READY FOR A TASTE OF THE GOOD TIMES?
MANCHESTER FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL WILL GET UNDER WAY NEXT WEEK
THE Manchester Food and Drink Festival will officially get under way next week, the first major event to take place in the city since the Covid-19 pandemic began. It’s always one of the biggest dates in Manchester’s food calendar, attracting some of the region’s best chefs, producers and operators as well as thousands of visitors.
MFDF will take on a new format for 2020, in line with government guidance to ensure guests and staff are kept safe.
Events will take place right across the city centre, but the heart of the action will be the Festival Hub at Cathedral Gardens.
The site will be split into two zones - the Feasting Quarter (a craft beer bar, street food village and live music stage) and the Festival Market (showcasing some of the best traders and producers in the north west).
The new Covid-safe format will see an entirely seated festival for the Feasting Quarter, with guests able to book tables in advance and order food and drink from any vendor to their seats via a new app.
Capacities will also be limited, with all tables under cover and full table service.
The festival will take place over 12 days, starting from Thursday.
MFDF 2020’s official dates are September 24 to October 4, but the hub at Cathedral Gardens won’t be open seven days a week this year.
The Festival Hub will welcome visitors between 11am and 11pm from Thursday to Sunday September 27, and then again from Thursday, October 4 to Sunday October 4.
Other events will take place at venues right across Greater Manchester throughout the whole 12 day period, before the festival wraps up with the annual MFDF Awards.
You can pre-book a table for the
Festival Hub for a £5 reservation fee at manchesterfoodanddrinkfestival. nutickets.com/tablereservation20.
What street food will be at the Feasting Quarter?
A new raft of street food vendors will pitch up at Cathedral Gardens over the two weekends - so there’s plenty of reasons to visit more than once.
Here’s your full line-up for the 2020 festival.
September 24 to 27
What’s Your Beef - grass-fed beef burgers
Grandad’s Sausages - gourmet British hotdogs
Wallace and Sons - handmade bao and gyoza
The Spinn - wraps, wings and halloumi fries
Maison BREiZH - Breton galettes and crêpes
Ginger’s Comfort Emporium - ice cream and sorbet Bundobust - vegetarian Indian street food and craft beer
October 1 to 4
Parmogeddon - parmos Halloumination - halloumi fries and burgers
Patty and Press - locally-sourced burgers
I Knead Pizza - Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizza
Hanoi 75 - Vietnamese banh mi and bao
GupShup - Indian street food and ‘naanwiches’
Spoons Desserts - crepes and waffles
What about to drink?
A Manchester beer bar will be the focal point of the Festival Hub, serving up a huge range of regional beers.
But there’s plenty for non-beer lovers too - here’s your drinks line-up.
The Manchester Beer Bar - regional beers and a special cider showcase
Salvi’s Aperitif Bar - authentic Italian drinks including spritzes,
espresso martinis, and wines from Salvi’s, plus deli boards
Franklin & Sons Gin & Tonic Garden - premium tonics served with local Manchester craft gins
The EatWellMCR Takeover
IN the midst of the UK’s lockdown, some of Greater Manchester’s most influential hospitality experts banded together to form EatWellMCR, getting food to those most affected by the pandemic.
Founded by Creameries owner Mary-Ellen McTague, the collective will now have their very own kitchen takeover to continue the fundraising efforts.
The line-up for the EatWellMCR takeover is:
Thursday - Konoba
Friday, September 25 - Little Window Altrincham
Saturday, September 26 - Blackbird Pantry
Sunday, September 27 - Erst Thursday, October 1 - Elite Bistros Friday, October 2- ARMR Store Saturday, October 3 - Tampopo Sunday, October 4 - The Creameries
Live music at the CityLife stage
THIS year’s CityLife stage may be Covid-secure, but there’s still an impressive line-up on the cards.
Opening the festival on Thursday will be Mr. Wilsons Second Liners, a New Orleans-style band known for their colourful costumers and brass instruments.
This will be followed by a DJ set by Clint Boon.
Manchester’s own The Lottery Winners will perform on Thursday, October 1 as part of the CityLife takeover.
Also taking to the stage will be Northern Irish X Factor finalist Janet Devlin (Sunday, September 27), Freya Beer (Friday, October 2) and Jenna and the Gs (Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26).
Hits Radio presenter and Girls on Film founder Hattie Pearson is playing two DJ sets over the festival, on the evenings of Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, October 4, while Smiths’ drummer Mike Joyce will DJ on October 2.
Other artists playing at the festival include Dave Fidler, Test Card Girl, The Big Society Band, Taff Jr, Lucie Meiselle performing with Sunday Best Jazz and Hypnojive, The Soul Carousel, Adam Smikle, Lindsay Munroe, and Merge the Birds.
Who will be trading at The Market Place?
THE Market Place at the Festival Hub will be an artisan shopping experience made up of some of the region’s best independent producers.
There will be two separate line ups across the two weekends, which will include Chorlton Cheese Mongers, Companio Bakery, Great
North Pie Co, Manchester Cheesecake Company, HM Pasties, Samosa Shack, Café Cannoli, The Gourmet Brownie Company, DevilDog Sauces, The Sunrise Patisserie and an Eat Well MCR Market Place.
As this year’s sponsors, JustEat will also bring some of the city’s best food to its very own street food hut, including Yard & Coop, Ply, Zouk, and Vertigo.
Ten per cent of the money taken at the JustEat Kitchen will go to food charity FoodCycle, helping to feed vulnerable people.
What else is on?
AS usual, there will be plenty of MFDF events happening at venues all over Greater Manchester.
The duo behind Higher Ground will be taking over the penthouse apartments at the towering Moda Angel Gardens for special supper clubs.
Joseph Otway (ex-head chef of Where The Light Gets In in Stockport and ex-Relæ in Copenhagen) and Richard Cossins will serve a four-course meal with paired wines and panoramic views of Manchester, from 100m high.
Renowned local chef - and a regular on BBC’s Great British Menu - Adam Reid will host a special evening of food and matched wines.
The events will take place on Thursday, October 1 (£140 per person), and on Friday October 2 and Saturday, October 3 (£180 per person).
New for this year will be a partnership with some of the best food and drink independents in Urmston, showcasing the town’s diverse eating and drinking scene.
Special menus and festival offers will appear across the town, as well as a pop-up mini market on the M41 site on Railway Road on Saturday, September 26 and an artisan market on Saturday, October Peruvian-inspired residency Peru Perdu, currently in situ on Whitworth Street, will be hosting a ceviche masterclass.
Ticket-holders will gain a unique insight into the mechanics and flavourings of Peru’s most famous dish, washed down with house pisco sours, before sitting down to a full feasting menu.
Finally, the festival will wrap up with the MFDF Awards on October 5, which will this year be streamed live and hosted by BBC Radio Manchester’s Becky Want and BBC Radio 6 Music/Fodder’s Matt White.
Can I take part at home?
ABSOLUTELY - MFDF organisers understand that not everyone will be willing or able to attend this year’s celebration, so have created a special at-home offering too.
Teaming up with some of the best chefs around, they’re launching DIY delivery kits.
Grandad’s Sausages, Blue Caribou Canteen, Taste of Honey and Yao Yao Noodles are all taking part.