The Staff Canteen Live 2026: Front of house networking lunch at Winsome

Yesterday (Monday, October 5), we hosted our latest TSC Live front of house networking lunch at Winsome in Manchester.

The Staff Canteen launched chef networking lunches in 2016, later incorporating front of house events from 2020. The concept is simple: bring chefs and key industry suppliers together in an environment where meaningful conversations can happen away from the pressures of service.

Winsome opened in spring 2025 on Princess Street in Manchester city centre. The restaurant is led by chef patron Shaun Moffat, alongside Tom Fastiggi, formerly of Schofield's bar, who runs the drinks programme, and Owain Williams, founder of Belzan in Liverpool and Medlock Canteen in Manchester.

Before Winsome, Shaun cooked in London at Manteca, Hix and St Leonards, then made his name in Manchester as executive chef at the Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats, which earned a place on the Top 50 Gastropubs list during his time there. He was named Manchester Chef of the Year at the 2024 Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards.

His cooking at Winsome is produce-led and unmistakably British, with a nose-to-tail leaning, served in a whitewashed dining room with white tablecloths, bentwood chairs and an open galley kitchen.

Yesterday's lunch was prepared by Shaun and the Winsome team, with guests welcomed with a glass of Nyetimber Rosé before sitting down to a menu of snacks and four courses, every one of them paired with a wine from Nyetimber.

The guests

Yesterday 15 guests joined us for the lunch. They were:
•    Marc Fink, director of food and beverage, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel
•    Blaise Murphy, chef manager, Adam Reid at The French
•    Nikolai Kuklenko, general manager, Portfolio
•    Oliver Roberts, restaurant manager, Norman's Neighbourhood Kitchen
•    Lucas Perreira, general manager, SAMPA
•    Max Lawrence, restaurant manager and sommelier, Skof
•    Samuel Taylor, owner and general manager, The Pearl
•    Rume Manoharan, senior restaurant manager, Trillium Restaurant
•    Nida Holt, general manager, Nyxe
•    Sophie Robson, director, 10 Tib Lane, Posie and Henry C
•    Kiaja Monk, general manager, The Rum Fox
•    Gabby Lee, general manager, Almanac
•    Ioanna Antoniou, co-founder, Kallos Cafe and Wine Bar
•    Chris Finnegan, restaurant manager, Mana
•    Charles Brierley, managing director, The White Hart Lydgate

Samuel Taylor, owner and general manager of The Pearl, said: "Today has been about meeting other like-minded people, eating some really good food, sharing ideas, tasting some really nice wine.

"It was very friendly, relaxed, not pushy. None of them feel like they're trying to sell. Very passionate, like Johnny from Nyetimber, an incredibly passionate guy. They just all seem like people that I could definitely work with."

Samuel said he already had relationships with several of the sponsors, but meeting them in person made a difference: "Chef Works, Lightspeed, Nyetimber, I kind of have relationships with those people anyway, but it's quite different when you meet them face to face.

"Even SevenRooms, when you meet them face to face and they tell you what they're about and their company, I am tempted."

His favourite dish of the day was the sea trout. He said: "I think the trout, because the trout dish with the wine pairing works really, really well."

It was Samuel's first event with The Staff Canteen, and he added: "You're very generous with your food and wine."

Ioanna Antoniou, co-founder of Kallos Cafe and Wine Bar, said: "It's absolutely amazing. I think I'm very lucky sitting with those people there.

"It was more about networking and seeing how other people operate, how they were thinking, and then just connecting and seeing what other businesses do."

On the sponsors, Ioanna added: "Obviously, we are a Greek wine bar, but after meeting [the team], I'll definitely consider this and talk to my partner as well.

"It's just amazing food, the service, and obviously everyone here has been lovely and very organised."

The sponsors

These events would not happen without the support of our sponsors. Yesterday's front of house networking lunch was supported by: Chef Works, Nyetimber, SevenRooms and Lightspeed.

Nyetimber provided the wine for the arrival drink and every course, while Chef Works supplied two aprons embroidered with the Winsome logo for the front of house team to wear on the day.

The lunch also gave guests the opportunity to connect directly with suppliers across wine, uniform, reservations and guest management, and point of sale.

Jonathan Kemp, regional sales manager for the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland at Nyetimber, said: "It's been about meeting some great restaurants and outlets in and around Manchester, which is obviously a bit of a focused area for us.

"Everyone's on a level, which is great. It's a beautiful environment, very welcoming, and the general vibe was great."

Jonathan said one guest made a beeline for him after the welcome drink: "He basically came straight in, had a glass of the Nyetimber rosé and couldn't believe how good it was and said, 'We must talk.'

"Currently no English sparkling wine, just Champagne. So hopefully a good venue we can begin to work with in due course."

Jonathan’s favourite pairing was the sea trout with 1086 by Nyetimber Rosé 2016. He said: "As a pairing, the texture element, the lovely little bit of caviar, the little pop, it was amazing. That lovely zestiness in terms of the pairing was delicious."

The menu

Welcome drink
Nyetimber Rosé MV

Bread and snacks
House bread and red whey butter
Carlingford oysters and tophit plums
Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2018

Kohlrabi
Cinderwood Market Garden kohlrabi
Nyetimber Classic Cuvée MV

Sea trout
Scottish sea trout, John Hurd watercress and Nyetimber
1086 by Nyetimber Rosé 2016

Pork
A plate of Middle White pork
Chips, braised leeks and pig skin
Nyetimber Tillington Single Vineyard 2016

Dessert
Nyetimber jelly and custard
Nyetimber Cuvée Chérie Demi-Sec