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Bird And Beast Announce Deansgate Arrival
Leeds-based chicken restaurant set for early 2015 opening in MCR
IT'S CHICKEN and chips 'taken to the next level', according to Jonathan Parkinson, co-director of newly announced Deansgate diner Bird and Beast.
"Chicken and chips has always been a favourite for us Brits, but we're taking it to the next level."
The independent rotisserie chicken restaurant, established in Leeds Central Arcade in May 2014 by Michelin Bib Gourmand chef Simon Shaw (El Gato Negro), has announced their second operation is to open in a 370 sq m Deansgate unit in early 2015.
The exact location is yet to be announced.
Bird and Beast, Leeds
Bird and Beast's ethos appears to be a simple one - rotisserie cooked free range chicken sourced from Sykes House Farms in the Yorkshire Wolds.
An independent back-yard Nandos impersonator with a conscience, Bird and Beast aims to 'take a peck' at the popular global restaurant chain.
"As an indie company we really care about the provenance and quality of our chickens," Parkinson told us. "By focusing on one ingredient we hope that the quality and flavour of our chickens will shine through.
Bird and Beast double-marinate their chickens overnight in the restaurant's signature rub recipe, before steaming and roasting the birds over cherry wood chips and charcoal on a custom-made rotisserie spit.
Bird and Beast chicken
Bird and Beast will offer salads too
The Leeds restaurant charge £16.50 for a whole chicken, £8.75 for a half and £5 for a quarter - which comes in slightly more expensive than Nandos.
Parkinson thinks it's worth it. "Chicken and chips has always been a favourite for us Brits, but we're taking it to the next level.
"We're offering a really simple concept executed to a high standard with passion. We believe we're offering something Manchester doesn't have at the moment.
So why Manchester so soon after opening their first restaurant in Leeds?
"I have a great affinity with Manchester having spent a large amount of my youth dancing away the hours at the Hacienda," says Parkinson. "It's a fantastic, vibrant place with an amazing buzz and the hospitality scene in the city is really thriving at the moment. We can't wait to add another new and exciting dimension to it with the opening of Bird and Beast."
See here for the Bird and Beast menu, including a solid collection of beer (from £3.75) and an impressive wine selection (starting at £3.95 a glass and £15 a bottle).
Bird and Beast, Leeds
Bird and Beast corn on the cob
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Its always nice when wood chips are in a good mood
Good spot. Changed. Thanks. Ed.
Boring...
Looks good to me, there are similar operations in London that are very good and a definite gap in the market here.
Interestingly, five different London ops are sniffing around Manchester and Liverpool at present. Good to see El Gato getting a head start.
Chicken restaurants you mean?
yes, its all the rage down in London, we're seeing the end of pulled sodding pork thank god
Roast frickin chicken....am I missing something here?
Why change the habits of a lifetime Pollo?
Hopefully we've seen the last of dirty burgers as well....
if it's all the rage in London, it's probably too good for us provincial oiks..
anyway..aren't you away on an arse kissing excercise at Chichetti?
Two things: How come all these operators are choosing to open in Leeds first these days? And will the chicken be non-halal?
It's God's county (sic). Apparently.
They don't open in Leeds first usually, this is a Leeds operation so obviously it opened in Leeds first, there are far more that open in Manchester first.
Like Reds?
Because Leeds these days has a more vibrant city centre than Manchester.All the retailers Brooks Brothers,Gant,Adolfo etc have all pulled out of Manchester in recent years.In contrast Leeds has kept high quality shops like Paul Smith because it offers a superior upmarket destination.
A carvery is totally beyond the pale of food fashion and hence little more than a fiver for it's mostly OAP. Customers.No doubt if the bearded wannabe Richard Branson,the so called independents,got their hands on the concept it would be more like £20 with 'craft'. Bottle beer at £4.Totally rip off.You can find rotisserie done at far less price and much better in other countries .
Adolfo didn't pull out, they were replaced by Bill's (not open in Leeds yet). Paul Smith is still open in Leeds because the chavs love it.
King Street and Spinningfields are increasingly a high end retail desert.The mid to high end brands see no point in being in Manchester.This is not happening in comparable European cities like Lyon or Barcelona,or Leeds for that matter,so it's not down to online shopping.
I would argue that Manchester isn't comparable to Barcelona and Lyon. As for Leeds, Manchester has all of the brands that Leeds has and many more, and has Selfridges, I don't know if you've heard if it.
I would argue that Manchester isn't comparable to Barcelona and Lyon. As for Leeds, Manchester has all of the brands that Leeds has and many more, and has Selfridges, I don't know if you've heard if it.
Reds is also from Leeds anon, well done.
I hate Nandos due to the fact you have to queue up to order your food, if i'm going to eat out I like waiting service. I like the fact that Bird & Beast won't be entertaining the inane queuing style. Worth a try when it opens.
I hate that as well. Almost Famous does the same thing and expects you to get your own cutlery. If I wanted to do that I'd eat at home. And don't get me started on the Smartprice kitchen roll excuse for a napkin....
I don't mind The Nando concept if you have Nando price,with no service costs.What we are getting increasingly in Manchester is the Nando concept with restaurant prices.No wonder the operators love it,as they are getting us to accept high prices plus less customer service.
Retail is being increasingly pushed out of the city centre,to be replaced by lots operators charging high prices for basically fast food.These are not places where you are encouraged to linger,they want you in and out asp.
Indeed they are all the range in London at the moment. Chicken Shop by far the best (Soho House Group). Spit & Roast also vg. It was only a matter of time this- been saying it for ages. You Mancs have only got Nandos. Glad to see there's a new kid on the block to blow that shite Nandos out of the water.
There's something quite amusing about London-based food critics being snippy about Manchester's food scene, when it appears that places selling roast chicken are apparently all the rage down there.
This is good news. Still waiting for our own version of Wishbone, my Brixton Market favourite!
Wishbone is amazing. Those thighs.....
But will there be a loyalty card?