Dan Merriman stole the nation’s hearts as he cooked his way to the MasterChef: The Professionals title in 2024 and has taken on the role of development chef at Little Beast, which has opened at Medlock Square, just beside the Etihad Stadium.
Built around the British agricultural calendar, the restaurant will change as ingredients come into season, championing the best of British seasonal produce.
Dan said: “I started in kitchens at 15; I have worked in many different places across the country. I have now arrived at Medlock Square as a development chef.
“The easiest way to describe it is rooted in Britain, inspired by seasons. It is all about great British produce, cooking really simply and letting the produce speak for itself.
“I always look at the product first and what is going to be best with that product at that time. What is going to highlight it, not mask it.”
Originating from Worcester, the 29-year-old took up the role of senior sous chef at the Black Bull Inn, in Old Langho, having worked at some of the region’s most glamorous establishments.
These include Michelin-starred Plas Bodegroes, The AA 3-Rosette Cottage in the Wood, Fishmore Hall in Ludlow and most recently Northcote in Langho.
An emotional Dan thanked the judges and said the competition has been “life-changing”, after his win.
Dan added: “Every chef I have worked for and every kitchen I have been to, I take the things that are best and adapt them to myself and my cooking.
“You can’t invent something in cooking; someone has already done it, and it is inspiration, and it is passed down.”
Dishes currently include cured trout pastrami with whipped crème fraîche, chicken ballotine with mushroom purée and truffle sauce, and a 500g bone-in sirloin steak designed for sharing.