Manchester’s only Michelin star restaurant is doing takeaway burgers

Manchester’s only Michelin star restaurant, Mana, has announced it is launching new takeout burger offering, available during the latest lockdown.

As you can imagine for a Michelin star restaurant which usually offers inventive tasting menus, the new burger sounds pretty special.

Priced at £16, the cheese burger is made using Lake District Farmers’ Belted Galloway smoked beef patty comprised of shin, brisket, and rump cap. 

Their American-style cheese is made with St Andrew’s Cheddar and local Cloudwater beer, and the potato and brown butter bun will also be filled with Koji and dill mayonnaise, iceberg, and green onion paste. 

“We have spent the last eight days testing different beef cut ratios, cheese slice thicknesses and woods to smoke the patties, just to name a few,” says the restaurant.

“We’re all burgered out (for now) but can’t wait to share the culmination of our testing travels, which we think is the best burger we’ve ever had.”

A selection of drinks available, all £5 for 330ml, include lime, raw sugar, mint, and cucumber soda; sorrel and matcha iced tea; and fermented Banks’ Tomato and oregano soda.

“We love to cook with langoustines, oysters, and caviar but these aren’t weekly or even monthly  staples in most people’s diets, however Simon Martin eats at least one burger a week because it’s his favourite food, so it has been great fun creating our own and applying our usual focus to it from sourcing to storage and execution,” says the restaurant.

“All preparations are made on the day of serving (burgers and drinks), from mincing the beef to setting the cheese and baking the buns which, as a restaurant with an international target audience, is not something that we’ve ever done before.

“We are extremely excited to bring some sunshine to an otherwise unspectacular period in many people’s lives. 

“To do that, we considered comfort foods that we could apply our usual ethos and knowledge to.

“The chefs working on these offerings are the four most senior chefs at Mana, out of a brigade of 16, putting all our energy into one timeless preparation.”

The plan is to eventually move from burgers to tacos in a few weeks and potentially fried chicken too, depending on how long it takes for Mana to re-open in their usual capacity.

“Simon and our sous chef Blaise have a penchant for tacos after experiencing some of the best Mexico has to offer, which is next.

“We don’t think many people in Manchester would know what a traditionally prepared tortilla tastes like.”

Booking is required, but not in its usual three months in advance form that Mana fans might be used to.

Via Tock-to-go you can book a time up to three hours in advance of collection; pre-payment is required to minimise contact, and you just tell the Ancoats restaurant what you would like and then come and pick it up at the time you specify. Your order will be prepared and cooked in anticipation of your arrival time. 

As a token of appreciation, all NHS staff will be entitled to one free burger per order on every Wednesday, you will just need to bring your NHS ID with you on collection. 

Numbers are limited to 100 burgers per day, Wednesday to Saturday to collect between 12pm and 4pm. 

Reservations will be released at 6pm on Tuesday 12th January on Tock to Go.