THIS is the listing supplied to Confidential for Manchester Food and Drink Festival that runs from 21 September to 7 October this year. All the events are free unless otherwise stated.
Friday 21 September
Independent Producers Fair at the Festival Hub
Explore the world’s finest flavours and tastes at the Independent Producers Fair. Stacked with local and regional suppliers, there are juicy olives, fresh chillis, cupcakes, coffee, liquorice and more. The celebration is sponsored by Booths - the Festival’s official retailer. The Festival Hub, Albert Square - until Sun 23 September.
The Liars Club Cocktail Tiki Shack
Pop down to the Hub for a Mai Tai at lunchtime or a post-work piña colada served with the usual theatrical mixology and Tiki madness from the Liars Club lads. The Festival Hub, Albert Square - until Sunday 7 October.
Castlefield Clinic Happy Hut
Castlefield Clinic & Spa, are looking to provides interesting and innovative cooking whenever you drop into their pitch. The Festival Hub, Albert Square - until Sunday 7 October.
Suzanne Barker and Andrew Nutter
Truly Good Food for under a Tenner
Truly Good Food is a scheme designed to recognise and reward eating establishments who are trying to make Manchester healthier by providing sustainable food. Manchester’s restaurants have been asked to devise a Festival Dish that represents ‘Truly Good Food’. In other words, top-notch gastronomy with health and sustainability at its heart. At participating restaurants from 21 September until 7 October. Visit foodanddrinkfestival.com.
Big Cider Fest
Bang in the heart of the city centre, the Festival presents a bumper package of more than sixty of the planet's finest ciders as part of the feast. The Festival Hub, Albert Square – until Sunday 7 October.
Festival 15 sponsored by Manchester Confidential
To celebrate the Festival's fifteenth birthday you can take your pick from some of the city's best restaurants who are offering a cornucopia of dining offers - for £15. There are one-off menus that showcase their food at a once-a-year price. At participating restaurants from 21 September until 7 October. Click here for details.
Street Food hits Festival Hub @ Albert Square
Street food is one of the UK's most prevailing food trends; it's all about restaurant quality dishes at takeaway prices. So here take your pick of tasty snacks served out of some of the coolest trucks around, from Airstreams trailers to tuk-tuk vans.There will be three sessions, each featuring different traders from as many world cuisines as possible. The Festival Hub, Albert Square – until Sunday 7 October.
Big Indie Producers Fair sponsored by Booths
The Festival is delighted to announce the first ever Independent Food Fair celebrating some of the best handcrafted food and drink from across the UK. The whole celebration is sponsored by Booths - the Festival's official retailer and the North's only truly ethical supermarket. The Festival Hub, Albert Square – until Sunday 23 September.
Manchester Beer Fest
A hundred local beers from one banquet-sized bar. The Manchester Beer Fest is coming to Albert Square, super charged and transformed into a bigger and better celebration than ever before. Dedicated to bringing you not just the best in local and regional real ale, larger and beer this is your opportunity to tuck into finely selected bottles of craft beer from around the world. The Festival Hub, Albert Square – until Wednesday 26 September.
Saturday 22 September
Manchester Whisky Festival
Following the 2011 sell-out, the MFDF's Whisky Fest is back for the fourth year running, taking over two floors of the iconic Palace Hotel. The venue makes the perfect arena for what might one day become the biggest one day whisky festival in the UK. Ideal for connoisseurs and novices alike, this is a fine introduction to the world of distilling. The Palace Hotel, Over two sessions: 11am–3pm or 4pm-8pm, £25
Wednesday 26 September
Hell’s Kitchen with Capital FM
Join the Capital Breakfast team, Rob Ellis, Rachel and Wingman as they take to the kitchen and become your cooks for the night. The presenters will each be charged with creating, preparing and serving a course to 60 lucky diners in aid of charity. 24 Bar and Grill, 7pm. More information from foodanddrinkfestival.com
Thursday 27 September
Robinsons Pub on the Hub
The Pub on the Hub will be the city's very own pop up beerhouse with a full range of Robinson's cask ales, cosy furnishings, pub games and everything you'd expect from your local boozer. There'll be a few surprises thrown in. Robinson’s have revealed that the superstar beers to served include; Unicorn, Dizzy Blonde, 1892, Double Hop, Cwrw’r Ddraig Aur ( a favourite for re-ordering when you've had a couple), Old Tom, XB, Cumbria Way, Elbow, Green Bullet and even an MFDF Ale. The Festival Hub, Albert Square – until 4 October.
Friday 28 September
A Festival Feast with Fergus Henderson and Robert Owen Brown
Two of the UK's best-loved chefs join forces to prepare a 'nose-to tail' feast. Hosts for the evening are Michelin star chef, Fergus Henderson (pictured, of St John fame), and Robert Owen Brown, the Mark Addy's executive head chef. Expect anecdotes and jolly conversation at this communal dining experience. Food will be presented with flair along with carafes of wine at this special evening of gourmet food. The Festival Hub, Albert Square, 7pm, £40.
