adam’s recent high-profile appearance and success in reaching the finals of this year’s BBC2 Great British Menu competition highlights his ability and readiness to head up The French.

“This is a huge opportunity for me to showcase my own cooking style, which has been developing over the past decade,” says Adam. “I want to make Manchester proud and ensure that The French will continue to evolve and impress its local and national customers.”

Mike Magrane, general manager at The Midland, said: “It’s been a pleasure to have worked with Simon.  With his inventive style we have produced something truly wonderful here and we’re now looking forward to embracing the next chapter in the growth of the restaurants.

“Adam is an incredibly strong head chef who has developed further under Simon’s guidance and it’s now time for him to stand on his own and take his place at the forefront of The French’s continuing journey.  It is also a terrific opportunity for Robert, who has only recently joined us, to present his own culinary style in Mr Cooper’s.”

“Our work with The Midland has been a great opportunity and we’ve built something very special with The French and Mr Cooper’s,” said Simon. “It’s now time to concentrate our efforts on developing and growing our businesses in Cartmel with L’Enclume and Rogan & Co. as well as ensuring that Fera at Claridge’s continues to be operated to our high standards.”