Habas

Simon Shaw of MHDL, approached CNG early in 2017 for their advice on issues at his first restaurant in Manchester, El Gato Negro, which AN Other had supplied but clearly they had not followed the original CNG specification. This allowed Simon to lead into a conversation about the next project, which would become Habas.

Simon’s brief included a preparation kitchen and wash up area to the back of house, with an open kitchen, including at bar dining linked to this. The menu style was to be eastern Mediterranean, small plates offer seating up to 140, and serving up to 400 covers per day, with 6 or 7 plates per cover. At peak approaching 3,000 plates of food per day.

An all electric kitchen was part of the brief, although at one point gas fired tandoors were a possibility in the open kitchen for their flat breads. Simon wanted making and finishing their own flat breads in front of the guest to be a key feature.

As with CNG’s design and specification for El Gato a Charcoal oven would be a major feature of the design of the open kitchen. In the prep kitchen iVario by Rational and induction.

Around this time Clive had seen Capic’s new Plasma plancha which has four heat zones and unlike other modular units can be use for pan cooking as well as direct cooking, have explained the benefits to Simon and negotiated a deal to include this on Habas, Simon Shaw immediately added it to his brief.

There would also be a pastry prep kitchen in the back of house.