Two of the Lake District’s most acclaimed chefs will join the 2025 Manchester Art Fair to create bespoke dining experiences for leading art buyers and collectors.
Paul Leonard, head chef at The Forest Side, and Ollie Bridgwater, executive chef at the Gilpin Hotel, will collaborate with executive chef Matthew Hagan and his team at Manchester Central to design menus for the fair’s exclusive Collectors’ Dinner and Buyer’s Lunch.
Over the past 17 years, Manchester Art Fair has become one of the UK’s most significant art fairs, generating millions of pounds in sales and building a thriving Northern community of art collectors.
The initiative is led by Thom Hetherington, executive chair of Manchester Art Fair, who was previously part of the team behind Restaurant magazine and the 50 Best Restaurants in the World Awards.
“It’s incredibly important that we establish a community of art buyers and collectors in the North of England, to prove to the region’s artists that they don’t need to be in London to build their career, and to ensure that they can live and work up here,” said Hetherington.
“When collectors go to international art fairs like Frieze or Basel they would be hosted in incredible pop-up restaurants like Maison Francois and Jikoni. We felt that Northern art collectors deserved a similar experience, and in fact, considering the incredible chefs in our region, why not aim for the stars.”
Art Fair director Sophie Helm added: “When we launched, we were told we’d never sell art up North, as if there wasn’t enough money or the cultural appetite. We’re proud that over the last seventeen years we’ve disproven that theory, as we’ve developed our own significant and growing community of buyers, collectors and patrons of the arts.
“We engage with hundreds of individuals every year from every possible walk of life, united by their passion for art,” continued Helm. “But we know we’re barely scratching the surface. Any major art buyers in the region who would like to be considered for our Collector Development Programme should email info@manchesterartfair.co.uk.”
Since launching in 2008, Manchester Art Fair has welcomed over 122,000 visitors and generated more than £7.8m in art sales. The event combines acclaimed galleries and independent artists with talks, performances and installations to create an approachable Northern art-buying experience.
Running alongside the fair, The Manchester Contemporary will showcase a curated mix of independent galleries and artist-led spaces from across the UK and internationally, giving a platform to emerging artists and new work.
Tickets are available now, priced at £12 for a day ticket, £15 for two days, or £25 for the preview night, which also grants access throughout the weekend.
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