Ex-Gordon Ramsay chef to lead Chorlton pub kitchen

A chef who once worked under Alain Ducasse and Gordon Ramsay has been appointed as head chef of The Horse & Jockey in Chorlton, Manchester. 

Following a new partnership with Manchester brewery Joseph Holt, the 200-year-old landmark on Chorlton Green has been leased to operator Neil Burke and the team behind The Black Friar in Salford. 

Leading the kitchen is chef Paolo Bianchi, whose career has spanned working under Alain Ducasse at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Four Seasons hotels in Dubai under Jean-Georges, and later opening Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat in Manchester.

"The Horse & Jockey is an iconic part of Chorlton’s history and I'm proud to be leading its kitchen with the brilliant Black Friar team," says Bianchi. "After gaining years of experience in Paris, Dubai and London, it feels great to be rooted in Manchester, a city I've really fallen in love with. 

"My vision is simple, to serve British classics that people know and love, elevated with seasonal local ingredients, touches from my Italian heritage and international experience. The menu will be ever-changing, so guests can expect something fresh every time they visit."

Saddle up!

The Horse & Jockey has been on Chorlton Green since the late 18th century, serving as a central part of the community ever since.

Its distinctive Tudor-style frontage, added in 1908, remains a local landmark, and the recent renovation has preserved its character while giving the interiors a stripped-back feel with a palette inspired by the building’s history. 

The venture builds on the success of The Black Friar in Salford, which was reopened in 2021 following a major restoration of the vacant Grade II-listed building on Blackfriars Road.

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