Organisers have also announced the (fingers crossed) dates for this year’s annual event
The Manchester Food and Drink Festival (MFDF) has devoted various online platforms to create a portal to promote the local hospitality industry as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. As well as the MFDF website and social media channels, they have now introduced a new MFDFTV You Tube channel which aims to be the city’s virtual food festival until they’re able to host the real thing. The 2020 Festival dates have been announced as 24th September - 5th October.
The industry is showing itself to be resilient, adaptable and a united front in the face of the current situation
Many of Manchester’s restaurants and bars have so far delivered an inspiring show of support and altruism, by adapting in all sorts of ways from completely contactless meal delivery to feeding NHS heroes for free.
MFDF aims to bring the city’s food and drink industry together via a platform which showcases all these amazing initiatives, supports local and independent businesses and provides a hub of activity for food fans at home.
The new dedicated MFDFTV Channel on You Tube will provide recipe videos and tutorials from local chefs and producers, and there’ll even be virtual wine tastings allowing Manchester’s dining community to learn from the very best while staying at home. MFDFTV is now live and is already loaded up with ‘at home’ recipe ideas from some of the city’s favourite food personalities covering seasonal food topics like ice cream making, creating your own ‘fake away’ nights in and how to make your own perfect pasta.
This includes:
- Claire Kelsey - Ginger’s Comfort Emporium: How to make Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Vegan Ice Cream
- Simon Wood - WOOD Manchester: How to make Salt & Pepper Chips
- Maurizio & Sienna Cecco - Salvi’s: How to make Pasta Fagioli
More recipes will be added soon from many local food legends including David Fox from Tampopo, Terry Huang from Chish & Fips by Umezushiand Adam Reid, Adam Reid at The French.
MFDF’s first virtual wine tasting will be hosted by Kate Goodman from Reserve Wines. Reserve’s fantastic delivery service means that wine lovers are still able to support independent merchants and enjoy drinking and learning about some spectacular wines without leaving their home.
Reserve is offering a special value mixed case of whites and reds for only £38. A full tutored tasting of the wines will be available on MFDFTV so wine lovers can enjoy their own personal guided tour around the contents of the box from the award-winning TV star herself.
The MFDF website will be continually updated allowing consumers to find a wealth of the latest local food and drink news in one place. All of this information will also be pushed out via the MFDF social media channels.
If all goes to plan, MFDF hopes that the 2020 festival will be able to go ahead and celebrate the city’s incredible food and drink sector in September for real.
“The city’s incredible hospitality scene is in the middle of an unprecedented crisis - but the industry is showing itself to be resilient, adaptable and a united front in the face of the current situation," says Alexa Stratton-Powell, director of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival. "We aim to stage a Festival that celebrates this incredible spirit - starting with our virtual food fest and, we hope, culminating in the real thing in September.”
