Andrew Nutter, recently took on the Bird at Birtle, near Rochdale, Greater Manchester, ploughing more than £1m into refurbishing the pub, which will serve “true gastropub food”. Doors officially opened to the public on Tuesday (21 June).
The chef-patron flew into the opening party to greet guests including high-profile Manchester chefs Aiden Byrne, owner of Manchester House restaurant and the Church Green, and David Mooney of the New Moon Company.
TV soap stars Antony Cotton from Coronation Street and Kieron Richardson of Hollyoaks and former Rochdale councillor Karen Danczuk were also in attendance.
Ugly duckling
Nutter told the Manchester Evening News: “[The pub has] gone from a real ugly duckling to the way it is now. To watch it grow and evolve with the help of a team of local contractors is such a credit to everyone involved.”
Dishes on offer at the Bird at Birtle include confit duck leg with frisée salad, cured bacon, Parmentier potatoes and garlic croutons; beer-battered sole with hand-cut chips, mushy peas and lemon; and braised lamb shoulder with potato dauphinoise.
Nutter, who also owns Nutters Restaurant, near Norden, Rochdale, trained at several high-end establishments including the Savoy, London, before going on to write two books and making regular appearances on television shows including Ready Steady Cook and his own series Utter Nutter.
Expletive-ridden tirade
Earlier this year, the chef launched an expletive-ridden tirade at a TripAdvisor reviewer who labelled his restaurant “overrated” and complained the driveway was “snowy and slushy”.
He tweeted: “S***Advisor review of Nutters – car park was snowy/slushy and slippy! Get a f***ing grip, it had snowed!”