The Eat Well MCR co-founder and Great British Menu star will help shape the food offer at Oldham’s 160-acre urban farm and eco-park...
Mary-Ellen McTague has joined Northern Roots as its new chef partner, as the Oldham charity prepares to open one of the UK’s most ambitious urban farm-to-fork food destinations.
The chef, food writer and restaurateur, well known to Manchester diners through her work at The Creameries, the Eat Well MCR charity and, more recently, Pip at Treehouse Hotel Manchester, will play a leading role in shaping the food offer at Northern Roots.
The 160-acre urban farm and eco-park is currently being developed on a former landfill site in the heart of Oldham, with plans to open as a visitor destination this autumn.
Working with the Northern Roots team, Mary-Ellen will lead the operational set-up of the café and catering offer, oversee menu development and support recruitment for key food roles, including seeking out a new head chef.
Food and farming sit at the centre of the Northern Roots project, which will grow fruit, vegetables and herbs on site to supply the café and catering operation. The aim is for visitors to be able to see produce being grown, harvested and used in dishes within the same landscape.
Alongside the urban farm, the site will include orchards, community growing spaces, woodland, wetlands, education facilities and a welcome centre with café and catering facilities.
The appointment builds on Mary-Ellen’s long-standing work around sustainable food systems, seasonal produce and access to good quality food, from her cooking in Manchester restaurants to the community-focused work of Eat Well MCR.
Anna da Silva, Chief Executive of Northern Roots, said: “Food and urban farming has always been at the core of our vision for Northern Roots. Our café and catering offer will showcase the beautiful fresh produce grown on our farm and we’re really delighted that a chef of Mary-Ellen’s calibre is excited enough by our ambition to want to be a part of the Northern Roots story.”
Mary-Ellen McTague said: “Northern Roots represents something incredibly exciting. There are very few places in the UK attempting to bring together urban farming, nature recovery, community wellbeing and food production at this scale.
“The opportunity to create a genuinely farm-to-fork food offer, where people can see where their food comes from and understand the journey from growing to plate, is something I feel incredibly passionate about. I’m looking forward to helping shape a food experience that reflects the values and ambition of Northern Roots.”
Recruitment is now underway for several hospitality and food leadership roles, including a head chef, who will work closely with Mary-Ellen on a menu rooted in seasonality, sustainability and produce grown on site.
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