Introducing Louis Byrne
In my first post I mentioned that we have some exciting news... well, without further ado... I'm thrilled to announce, that we have a new Head Chef: Louis Byrne!
He comes directly from working as the head chef at 20 Stories in central Manchester - and will be shaking things up for us here in Sale. Louis has already been with us for a couple of weeks, getting settled in - regulars among you may have noticed that he's made a few tweaks to the menu here and there already. But what has he got planned in the longer term? Well, don't worry, old favourites like our steaks and Sunday lunches will remain unchanged... but Louis plans to bring a bit of 'theatre' to our menus and make them slicker - expect things like sharing platters, twists on the classics and techniques and presentation that you'd find in fine dining restaurants. We'll also be bringing the focus back to fresh, seasonal, regional produce and good honest, British food - we'll be sourcing as much as we can from the North of England, both for quality and environmental reasons. We'd love to hear what you think - and please let us know if there is anything you'd like to see on the menu.
So who is Louis? Well, he's 42 and originally hales from Liverpool, but now lives in Lymm with his partner and baby daughter Elsie, who's 1. Louis hasn't always been into cooking - in fact, in chef terms, he's relatively new! He first picked up a knife just 16 years ago, when his brother, Aidan Byrne (currently the Head Chef at Restaurant MCR - formerly Manchester House) asked him to help in the kitchen at Tom Aikens, Chelsea. At the time Louis was a bit lost, working a variety of jobs to make money - builder's labourer, scaffolder - you name it! He reluctantly stepped into the kitchen and unexpectedly found his passion - and hasn't looked back.
With the backing of his ambitious and seasoned-chef brother, it’s not surprising that Louis was able to fast track his career - but don't think that he's just been riding his brother's coattails! Through sheer hard graft, he's worked his way through many esteemed kitchens, including The Dorchester (London), Artisan (Manchester), The Church Green (Lymm) as well as 20 Stories. He's coming to Chez Nous to make his mark on a smaller restaurant - we are all very excited to see what he does next... Please say hi to him if you see him - he's a friendly chap - and don't hesitate to give him a shout if there's anything you'd like to ask.
Welcome Louis!