The Big Indie Wine and Cheese Fest
The Big Indie Wine Fest in association with Metrolink has now become a highlight event of the annual Manchester Food and Drink Festival. Celebrating its 4th year it is a celebration of exciting, exclusive and boutique wines brought to Manchester by independent merchants. A serious wine event for enthusiasts, connoisseurs and novices alike. Freemasons Hall – over two sessions: 28 and 29 September. Visit foodanddrinkfestival.com for more info.
Live Cookery Theatre at the Hub
Visit the Live Cookery Theatre and experience the thrill of the city's most talented chefs performing for free as part of our comprehensive programme of demos to inspire.
Friday 28th September
Proper Local Food Day
Saturday 29th September
12pm KimLal (Zouk)
1pm Frank Bordoni (Kaleido)
3pm John Torode
5pm Robert Cox (Abode)
Sunday 30th September
12pm Alex Connel (The Cordon Vert Cookery School)
1pm The Yang Sing Culinary Team
2pm Kids Pizza Making with Gusto
3pm Eric Moreau (63 Degrees)
4pm Lu Varley (Hideaway at Ramsons)
The Festival Hub, Albert Square. See foodanddrinkfestival.com for more info.
Proper Local Food Day
Visit Manchester's ‘Proper Local Food Day’ aims to celebrate the fantastic food and drink producers that Greater Manchester has to offer. In a nutshell, there’s more to Mancunian home grown produce than the iconic Vimto.
In honour of all things local, the Live Cookery Theatre will host a Proper Local Food Cook Off between two of Manchester’s favourite home grown chefs – Robert Owen Brown and Andrew Nutter. Both chefs will take to the stage and battle to make the best dish with the ingredients brought along by Greater Manchester’s producers.
It will then be up to you, the public, to taste and decide which meal should be crowned winner of the first ever Proper Local Food Cook Off. 28th September from 12pm on Albert Square.
Saturday 29 September
Metrolink Masterclass with John Torode
Metrolink and MFDF welcome TV personality, restauranteur and chef superstar John Torode. Tram aficionado John Torode will perform at the Live Cookery Theatre and whip up some of his favourite north west inspired dishes and share cookery tips during an interactive Q and A. The Festival Hub, Albert Square, 3pm, £5
Monday 1 October
Pete Brown’s Beer Tasting Mash Up
In this specially commissioned tasting event, Pete will be playing the ‘greatest hits’ from his beer tasting repertoire featuring a tutored tasting of local beers including the best of the fest; a beer and cheese matching; beer and music matching (exploring the effect of sensory stimuli on taste appreciation); and some beer matching for each of his books.
Tuesday 2 October
Life Drawing Masterclass: The Naked Chef
Jamie Oliver may well have been the first ‘Naked Chef’ on TV screens, but MFDF plan to take this a step further with a real life chef in the buff for its first ever Life Drawing Master Class on Tuesday 2nd October in the Festival Hub.
With the help of Nexus Café who host bi-monthly life drawing classes, the MFDF will be hosting a version with a foodie angle. The class will be lead by an experienced tutor who will offer tips and expertise on how to draw the human form in a variety of ways. They’ll be two life drawing models to kick things off and to help you practice your strokes for the piece de resistance, the much loved chef, Andrew Nutter – The Prince of Rochdale and his crown jewels.
Tickets for what's set to be the most eccentric night in the Festival calendar are only £5 and part of this will be going to two very worth while charities; Hospitality Action and Nexus Community Art Cafe. Festival Hub, Albert Square, 7pm, £5
Friday 5 October
Oktoberfest Part One
This is MFDF's tribute to the Munich Oktoberfest with award-winning German beer brand Veltins. Entry is completely free and visitors will find litre steins of authentic German beer, as well as live entertainment. For those not in the know Veltins is an easy-drinking, clean and herbal beer. Free musical accompaniment is on the main stage throughout. Highlights include performances by local brass bands, authentic Bavarian ensemblesand so on. The Festival Hub, Albert Square.
And there's more Big Fat Oktoberfest
To celebrate the finale weekend of Oktoberfest in Munich and the fifth year of MFDF's Oktoberfest, MFDF and KRO bar are hosting Manchester's Big Fat Oktoberfest on 5 October. Guests will be welcomed with a traditional oompah band and a stein along with a rotisserie cooking loins of pork. Anyone wearing lederhosen will receive a spot prize. The ticket includes a traditional Oktoberfest feast, a stein (1L) of Veltins beer and the evening's entertainment. The Festival Hub, Albert Square, 1pm and 6pm. Visit foodanddrinkfestival.com for ticket sales and menu.
Cornucopia of events
Chilli Eating Contest at the Hub
Prove yourself in Manchester's third annual Chilli Eating Contest at the final Oktoberfest weekend at the Hub. Contestants will pit their tastebuds against each other onstage in a heated contest with as many rounds as they can handle. It's as thrilling to be in the audience as it is to take part - and probably safer. Register your entry here. Festival Hub, Albert Square, 6pm.
Sunday 7 October
Cake Sale and 15th Birthday Party
Join MFDF and local charities The Birdhouse and Forever Manchester as the Festival closes with a family-friendly birthday party in the Festival Marquee. The annual Birdhouse Cake Sale, run in partnership with the Festival, will bring birds from all over Manchester together to celebrate something festival goers are likely to be partial to – cake. Festival Marquee, Albert Square, Noon – 9pm.
