Our limited edition festive cocktails have gone down a storm at Bottega and Cicchetti.

Now you can wow at home, by mixing up this festive treat, based on a classic.

Ingredients
• 3 cranberries
• orange wedge
• 2 oz Rye whiskey
• 1 oz cranberry syrup – simmer cranberries in sugar and water, refrigerate overnight, drain and use the liquid for your cranberry syrup
• 2 dashes bitters
• Sugar
• Ice

Method
1. If desired, rim glass with sugar.
2. Muddle the cranberries and orange wedge in a glass.
3. Add rye and cranberry syrup
4. Top with bitters and stir
5. Add ice

Enjoy!

San Carlo Unveils Plans for Exclusive Fumo Restaurant, Champagne and Cocktail Bar at Selfridges Birmingham

The multi-award winning Italian restaurant company, San Carlo Group, today unveils plans for its new Fumo restaurant, champagne and cocktail bar which is set to open at Selfridges Birmingham next month.

Fumo will be located in Selfridges on the 4^th floor with stunning views overlooking the iconic Bullring. It follows the successes of the award winning Fumo at Waterloo Street in the city and the much loved original San Carlo restaurant on Temple Street, which is about to celebrate its 25th year of trading.

Designs for the lavish, £1m 3,000 sqft new Fumo include:

• a uniquely shaped grand marble bar and feature wine displays
• solid marble tables and interior clad in fine honed Italian Arabescato marble
• bespoke, hand stitched Italian leather seating will hug the curve of the balcony area

The interior has been individually designed bringing together the very best Italian materials and craftspeople to create a sophisticated and elegant atmosphere, avoiding the elaborate and ostentatious in favour of refined simple luxury, to ensure the focus is on incredible food and ingredients.

The restaurant will serve an all-day menu of delicious, regional Italian small plate dishes to share or eat alone and the feature bar will specialise in cocktails and Laurent Perrier champagne. As with all San Carlo restaurants, attention to detail is of utmost importance, all dishes will be made using only the finest ingredients, with many flown in from produce markets in Milan and Sicily.

Commenting on the forthcoming opening, Marcello Distefano, Managing Director of San Carlo Group said: “When we opened Fumo on Waterloo Street, it was an entirely new concept, 5 years on, we’re thrilled with its success, and the recognition its received for the style of dishes and cocktails served there. Based on that success we went on to open Fumo St Martins Lane, London. Now, we’re excited to reveal our plans for Fumo, especially on this grand scale and in such an iconic space. Most importantly, the emphasis, as ever, will be on fantastic food and drinks, we want people to have a great and memorable experience when they join us.”

The new Fumo will be the third Selfridges San Carlo Group restaurant – San Carlo Bottega and Gran Cafe are situated within Selfridges Exchange Square, Manchester.

Bruce Langlands, Selfridges Food and Restaurants Director said:

“The San Carlo group are renowned for creating and providing exceptional restaurant experiences across the country, we are so excited to be bringing their FUMO concept into our iconic Birmingham department store. We look forward to welcoming our customers to the newly designed and refurnished fourth floor dining space”

Fumo is set to open next month (October) and will open:

Monday – Weds  10am – 8pm

Thursday            10am – 9pm

Friday                10am – 9pm

Saturday             9am – 9pm

Sunday               11am – 530pm

The multi-award winning Italian restaurant company, San Carlo Group today announces it’s to further expand operations in Birmingham.

The Italian family owned and run group which has 17 leading UK restaurants, including the original and hugely popular San Carlo on Temple Street and Fumo on Waterloo Street, is to open a Fumo restaurant, champagne and cocktail bar at Selfridges in Birmingham this Autumn.

Fumo will be located in Selfridges on the 4^th floor with stunning views overlooking the iconic Bullring. With a nod to the popular and critical success of its Fumo restaurants in Birmingham, Manchester and St Martins Lane, London, Fumo will serve delicious, seasonal Italian small plate dishes to share or eat alone and a feature bar will specialise in cocktails and Laurent Perrier champagne.

