A NEW fine dining restaurant has recently opened in East Lancashire – and the menu looks mouth-watering.

Restaurant Metamorphica is a modern eatery in Charles Lane, Haslingden, which opened at the end of May.

Here, guests can enjoy a multi-course tasting menu filled with British and European dishes.

Owner and chef patron, Steven Halligan, said: “My food is created using a mixture of my knowledge and experience in catering, and whatever ingredients are available to us on the day.

Lancashire Telegraph: Steven HalliganSteven Halligan

“I have always had a lot of interest in sweets and have taken a lot of my cooking inspiration from exotic places I have eaten in the past, such as New York and Copenhagen as well as more local areas in England.”

Steven, 28, said he always dreamed of running his own restaurant.

Lancashire Telegraph: Inside Restaurant Metamorphica Inside Restaurant Metamorphica

He said: “I have experience in the industry, my dad encouraged me to go to catering college.

“I always wanted to have my own restaurant and never wanted to work for someone so I suppose that was the goal from the outset.”

He has been won several awards over the years, including Greater Manchester Young Chef of the Year in 2016 and 2014. 

He was also named National Chef of the Year semi-finalist in 2021.

Lancashire Telegraph: Restaurant Metamorphica Restaurant Metamorphica

Steven describes the business as “self-sufficient” and while it was opened on a budget, the interiors and food are both of high end quality.

He said: “It is a self-sufficient business that we have built from scratch without any investors.

"I have done all the carpentry, refurb and decoration myself and with the help of family.

“It was a low budget fit out but we have made the interiors as nice as we can.

“I was always told you need a huge pot of money to start a business like this but it isn’t always the case and you can open a restaurant without a bundle of money.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Cured mackerel with cucumber, thyme and parsleyCured mackerel with cucumber, thyme and parsley

The unique restaurant name is said to reflect the ethos of the business.

Steven, originally from Bury, said: “Metamorphica is a play on the word Metamorphosis.

"It represents the pressure you’re under in the kitchen it represents the growth of a restaurant from absolutely nothing to being open and hopefully flourishing.”

During its ‘soft opening’ phase, Steven is only able to serve four guests per night but is hoping to increase this number as the business expands from Monday, June 20.

He said: “I want to create an intimate experience where I can chat to guests and actually get to know them, instead of having them stuck in the corner all night waiting to be served.”

Lancashire Telegraph: Tables at Restaurant Metamorphica Tables at Restaurant Metamorphica

Steven is excited about what the future will bring.

He said: “I am both nervous and excited about the next few weeks.

"It’s been nice to get some people in and get some good feedback on what we have been doing.”

Locally sourced lamb, pigeon, almond and meadowsweet Mille Feuilles are just some dishes currently on the tasting menu, which is created based on the produce available to the restaurant at the time.  

The tasting menu is currently priced at £78 per head and consists of at least 11 courses.