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From what started as a pop-up restaurant, Higher Ground has become an astounding establishment that is the epitome of the very best of Manchester’s food scene. With an admirable dedication to the environmental presence and quality of their dishes as well as the creativity behind them, this bustling spot in the city centre is proving the worth of its spot on the Michelin Guide and in the top restaurant lists of many renowned experts.
I didn’t know I was heading to Higher Ground when I was. It was my 26th birthday, and we were supposed to head north to Scotland to stay in a nice cabin on Loch Venachar and switch off. When the hosts cancelled on us last minute, we needed alternate plans. So, we headed into the city from the suburbs on the tram, me still none the wiser about what my evening had in store. A swift Negroni (delicious, by the way) in the rather impressive The Alan Hotel and off we strolled, the rain thankfully held off for a bit longer as we went on our way.
We approached Higher Ground, and it clicked, leading to my 26-year-old self getting giddy as if I were a puppy being presented with a new stuffed toy. I think of myself as an amateur epicure, nowhere near an expert but one who is appreciative of good food and who hates the word ‘foodie’. And this is where I found my connection with Higher Ground, even without visiting the place yet.
The restaurant is impressive. Big glass front, neon sign at the door, all with the inside bustling all evening long. It oozes style, with tangerine hints providing base notes to its sophisticated decor. An open kitchen sits in the middle, operating as a theatre’s stage, with chef’s table-style seating surrounding it so you can get as close to the artistry as possible. If you have watched Boiling Point with Stephen Graham and Vinette Robinson (if you haven’t, you should), the setting of this place would be the perfect place for a second series. The vibe is approachable, though. It’s fine dining but make it casual, with fewer teacups and pinkies in the air and more exemplary technique, expertise and commitment to their craft. From front of house to the head chef, it’s welcoming but with a ‘we know our shit’ confidence. Friendly, but devoted to culinary integrity.
Higher Ground started as a pop-up in 2020 before closing (thanks pandemic), taking on many forms before its owners settled for a compromise of a neighbourhood wine bar in the ever-trendy Ancoats called Flawd, which is in itself a culinary success story serving food from a kitchen no bigger than your average sized car boot. But head chef Joseph Otway, formerly of impressive Stockport-based Where The Light Gets In, and business partners waited patiently until they could bring back Higher Ground in all its glory.
The foundations for both the restaurant and Flawd were laid with their Cinderwood Market Garden project, a place where they could grow all their ingredients as well as help the local community in a bid to challenge the fairly low access to high-quality produce. Their menu is seasonal and showcases the best of British produce in a truly innovative way.
With this in mind, we opted for the sharing menu and a bottle of wine. Let the experts show us what they’ve got, I said. And oh, did they. Now, some of the dishes we had weren’t on the main menu. So, whilst this did entice me even more at the time, it makes it quite hard to write about, especially when you procrastinate as much as I do and Christmas was right around the corner, meaning you’re unapologetically sat watching reruns of Home Alone instead. Every dish was explained to us in a brief but not ostentatious way when it was brought to our table, too. The aforementioned Negroni and bottle of Italian wine we’d done in already clearly took its toll, though, but I’ll try my best to paint the picture.
Once we navigated the extensive wine list (that’s the Flawd effect), we started on the pea fritters with Quicke cheddar before moving onto a potato and leak salad, vegetables of course pulled from Cinderwood. The freshness exuded from the ingredients and they shouted about how much care and attention were paid during the growing process as you ate. From there, we moved onto a cuttlefish ink-cured pork loin then a selection of leak (again, from Cinderwood). Then, the pasta course arrived and as an aficionado, it excited me. Hand-rolled gnocchi with butternut squash. Impressive. After that, the showstopper arrived which was expertly cooked beef on top of a bed of lentils, potato puree and red cabbage. The beef is sourced from Jane Oglesby, who runs the farm near to Higher Ground’s garden, and knowing this only elevated the experience tenfold. After a few more bits were added, like some flavoursome mustard leaves, we opted for the additional cheeseboard (because why wouldn’t we?), which topped off a sharing menu worth shouting about.
It’s safe to say, that Otway is Manchester food royalty (ever-present on the restaurant floor, too, which is a plus) and he and his team run a spectacular ship at Higher Ground. It’s good, committed food but not pretentious or arrogant. They want you to have fun, eat your way and enjoy yourself, all whilst they look after you. It’s a proper food spot, one where you can see how much those behind it have put in. The calls for the arrival of a Michelin Star are most certainly justified, too…