Mel Meets.....Lowry Hotel Pastry Head Chef Rinin Biggs
Word on the Salford/Manchester border is that there’s a very good pastry chef working culinary magic at The Lowry Hotel by the name of Rinin Biggs. With this in mind, I popped down to say hello and try their popular afternoon tea.
Lovely to meet you Rinin, tell me about the current menu. Well I’ve changed the afternoon tea (a few of times now) as we’re trying to change it every month. The July one is coming up as well as the desserts on the monthly rotating Chef’s Choice Menu - so it keeps me busy.
Wow, that seems like a lot of dishes to come up with every month! Even the a la carte? No no, the a la carte is usually updated every six months, although we’re due to replace this in the coming week too!
So with your a la carte menu, how does it all come together? Well Head Chef comes up with the starters and mains, then I give him the list of desserts. He then matches it up with the rest of the menu to balance everything so it’s fluid.
How long have you worked here? Not long at all, I joined in February.
Really? How have you settled into the role? It’s good so far!
Where were you before? I was in the heart of London in a similar hotel called the Le Meridien in Piccadilly Circus. Similar to here, although the hours are much better!
And where were you trained? I was originally training in food and beverage management. My parents run a restaurant in Indonesia and I studied there. I then came to the UK and worked in London moving around all areas of the kitchen; starters, mains, sauces, CDP, commis. They had a very good pastry chef who was very supportive and showed me how things worked. First of all just helping, but eventually doing the desserts themselves. It was then that I realised that I really liked it and wanted to focus on that area of the kitchen. I like working with pastry and because I get to be creative and take my time it’s very therapeutic. When you realise you enjoy doing something, you should do it!
So you mentioned the family business. Is this where the inspiration came from? Oh yes, my parents really wanted me to do this; especially my mother so was pushing me to get into the food and beverage industry. So in many ways I had no choice!!
So going back to the desserts here; is there one which stands out as a favourite? Oh yes, the soufflé I make; the coconut soufflé which can be a real challenge. It takes time to prepare and make, plus if you get it wrong you get it WRONG!
Will that become your signature dish? I would like that yes. It has the wow factor, tastes great, I enjoy making it and it is technically accomplished.
Is there a particular ingredient or fruit that you enjoy cooking with or being creative with the most? Sugar work would be my favourite. Although I’m not the best, I really enjoy working with it and you can make it look incredible with little work. Plus you can add some sugar work to most desserts.
Are your cooking technique classical or do you experiment with molecular methods? No, I’m primarily classical but having been on a course recently so can use some modern methods - tempering chocolate etc. Found a way to make it easy and quick but still look impressive.
Away from work, since moving to Manchester - have you found any good restaurants you like? Well strangely I’ve not even been to the city centre since coming here. I work very hard so haven’t experienced Manchester yet!
The restaurant was recently awarded an Excellence Award by The British Tea Guild. Are awards important to you? Yes, it was nice to receive this. One of our chefs is currently in the semi finals of a pastry competition.
What about AA rosettes or Michelin stars? I would very much like a rosette for the pastry, would be some achievement. We change the menus often to keep it fresh. Hopefully we’ll pick one up one day!
Any future aspirations? One day I’d like to have my own place - maybe in the UK, maybe back home!
Best of luck with everything Rinin, think I need to stick around and try some of your desserts!
Posted: Thursday 16th June 2016
ID: 2911 - 1708
About River Restaurant
Executive Chef Dave Ashton’s menu uses the best local and seasonal produce that the hotel is famous for and creating classic British dishes to a high standard. His favourite starters include pan fried scallops with scallop ceviche, peanut, lime and avocado and A5 Wagyu beef with celeriac remoulade, ponzu and wasabi dressing. Mains include wild line caught sea bass with cockle minestrone, courgette and basil puree. Meat lovers will be delighted to see a Rump of lamb Cheshire Farm lamb with lamb fat carrot, roast onion, braised rib and mint sauce. Our famous sharing dishes of Beef Wellington and our 42oz Cheshire Farm Tomahawk steak.
The adjoining River Bar and Terrace encapsulates The Lowry Hotel’s fun-loving spirit at the confluence of city life. Here you’ll find in the intimate, informal surroundings a quiet place to network, drink and kick-back with a perfectly mixed cocktail, club sandwich, salad, or more substantial dish from our menu. The cosy Library is tucked away at one end. Open until late, this is a place to enjoy our signature cocktails.
Here you will also find Manchester’s longest bar terrace — an open-air first-floor terrace for al fresco dining where you can enjoy a drink or meal from the bar or restaurant. Open year-round, The Terrace is perfect for summer afternoon get-togethers in this urban suntrap overlooking the River Irwell.
The bar and restaurant at The Lowry Hotel provide the perfect place to relax and enjoy good food and drink, offering breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner on a daily basis, with a great Chefs Choice Menu offering 2 courses for £19.95 and three courses for £24.95 and a three course Sunday lunch for £22.50. Our Afternoon Tea is available for £22.50 per person or upgrade to our Champagne Afternoon Tea for £33.00.
On Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons you will also be entertained with live pianist and singer Kimm.
The River Bar and Restaurant as you know it will be closing in July but don’t worry, we will be back in September with a brand-new restaurant and bar, during this time we will be serving, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner in our grand ballroom during this period.
Here is a short video of the preparation of the Watermelon dessert on this month's Chef Choice Menu.
