After two sell-out nights of fire-led cooking at Torr Vale Mill, Open Fire Dining Club is back on Friday 26 September for its third edition – this time with the team behind Tawny Stores stepping up to the grills.
At the heart of every Open Fire Dining Club is Tartuffe. Founded by Ruby Fryman and Gary Weir, the Side Street-based bistro has built its reputation on rotisserie chicken, indulgent sides and playful comfort food done with real precision. Nationally recognised by Observer Food Monthly as part of a new wave of rotisserie-led restaurants, Tartuffe’s food balances comfort and craft, brined and basted chicken with golden, crisp skin, hash browns topped with caviar, even vegetables treated with the same level of attention and flair. Their style is relaxed but refined, and always perfectly suited to cooking over flames.
Joining them this time is Beth Hammond, who has been quietly shaping the food landscape around Greater Manchester for years. From Stockport’s celebrated Yellowhammer bakery to Altrincham Market’s Little Window and Flawd at Islington Marina, her cooking has always carried a mix of craft, seasonality and inventiveness. In spring 2024 she opened Tawny Stores, a canalside café and deli in Marple that’s already earned a reputation far beyond its postcode.
Part corner shop, part eatery, Tawny Stores is a space that reflects Beth’s food philosophy. Alongside the daily focaccia and sourdough, you’ll find shelves lined with pickles, oils, cheeses and fruit and veg from trusted growers such as Cinderwood Market Garden and Organic North. The café menu changes with the seasons: Focaccia comes warm from the oven, sometimes topped with nduja and wild garlic, other times piled into sandwiches with roast chicken, hot sauce and pickled shallots. Plates are thoughtful without being fussy – a herb frittata with charred onions and romesco, Jerusalem artichokes with ajo blanco and chilli oil, or a rabbit and tarragon pie served simply with crisp potatoes. Everything is made to feel accessible but special, local where possible, and rooted in the kind of food Beth herself wants to eat
She’ll be bringing that spirit to Torr Vale Mill, teaming up with Tartuffe on a six-course, fire-cooked menu (plus a welcome snack). Expect the same balance of produce-driven creativity and rustic warmth that defines Tawny Stores, paired with Tartuffe’s open-fire techniques.
The evening’s drinks will come courtesy of Jose Cuervo Tradicional, the world’s original tequila, produced by the same family since 1795. Guests will start with a zesty Paloma on arrival, followed by a Cucumber & Ginger Highball served with the welcome snack, and finishing with a bold Spicy Carrot Reposado Sour, shaken with carrot juice, lemon and a dash of Tabasco, complete with a baby carrot garnish.
And of course, all of this will unfold at Torr Vale Mill – our riverside home for the series. The 200-year-old cotton mill, tucked into a bend of the River Goyt on the edge of the Peaks, has become the perfect setting for these nights of fire, food and long-table feasting. Less than half an hour from Manchester, yet a world away once you’re there.
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Open Fire Dining Club: Tartuffe x Tawny Stores
– Cuervo Paloma on arrival
– Welcome snack with Cucumber & Ginger Highball
– Six course dinner
– Spicy Carrot Reposado Sour with dessert
When: Friday 26 September (Doors + drinks: 6pm / Food: 7pm / Finish around: 10:30pm)
Where: Torr Vale Mill, Torrvale Rd, High Peak, SK22 3HS
Cost: £95
