Higher Ground
Manchester
When the acclaimed team behind Higher Ground – Joseph Otway, Richard Cossins, and Daniel Craig Martin – chose to establish their Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Manchester’s New York Street, they faced a critical challenge that could have derailed their ambitious vision. The trio, who met at Dan Barber’s renowned Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, needed to create a sophisticated kitchen capable of delivering their farm-to-table philosophy in a complex urban environment where traditional kitchen extract solutions would trigger prohibitive planning complications. CubicWorks was chosen to engineer a solution that would enable this celebrated restaurant – now regarded as one of Manchester’s finest dining destinations – to operate at the highest culinary standards while navigating the intricate planning landscape of Manchester city center.
Location
Manchester
Client
Higher Ground
Size
264m2
Duration
4 months
We delivered a comprehensive restaurant transformation that solved complex technical challenges while preserving the architectural integrity of the Faulkner House location. Our scope included innovative kitchen extract system design and installation that avoided planning complications through creative routing and positioning solutions, comprehensive building services integration to support the open-plan kitchen that has become central to Higher Ground’s dining experience, mechanical and electrical installations tailored to support both the restaurant’s sophisticated cooking methods and their commitment to sustainable operations,
and coordination of all building works to ensure the space could accommodate the team’s vision of serving seasonally-driven dishes from their Cinderwood Market Garden in Cheshire. Every solution was engineered to support a restaurant operation that would go on to receive critical acclaim and establish itself as a cornerstone of Manchester’s thriving culinary scene.
This project presented the kind of technical puzzle that would stump most contractors
Creating a fully operational restaurant kitchen in a city center location where conventional extract systems would face insurmountable planning obstacles. The fundamental challenge was engineering kitchen ventilation solutions that could handle the demands of a sophisticated open-plan kitchen while avoiding planning restrictions that typically govern such installations in dense urban environments. We needed to understand the complex interplay between building regulations, planning permissions, and environmental considerations in Manchester city center, design extract systems that could support serious culinary operations including coal-fired cooking and whole-animal butchery without compromising neighboring properties, and coordinate all technical installations while preserving the architectural character that would become integral to Higher Ground’s distinctive atmosphere. Most critically, any failure to solve these challenges would prevent the restaurant from operating, potentially stopping one of Manchester’s most promising culinary ventures before it could begin.
The CubicWorks Difference
Our 40+ years of collective problem-solving experience proved essential when confronting challenges that required both technical expertise and creative thinking to navigate planning complexities. While others might have seen the extract system requirements as an insurmountable obstacle, we embraced the challenge as an opportunity to demonstrate our deep knowledge of building systems and planning regulations.
Our team’s understanding of Manchester’s planning landscape enabled us to identify innovative solutions that others couldn’t see, engineering extract routes and systems that met all technical requirements while avoiding the planning complications that would have delayed or prevented the project. We took genuine care to understand the culinary vision behind Higher Ground, ensuring our technical solutions supported rather than compromised the open kitchen concept that would become central to the restaurant’s identity. Our creative approach meant finding solutions that satisfied building regulations, planning requirements, and operational needs – delivering the impossible through expertise others simply don’t possess.
Higher Ground now operates as one of Manchester’s most celebrated restaurants, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand rating and widespread critical acclaim for both its exceptional food and distinctive atmosphere. The restaurant’s open-plan kitchen – made possible by our creative extract solutions – has become an integral part of the dining experience, allowing guests to witness the culinary craftsmanship that transforms ingredients from the team’s Cheshire farm into award-winning dishes. The successful resolution of the planning challenges has enabled Higher Ground to establish itself as a flagship of Manchester’s dining scene, demonstrating that technical innovation and creative problem-solving can overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. Most importantly, our work has contributed to Manchester’s reputation as a world-class culinary destination, enabling a restaurant that showcases the best of British seasonal cooking while operating in the heart of the city without compromise.
Creative Engineering Where Others See Only Obstacles
When culinary vision meets urban complexity, you need contractors who understand that technical challenges and planning restrictions aren’t roadblocks but puzzles waiting for creative solutions.
Our work at Higher Ground demonstrates why we’re the experienced problem-solvers that visionary restaurateurs trust with their most critical projects – taking responsibility others won’t accept and engineering solutions that transform planning obstacles into operational excellence, enabling exceptional dining experiences in the heart of Manchester.
CubicWorks