Manchester hailed 'most exciting city in the country right now' after second Michelin Star award

Manchester now has TWO Michelin Star restaurants in the city centre for the first time ever

Manchester is waking up to a new gastronomic dawn - as a city with two Michelin Star restaurants for the first time ever.

Skof claimed its first Michelin Star in a stunning victory announced on Monday night - less than a year after opening its doors in Manchester city centre. And it now joins Mana in Ancoats, which is celebrating its sixth year retaining a Michelin Star.

The double joy for Manchester has been roundly celebrated - and among the first to send congratulations to Skof was Mana's chef patron Simon Martin.

On social media, Simon praised his fellow chef Tom and wrote: "Really hope this convinces even more high level operators to open in Manchester, which in my completely unbiased opinion (of course), is the most exciting city in the country right now. Absolutely over the moon."

Simon was among a host of the UK's top chefs and restaurant owners sending congratulations to Tom on winning the award, including TV star James Martin, former Man United stars Gary Neville and Phil Jones.

And Tom's former boss, renowned chef Simon Rogan, also made a point of honouring Tom's achievements at Skof when acknowledging his own success at this year's Michelin Guide ceremony. Rogan retained his raft of Michelin Stars, including Three Stars for L'Enclume in Cartmel where Tom had previously worked before opening Skof.

Simon wrote: "Not only did we retain our stars, but we also celebrated a star for Tom and his great team at Skof Manchester many of whom we know and who have been part of our team in Cartmel.

"Watching all the talented individuals within our small group of restaurants flourish and grow fills me with pride. It shows that with the right encouragement, dreams really do come true—and they still do for me, even after so many years."

The win also means that Tom has done what Simon was not able to do in his illustrious career - in winning a Michelin Star in Manchester. Rogan had famously taken over The French restaurant at The Midland in 2013 with the aim of winning a Michelin Star but it had eluded him in that location, which he left three years later in the hands of Adam Reid.

Tom has since spoken of his joy at receiving the accolade on Monday night. He said: "I opened Skof to share my own take on fine dining with Manchester and beyond, so to be recognised by the Michelin Guide for what we do, means everything."

Skof opened in May 2024 winning instant local and national acclaim. It was named Michelin's one to watch, while the accolades soon began to roll in including being named Best New Restaurant at the Good Food Guide awards earlier this month, earning a place in SquareMeal’s T100 for 2025; the highest new entry at number 8, and two awards at the Manchester Food and Drink Awards; Best Newcomer for Skof and Chef of the Year for Tom.

Tom added: "The idea of building something that people love and that celebrates this industry was the fire inside that pushed me to try again when something didn’t work or to tweak a dish to see if an even better version could be achieved.

"This determination of mine wouldn’t have got me very far if it wasn’t shared by my team. Words will not be enough to show my thanks for their ambition, hard work and above all, skill. Every single one of them is vital to the success of Skof and every accomplishment is theirs to claim.

"The encouragement from our guests and supporters has given us hope to keep going through a very long build and has made us smile countless times. You’ve brought so much joy into our restaurant and without you it wouldn’t be the same."

He added: "And to my work family, Simon, Sam, and the support from the team at UMBEL restaurants and ASM Global, thank you for your trust and helping me grow."