All the best snaps from the big launch bash at First Street

Former Masterchef champ Simon Wood launched his eponymous debut solo restaurant in Manchester this week, with a packed house of friends, family, esteemed guests and Confidential Heroes welcoming the faithful Oldhamer into the city's booming gastronomic bosom.

Though Wood, who triumphed on TV’s most esteemed cookery competition in 2015 and has since had stints in the kitchens of Marcus Wareing, Simon Rimmer and Theo Randall, had small time for partying as he took to the pans to give guests a first taste of his 'unintimidating' fine dine fodder. (He probably had even less time for the cleaner who set the fire alarms off at 5am the next morning.)

Wood's spacious and modern 80-cover venue is now fully open to punters on Jack Rosenthal Street (behind HOME), offering three different menus: the a la carte with dishes such as pigeon with fig, endive and Belazu lardon (£9.50), and beef with burnt onion puree and truffle Madeira sauce (£35); a blind tasting menu (from £65), featuring dishes from his time on Masterchef; and a more casual bar menu offering dishes such as flat iron steak (£14.50) and spicy Josper wings (£4.50) - book yourself a table here.

Here's how the night went...

Confidential Heroes pre-party meet (Innside Melia):

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The party at WOOD Manchester:

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Jack Rosenthal Street, First Street, Manchester, M15 4RA. Email: info@woodmanchester.com (Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-late, Sunday-Monday: closed)