Mary-Ellen McTague is an award-winning Manchester chef and was head chef at Aumbry in Prestwich, which opened in 2009.

She grew up north of Bury, in Lancashire, and left university to cook for touring bands at Manchester’s Roadhouse. Keen to gain more experience, she became the first female chef at Michelin-starred country house hotel Sharrow Bay.

She joined The Fat Duck in 2002 and progressed from the pastry section to become sous chef under Heston Blumenthal and Ashley Palmer-Watts. She then worked on historical research and development at The Hind’s Head, contributing dishes to The Fat Duck’s menu.

In 2006 she left The Fat Duck and worked for Lancashire restaurateur Paul Heathcote before moving on to Ramsons, the award-winning restaurant in Ramsbottom.

Aumbry opened in Prestwich on a shoestring, and evolved to serve a thoughtful, contemporary British menu – starting with bread and warm dripping – which draws on historical influences and the best and most unusual of British seasonal produce. Mary-Ellen appeared on BBC2’s Great British Menu in 2013 and reached the North West finals.

Aumbry closed in August 2014 and she now works as Executive Chef for the Real Junk Food Project Manchester and Manchester Art Gallery as well as working on opening a new site of her own later in 2017.