Rhubarb Restaurant
Rhubarb: A Recipe For Success
Rhubarb, some say it’s a fruit, others a vegetable - but to those in the know, it's also a high quality restaurant based on Burton Road in West Didsbury.
Founded in 2003 by husband and wife team, Lisa and Mark Ramsden, Rhubarb has been catering to the tastes of West Didsbury for some time. Built on a desire for good food and a passion to create original dishes Rhubarb stands out for independence in an industry dominated by chain restaurants.
A Unique Venture
With Lisa’s background in marketing and Mark, a classically French trained chef, having worked as head chef at various establishments including Green’s on Lapwing Lane as well as restaurants in both Thailand and Australia, it seemed only natural that when they decided to join forces and decided to work for themselves that they would become restaurateurs. By opening up a restaurant that was completely independent, as executive chef Mark was able to explore new possibilities with food with Lisa putting her marketing and people skills to good use as she took on the front of house role. But why is Rhubarb so unique?
“It is the attention to detail that sets us apart,” says Lisa, “we use good quality, fresh ingredients and make everything from scratch; where others cut corners we never do. As we run and operate ourselves we have a greater degree of flexibility and can be a little bit more quirky than the rest.”
It is these qualities which have made the business the success that it is today. With a very mixed clientele, many aged between 25 and 40, it is easy to see why Rhubarb is so popular. The menu is varied but still contains old favourites such as porcini mushroom risotto as well as local dishes such as mature Lancashire steak fillet. Prices start at just £5.00 for a starter or £12.00 for a main course. Rhubarb also opens Sunday lunchtime for anyone who wants to try a delicious roast beef dinner or any one of the many other tasty dishes from the menu. The restaurant can cater for children, special diets, such as gluten or wheat free, as well as larger parties of up to 30 people.
Another reason for their success is the dedicated staff [chefs, waiting on staff and front of house staff] who are there to ensure that each visitor to Rhubarb has a memorable evening- it is perhaps testimony to this hard work and dedication that the clients keep coming back for more.
The Name
With a good reputation, excellent food and a loyal clientele, there was just one more question to ask – why the unusual name?
“It’s original, distinctive and memorable,” Lisa explained, “which is all things that we would like to be.”
The many regular clients of Rhubarb would certainly agree that this is the case. As well as maintaining the already high standards, introducing more new dishes to the menu and keeping in touch with the constantly evolving food trends it seems that Rhubarb is no more to be pulled up out of the ground but something to be seen flying high in the starry sky.
Words by Colette Brooks