When 10 Tib Lane first opened its doors in 2021, it took the team behind the city centre restaurant five years to receive recognition in the Michelin Guide. But for their sister venue, it took just eight months.
Earlier this month, Posie, on Marble Street within Spring Gardens, was mentioned in the prestigious publication – known as a culinary bible – where it was praised for its global wine list and its s expansive collection of more than 30 classic and bespoke cocktails and mocktails. It was also heralded for its small plates selection which had ‘plenty of flavour bursting out’.
“It really came out of the blue for us,” co-owner Sophie Robson tells the Manchester Evening News of the recognition. “When 10 Tib Lane was mentioned a few months ago, it was like the recognition that we thought we deserved because we’d been working so hard for five years.
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“We’ve been striving towards brilliance there and to get our food to the highest of standards and getting to know people so that we would be seen as one of those top restaurants in the city. But that was a long time coming for us.
“So, to then open Posey and for it to then get mentioned in the guide eight months after opening was just absolutely fantastic.”
The Cauliflower & Guinness Rarebit at Posie was praised in particular by the Michelin Guide(Image: Posie)
Sophie opened Posie in a former Philpotts sandwich shop in October alongside the 10 Tib Lane team consisting of her partner and cocktail pro Joe White, and former CBRB founder Ben Gretton. Named after the flower, its title takes inspiration from the botanicals and flavours used to make up its range of cocktails.
Its inclusion in the Michelin Guide is also more prevalent due to the fact that they are a cocktail bar, rather than a restaurant. “It’s actually still a bit of a rarity,” Sophie explains. “They made quite a point of the fact that we’re a cocktail bar that has really amazing food to go alongside it. It puts us in quite a separate bracket from most other places because of that.”
The decision to expand offerings with Posie, which is situated just five minutes away from 10 Tib Lane, came about out of the trio’s love for curating expertly-crafted drinks.
The team behind Posie, with Sophie centre(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Highlights on the menu include the show-stoppers like the Crunchy Nut, including Mellow Corn Whiskey, Amontillado Sherry and served with a peanut honeycomb, or the Raspberry Ripple, featuring a mix of gin, Campari, Dolin Rouge and topped with a Lacto Fermented Raspberry.
Sophie’s suggestion would be the Jalisco Soda, consisting of El Rayo Plata Tequila, Lillet Blanc, Champagne cordial, and soda served in a highball glass and topped with an olive. It’s proved to be a popular choice so far.
“Tequila is having a massive moment at the minute and as soon as people try it they’re caught in their tracks,” Sophie says. “It’s really light and refreshing, it’s one of those drinks that people tell us they try to recreate at their garden parties.”
The Raspberry Ripple cocktail at Posie(Image: Posie)
In terms of food, Posie’s menu includes a varied mix of the likes of spiced lamb koftas, stuffed Gordal olives, and a pork sausage and white cream fettuccine, as well as hash browns and a sticky honey toast.
“We actually originally had the sticky honey toast down as a dessert because it comes with Baron Bigod cheese,” she explains. “But it’s one of them that really kind of blurs the lines between what it can be. It really helps cut through the Martini-style drinks and works with those flavours. Everytime people try it, they’re like ‘wow, I wasn’t expecting it’. It’s always a positive reaction.”
When it came to opening Posie, Sophie, who is also behind the Henry C neighbourhood bar in Chorlton, said they had the tried-and-tested experience of the two venues to help them launch with a strong and defining message of what they wanted to be.
Inside Posie, on Marble Street(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
“We realised with 10 Tib Lane that once you’re labelled as something, it’s incredibly hard to then step away with that,” she laughs. “We never wanted it to be a French bistro, but that’s one of the things that it was often called and it was very hard to shift that once it was out there.
“So, with Posey, it was about ensuring we were a cocktail bar first and foremost, that also does these really amazing dishes they compliment that. We’ve got our head chefs at both sites, and that means that we’ve got these very great standards across the board.”
In fact, being so close to one another, some customers often venture into the luxurious by dipping their toes into both 10 Tib Lane and Posie on the same evening.
Sophie at Posie(Image: Posie)
“We have a lot of our regulars from Henry C who will come into town and will go to both sites,” she explains. “There’s also a lot of people who will take up the opportunity to enjoy the Happy Hours at both places. They both run from 12pm to 4pm and have the same offer of £8 cocktails and £1 oysters but they will often switch up the surroundings during that time and then be in bed for 7pm.”
Whilst Sophie admits it is still difficult to run not alone one venue but three right now, she says she and those who make up the hospitality sector do it because of a passion for it.
“I think being a small business, you realise there isn’t really a hospitality school which will really show you how to successfully run and operate a business,” she says. “You only get that kind of understanding by doing it for yourself.
Sticky Honey Brioche with Baron Bigod and Thyme(Image: Posie)
“Obviously, you can go to culinary school, or you can learn hospitality at university, but until you’re actually serving customers and opening the doors each day, you don’t really get a proper understanding of how everything truly works.
“I think from opening Henry C ten years ago, we’ve learnt so much. We’ve learnt through doing things wrong, making them right and getting through all the other challenges that have headed our way.
“They say you won’t make a profit in hospitality until at least two years. 10 Tib Lane was only successful after 18 months, that’s something you have to factor in – that it’s a lot of hard work to establish and build your name and reputation. It’s far from easy, but we do it because we love what we do.”
Posie only opened in October last year(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)
Posie also has the distinction of having an all-female kitchen management team – featuring Head and Sous Chefs Britt, Sophie and Sian – which she believes also sets it apart with in an industry which is still often quite male-led.
And, ultimately, Sophie says it helps being around such great industry leaders – especially in a city like Manchester which is fast gaining a reputation for its thriving cocktail scene.
Asked why the city is emerging as a hotspot for a good drink, Sophie says it all comes down to the service. “I feel like Mancunians like an independent business, they like to reward hard work,” she suggests “People here are happy to support somewhere where they know the staff are looked after and somewhere that is feeding back into the local economy.
“And, as an independent, you can be more creative and you can bring all these ideas you have into what you do. You don’t have to go through head office to get an idea onto a menu, it’s a lot easier for us to make those decisions.
The Gilda Oysters were also highlighted by the Michelin Guide(Image: Posie)
“We are very lucky that we have so many great independent and small businesses on our doorstep, we have Blinker, Speak in Code, Stray, and Bar Shrimp who are all doing amazing things and then of course we have Schofields, which has one of the best cocktail bar accolades in the country.
“Manchester has allowed these businesses to thrive because they have supported them in their creative journey. They all do amazing, incredible things that they couldn’t do without that. When you can just tell that the team enjoys the job and can communicate with guests about aspects of the menu, people are willing to support and encourage that.”
Posie is on 17 Marble St, Spring Gardens, Manchester M2 3AW.