Old Pulteney Pairs with Top Chef Aiden Byrne for New Food Focus

Wick-based Maritime Malt Old Pulteney has today (Monday 29^th February) announced a new partnership for 2016 with one of the rising stars of the UK culinary scene, Aiden Byrne.

Aiden, who is Chef Patron at Manchester House and chef / owner of The Church Green British Grill in Lymm, will act as an ambassador for Old Pulteney at some of the UK’s leading food and drink events throughout the year.

The collaboration is a first for Aiden and will see him create special food pairings and menus to serve with each award-winning Old Pulteney expression – all inspired by the single malt whisky’s distinctive flavours and faint hint of the sea.

Teaming up with Aiden is part of the brand’s new marketing campaign which will build on Old Pulteney’s long standing commitment to UK sailing and adventure, with a drive to grow awareness amongst the country’s thriving food and drink scene.

Aiden started 2016 with a visit to the Pulteney Distillery in Wick to immerse himself in the rich maritime heritage and traditional crafting of the whisky, enjoying a personal masterclass with Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager, Margaret Mary Clarke.

A busy programme of food festivals, tasting events and ambassador activity has also been planned for 2016 to bring a fresh taste of this distinctive malt whisky and Aiden’s delicious food to new audiences.

Old Pulteney Senior Brand Manager Margaret Mary Clarke commented: ‘Old Pulteney has been gaining a reputation as an excellent accompaniment for food, and our aim in 2016 is to explore the possibilities in this area, as well as continuing to celebrate our maritime heritage. We are great admirers of Aiden’s food and the exceptional creativity and quality that he brings to each dish. He is without doubt one of the most exciting and up and coming chefs in the UK and we are really pleased to have brought him on board for Old Pulteney and to see – and of course taste – his creations.’

Aiden Byrne added: ‘It’s unusual for me to take on a partnership such as this, but the quality of Old Pulteney and the opportunity to learn more about the craft of whisky making from the experts in Wick was too good to turn down. I think I was fairly typical of many people who would like to know more about malt whisky but didn’t really know where to start, so for me, enjoying whisky with food across lots of different culinary styles is a great idea. I can’t wait to get into the kitchen to start creating some wonderful food to share with drinkers around the country.’ 

Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Old Pulteney is one of the world’s finest and most distinctive single malt Scotch whiskies. Known as the ‘Maritime Malt’, it is crafted in the windswept coastal town of Wick, home to the Pulteney Distillery which is one of the most northerly on the Scottish mainland. The distillery was established in 1826 in the heart of ‘Pulteneytown’, the town created to house fishermen during Wick’s famous herring boom which drew a fleet of over 1000 boats and 7000 workers to this remote and rugged harbour.

Old Pulteney is the embodiment of this place, its people and its remarkable history. The skilled Pulteney Distillery team continues to craft whisky using the most traditional and time-honoured techniques that most others have long abandoned. This includes the uniquely shaped Pulteney stills, which are reflected in the design of the Old Pulteney bottle on shelves today.

Matured in hand-selected oak casks, the resulting whisky has been acclaimed for its excellence, its smooth drinking style and faint hint of the sea. Old Pulteney holds the coveted title of ‘World Whisky of the Year’ for 2012 in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible – one of the industry’s highest accolades. The whisky also achieved top ten status in the UK single malt market in 2012 and is flourishing in many other countries around the world.

Old Pulteney continues to celebrate all things related to its maritime heritage and is renowned for its long standing support of sailing adventure across the globe. In 2015 the whisky announced a partnership to raise vital funds for the global maritime charity The Mission to Seafarers, the organisation that cares for the world’s 1.5 million men and women who face danger each day while working at sea. Old Pulteney will donate £1 from every bottle of Old Pulteney 12 Year Old sold in 2015 to the charity, aiming to raise £30,000 to support their work providing counsel and friendship for merchant seafarers in need – whether they are stranded, isolated or far from home. 

Aiden Byrne

At the age of 16 Aiden left school knowing he wanted to be a chef, and he enrolled at college in Liverpool and completed a two-year qualification. As soon he began his training he knew he had made the right decision as cooking became second nature to him. Whilst at college he also got his first taste of life in a professional kitchen in a small hotel in Cheshire called Stanneylands – he was well and truly hooked.

After leaving college Aiden got a job in the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London. This was his first exposure to a full-on, intense catering and the experience was invaluable. He stayed at the Royal Garden for a year then had the opportunity to work closer to home at the Arkle restaurant in the Chester Grosvenor which held a Michelin star. Creating dishes for fine dining became his passion and after two years he moved onto another Michelin star restaurant called Pool Court in West Yorkshire.

Adlards restaurant in Norwich was Aiden’s next position, here he was persuaded into the head chef position and after 6 months gained his first Michelin star. Aiden was just 22 at the time, making him the youngest chef to ever receive a Michelin star. After 4 years at Adlards he then headed back to London to work for Tom Aikens at Pied A Terre (incidentally Tom was the youngest chef to achieve 2 Michelin stars at 26). Following a couple of years in London, Aiden then moved on to Dublin and worked in the Commons restaurant for 4 years – and they were was awarded a Michelin star after 8 months. After receiving a phone call from his old pal Tom Aikens, Aiden returned to London to be head chef of his new restaurant in Chelsea, where he stayed for 3 years before leaving for the Dorchester.

It was time to head back north after the Dorchester so, along with his wife, Sarah, they bought The Church Green in Lymm. The Church Green held 3 rosettes for 4 years and we also won AA English restaurant of the year for 2012.

In May 2012 Aiden met Tim Bacon, the CEO of Living Ventures, and they clicked. They immediately started working on the concept that is Manchester House, where Aiden is currently head chef. Since opening, the restaurant has won a host of awards and accolades and continues to shine as a jewel in Manchester’s gastronomic crown. Sarah continues to run The Church Green, which Aiden still oversees.

2015 has also seen Aiden start development with Tim Bacon & Living Ventures on a revolutionary enterprise in the heart of Liverpool. Aiden will be opening a new restaurant, in the same vain as MH, in the iconic Cunard Building on Liverpool’s waterfront. What makes this such an exciting project is that alongside the restaurant, Aiden will also be running an academy where he will develop and nurture the talents of new chefs who will then join the teams at each of his venues. This is a huge ambition of Aiden’s, to give those with the passion the start and opportunities he had, and one that is made even more special by being in his home city.

Alongside Aiden’s highly successful restaurant career, he has also been a familiar face on a host of popular culinary Television shows. His appearances include Masterchef (BBC) Saturday Kitchen (BBC), Sunday Brunch ( C4), Great British Menu – 4 Series (BBC), The Good Food Show (Food Network) and most recently his work at Manchester House has been the topic of a hit documentary show on BBC: Restaurant Wars – The Battle for Manchester. Aiden is also currently working on a new BBC show, with details to be revealed later this year.

Aiden’s first book– Made In Great Britain – was published in 2008 to much critical acclaim. His second book, based on his creations for Manchester House is currently in development.