Class of ’92 stars Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have enlisted the services of Michelin-starred chef Michael O’Hare in an aim to open a new ‘space-age Asian’ restaurant inside the National Football Museum in Manchester.
The iconic footballers appointed the Michellin chef as creative director of their GG Hospitality empire earlier this year. The boys already have plans in the pipeline for three restaurants inside Manchester’s historic Stock Exchange, and have now announced a partnership with the National Football Museum.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville said: “The National Football Museum is the ideal place for us to expand our hospitality portfolio. The museum is a massive draw for both football fans and tourists in Manchester and bringing the brands together feels like a natural partnership.
“To open our first restaurant with creative director Michael O’Hare and his team is a fantastic moment for GG Hospitality and Manchester. It is an exciting time for our business with further announcements imminent.”
The partnership will see the class of ’92 bring their innovative Café Football concept to the ground floor of the Urbis building as well as launching the new restaurant.
The restaurant, The Rabbit In The Moon, is named after an Asian fable and will be overseen by the expertise of O’Hare and his protégé Luke Cockerill. Cockerill will be joining the restaurant from his Leeds restaurant, The Man Behind the Curtain, and will be taking on the challenging role of head chef.
O’Hare said: “The Urbis Building is a phenomenal piece of architecture and I’m excited that as a company we can deliver a world class restaurant within it.
“On the inception of The Rabbit In The Moon, I am a success as a result of the people I surround myself with. Luke has been my right hand man since he was 17, he is the most creative, fun and dynamic chef I have ever known and it is amazing to see a guy so young set to achieve so much.”