An East Lancashire restaurant is combining food with art as it launches an exhibition inside the eatery.
Metamorphica, on Charles Lane in Haslingden, has collaborated with an artist in order to bring ‘The Birds’ exhibition to life.
Diners will now be able to view drawings of different birds, created by Mirjam Scharer, and are able to buy prints or commission a piece of art of their own.
Owner and chef patron Steven Halligan, who opened the modern restaurant in June 2022, said the exhibition has been going well so far.
He said: “It launched at the start of April and it’s been a success already. Mirjam has already been commissioned to draw a piece of art for a customer.
“She’s a tattoo artist who lives in Haslingden and has been trained at an art school.”
Ducks, swallows and snipes are just some of the bird drawings available at the exhibition.
“The theme had to fit in with the restaurant,” said Steven. “Nature art fits in with the space – and we also have a lot of birds on the menu.”
Metamorphica, known for its seasonal multi-course tasting menu, only serves a handful of guests at a time and the dining experience can last up to four hours, giving guests plenty of time and space to view the art.
Steven said: “They’re on an exhibition wall that is front and centre in the restaurant so people can view it while they are dining.
“The dining experience is three or four hours long so there is plenty of time for them to be viewed.
“It’s also quite relaxed and quiet with only around six diners at a time, so it’s a great opportunity to look at the art.”
According to Steven, food and art go well together.
He said: “Food is quite artistic anyway. We get a lot of comment from customers saying our food is more like art, so I think the two go hand in hand.
“It’s always nice to build a community and work alongside other creative people. It’s nice to know we are supporting people from the town and celebrating someone who is really talented at what they do.”
Steven said the last year at Metamorphica has been a success and says more art exhibitions like this could be coming in summer.
He said: “It’s been going really well and we have gained a lot of repeat customers over the last year.
“When I first opened I was crossing my fingers that anyone would turn up so it’s been really nice to see the same faces returning.
“We are hoping to run another art project in summer and thinking about doing a butterfly version of the exhibition.
“We as a restaurant are keen to collaborate on projects with local creatives in many different fields.
“Please get in touch if you wish to work together on a project.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here