The Refuge might have made a home in one of the most beautiful and elegant buildings in Manchester – but ultimately, it’s all about the scran.
It’s just revealed a new menu for the late spring and summer months, with dishes are split up into three distinct sections – ‘little scran’ (your small plates), ‘big scran’ (your sharing plates) and ‘extra scran’ (your sides).
There’s an explosion of summer colours and flavour on show, with dishes like the startlingly pretty beetroot borani, the deepest of deep purples, with white feta crumbled over the top, best scooped up with a warm flatbread.
The crispy, sweet-sour wings are also essential – from the ‘little scrans’ – along with the sticky pork belly.
Of the bigger scrans, there’s a super-vibrant linguine with summer vegetables, and a whole aubergine served with Provencal-style vegetables like jewels on top.
There’s a lighter summer take on the cassoulet too, with a stew of smoky beans and a perfectly grilled supreme of chicken on top.
But the star of the show is ‘R Luke’s’ Cumbrian lamb.
Devised by award-winning chef Luke Wilkinson, it’s served with a Moroccan yoghurt marinade, tzatziki and mint zhug, finished off with lamb fat pangrittata, urfa peper and a glossy pomegranate molasses lamb jus, made from lamb bones cooked for more than 24 hours.
For your greens, the charred broccoli is served with a classic Romesco sauce and roasted seeds for texture. And then finish off with a stunner of a custard tart, heavily scented with nutmeg and served up with sweet-yet-sharp rhubarb.
You might say it’s scrantastic (so very sorry).
