Manchester Day 2018 – where to find the best grub this Sunday

Manchester has never been a city to hide its light under a bushel. If something good happens, we tend to shout about it. We take pride in our achievements and pull together when times get tough. Our city hosts a variety of prominent annual national events, conferences and concerts – and our two eponymous football teams attract visitors from all over the world.

But once a year, in mid-June, we really go to town celebrating all that is good about our fair city with Manchester Day – a free family day out where thousands of costumed citizens and community groups parade through the streets from Beetham Tower to Exchange Square (1pm to 2.30pm)

Between midday and 6pm (Sunday 17 June) the three city centre squares – St Ann’s, Exchange and Cathedral Gardens - will also play host to a dazzling array of performances, decorations and, of course excellent street food traders and bars serving a selection of beers from the best Manchester breweries.

Here’s a round up of some of the best places to visit, eat and drink on Manchester Day this year.

Albert Square

The front of the Town Hall will host a roster of traders ranging from wood-fired pizzas from Proove Pizza and spicy cuisine from Som Tom Thai. American fast food is well represented with hot dogs from Diamond Dogs while vegetarian and vegan offerings will be served by Ottomen. For those with a sweet tooth there'll be fresh hot churros from Love Churros and plenty of luxury ice cream. Kro Bar will be there with liquid refreshment.

Cathedral Gardens

Pizza lovers will be able to get their fix over on this side of town too from Doughology. Rockin' Buddha will be offering vegan Chinese food. There’ll be New York style bagels from Eat New York and Cypriot cuisine from Cyprus Kouzina. Manchester Coffee will serve their locally roasted beans along with ice cream from Grandpa Greene’s.

St Ann’s Square

I Knead Pizza will be joined by BBC's Million Pound Menu contestants Wholesome Junkies, Korean fried chicken from Woks Cluckin' and waffles from Eat Dutch. Lots of ice cream will be doled out by Madfredi and the award winning Ginger’s Comfort Emporium.

If you need a little sit down somewhere after enjoying the parade, a few Manchester restaurants and bars have created some special concoctions in honour of the day.

Wood Restaurant on First Street is celebrating with a couple of Mancunian themed food and drink offerings. Oldham-born Masterchef winner, Simon Wood, will be serving a limited edition a Manchester Egg dish (£4.50) - a northern twist on the classic Scotch egg, with Bury black pudding, scotch quail eggs and Blackjack beer brown sauce. 

To wash down your Mancunian snack, Wood is also serving up the classic Manchester Tart (£9.50)... in drink form. This cocktail includes elements of the popular pud; raspberry vodka, coconut and cherries just like the original recipe.

If you’re heading towards Piccadilly train station after the parade, then you’ve got a great excuse to make a pit stop at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel to check out Store Street’s brand new terrace. On Manchester Day you could try one of their Manchester gin cocktails or take advantage of their special day’s buy-one-get-one-free offer on pints of J W Lees Manchester Pale Ale.