Danielle and Sofie to reopen OSMA and introduce Boutikk in Manchester’s Northern Quarter

Loyal readers will recognise I rarely publish new openings-on-the-horizon stories, but in one special case (I’m salivating already) I’ll make an exception, to trumpet the return of OSMA this autumn. It has been almost two years since the acclaimed restaurant abandoned its site on Bury New Road.

To get there entailed a bit of a trek from Prestwich Metrolink, but chef patron Danielle Heron’s food made it all worth while – among the best in the region, testimony to a culinary voyage that involved working at three Michelin star destinations L’Enclume in Cartmel and Maaemo in Oslo.

Danielle’s partner Sofie Stoermann-Naess is Norwegian and the Scandinavian vibe (OSMA is a portmanteau of Oslo and Manchester) will inform the pair’s new Northern Quarter home inside the One Port Street apartment block… and Boutikk, a city centre grocer and provisions shop, next door to the restaurant. Manchester is so short of premium provision stores, so this adds to the excitement.

Provenance always played a big part in OSMA’s success. Guests at Mark II can expect fresh seafood, local meats, seasonal vegetable dishes and the return of some of OSMA’s most-loved dishes. Their sharing Sunday roast will also make a welcome return.

 

While former Bury Grammar pupil Dani oversees the food offering, Fie will lead the front-of-house experience, as well as Boutikk. A first-of-its-kind concept for the area, Boutikk will offer seasonally sourced vegetables, dairy, fruit and a fresh meat and fish counter, where chefs will be on hand to advise customers on product selection, recipes and cooking techniques. The store will also feature freshly baked Scandinavian-style bread, all inspired by the food culture and shopping traditions of Sofie’s native Oslo.

OSMA, which originally launched in 2020, was listed within the Michelin Guide within a year of opening, leading to Danielle to take part in both Masterchef: The Professionals, and Great British Menu where she reached the finals in both shows. Of the opening, Dani and Fie say: “We’re so delighted to be reopening OSMA, we’ve missed it every day and to be bringing the restaurant back into such a vibrant part of the city centre is beyond exciting. We will miss our community in Prestwich but we’re only a couple of miles down the road. “Bringing a shop like Boutikk to Manchester has been a dream for such a long time – we feel that there is a need and a want for this kind of produce in the city centre so when it became apparent that we could create something alongside OSMA we jumped at the chance.”