The £1m restaurant will be the third Selfridges San Carlo Group restaurant – San Carlo Bottega and Gran Café are situated within Selfridges Exchange Square, Manchester.

The Group’s success has been built on providing original Italian food using the freshest produce, much of which is flown in from markets in Milan and Sicily. It is this passion for food and attention to detail that has seen Fumo on Waterloo Street scoop several awards since its

launch 5 years ago including Best Italian Restaurant at the BFDH Awards and Les Routiers Restaurant of the Year.

A further 16 individually designed venues are located in Manchester, Cheshire, Liverpool, Leeds, Roundhay, Bristol, Leicester and London and further afield diners enjoy San Carlo restaurants in Qatar, Bahrain and Bangkok.

www.sancarlofumo.co.uk

Our cocktail wizards have created a tall and refreshing taste of summer for you.

Fumo’s Queen’s Kiss mixes Chase Rhubarb vodka with notes of ginger, apple and lime, poured into a tall glass over ice.

Call in and try it or have a go at home, we reckon it would be great one to enjoy in the garden.

40ml Chase Rhubarb

10ml King’s Ginger

15ml Lime Juice

50ml apple juice

Sprig of fresh rosemary

Top with ginger ale

Mix in a cocktail shaker, pour over ice and enjoy

Father’s Day is just around the corner on Sunday 18^th June. We’re offering two lucky winners the chance to treat their Dad and up to 3 friends or family to a special celebratory lunch this on us, this Father’s Day. All you need to do is post a selfie with your dad using the hashtag #dadandme to any of our Facebook or Twitter pages before 12 o’clock on Monday 12^th June.

Flying Pizza at Roundhay, Leeds offers the perfect setting for a little al fresco dining.

As the sun shines the retractable roof opens to reveal the chic dining terrace, complete with olive trees, bringing you a taste of Italy a little closer to home.

Our full a la carte menu is available to enjoy on the terrace, ideal for an occasion from an intimate lunch to a special celebration or party.

Join us at Cicchetti or Fumo in Manchester, Birmingham or London to try our new summer menus and specials.

Bursting with colour and flavour our new dishes are created to celebrate the best in new season produce, many of which is carefully selected in Italy.

Look out for asparagus, fava beans, bright green peas, pomodoro tomatoes and Sicilian lemons.

Join us at the Ideal Home show at Event City in Manchester June 8th-11^th when our our Executive Chef Filippo Pagani will be demonstrating how to make some super summery Italian dishes. If you’ve always wanted to know how to make a scallop and pea risotto or want the inside scoop on making your own ravioli then join Filippo at 11am every day in the live demo area.

This month’s dish is Risotto primavera with Scamorza – light, Summery and bursting with seasonal flavours:

Ingredients to serve four to five

• 500g carnaroli or arborio rice;
• 2 large shallots; 2 cloves garlic;
• 3 bunches of fresh asparagus;
• 3 handfuls of fresh peas;
• Vegetable stock;
• A knob of butter;
• Handful of grated Parmesan;
• 1 scamorza or some smoked cheddar or goat’s cheese;
• Fresh herbs – basil and flat-leaf parsley
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Method
Peel and blanch the asparagus in boiling water. Reserve the blanched tips for later.

In the same water, cook all the asparagus trimmings, blend and pass through a fine sieve.

Use the remaining stock to cook your rice.

Sweat the chopped garlic and shallot in the butter without letting it colour.

Add the rice, salt and pepper and toast for three minutes, coating each grain.

Add the blended asparagus and the peas and a splash of dry white wine. Allow the wine to evaporate.

Cover the rice with the hot stock used to cook your vegetables.

Keep adding stock a ladle at a time until the risotto is cooked (the rice grains are translucent when cooked through) – approx 15 – 20 minutes depending on the rice.

Remove the pan from the heat, add a knob of butter and grated Parmesan whilst stirring continuously.

Garnish with asparagus tips and shaved scamorza. Serve with a fresh mixed salad and Italian bread.

Proud of your creation? Why not tweet a photograph of your Risotto primavera with Scamorza to @SanCarlo_Group