Feast for thousands at Foodie Friday
THOUSANDS of people flocked to Stockport Market Place for the August Bank Holiday Foodie Friday to sample street food ranging from quesadillas to dumplings.
Since its inception more than four years ago, Foodie Friday has become a regular fixture in the town’s calendar, offering a feast of food and live music on the last Friday of every month.
On Friday, August 25, the warm weather drew people to the event early, and by 6pm the market place was bustling with groups of friends, work colleagues and families.
Many of the regular food traders are based in Stockport, including I Knead Pizza, ArtiSam, Somtam Street, B’Spoke Coffee and Oh My Glaze. Inside the market hall, the regular market traders served wine, prosecco, cocktails and craft ales while the crowds enjoyed the entertainment.
There was live music, both in the market hall and nearby venue Seven Miles Out, from up-andcoming bands and musicians.
Among the performers were 16-year-olds Jordan Price and Joe Myers, 11-year-old Ellie Stewart, 11-year-old twin brothers The Red Shells, teenage duo The Printers, singer-songwriters Ian Lockett, and Elmo Ashall-Kelly and Dr Uke playing R‘n’B, rock and garage with ukuleles.
Last year Foodie Friday was awarded title of Best Pop Up Event, Club or Project by the Manchester Food and Drink Festival and it has boosted the town’s economy, with visitors packing out venues around the market each month, including Bakers Vaults, Remedy Bar and Brewhouse, Robinsons Brewery Visitors Centre and The Petersgate Tap.
The Seven Miles Out management team has now launched a proposal to make Foodie Friday a permanent part of a modern market, in a bid to revitalise Stockport’s produce hall, which Stockport Council is in the process of putting out to tender.
The online proposal has had support from more than 3,000 people and can be viewed at www. stockportproducehall. co.uk.
For more information on Foodie Friday, visit www.skfoodiefriday.co. uk.