MANCHESTER Food and Drink Festival launches this Thursday (26 September), taking over Albert Square and a variety of city centre venues for 12 days.
Between them the visitors drank over 40,000 pints of beer, and ate amongst many other things, over 5,000 ostrich burgers.
Last year’s festival apparently attracted more than 150,000 visitors to the city centre ‘Festival Hub’ on Albert Square. Between them the visitors drank over 40,000 pints of beer, and ate amongst many other things, over 5,000 ostrich burgers.
This year plans for the Hub include Manchester’s biggest Street Food Fair, the Manchester Beer Festival (with over 100 different local beers), the Robinson’s Pub on the Hub, the Oktoberfest, the Independent Food Market sponsored by Booths, The Birdhouse Charity Cake Sale, the Cider Fest, the Festival Pop Up Cocktail Bar by Apotheca, the Bakerie Wine Bar and Shop.
Live music will be programmed at the Hub with DJ sets from local artists including Unabombers and Club Clique, as well as live acoustic music from the likes of Johnny Bramwell.
Outside of Albert Square the gastro action will continue with the sell-out annual 5th Big Indie Wine Fest, and a Liquor Market event where visitors will be able to sample and purchase a range of boutique spirit brands.
Meanwhile Manchester’s restaurants and bars have provided a programme of events and offers to complement the festival including dinner dances and foraging.
A more serious side to the Festival will see a Food Poverty Summit at The Hub. During the 12 days of the food and drink celebration people are being encouraged to drop off food at the Festival Hub for food banks that can’t keep up with demand.
Rounding off the Festival will be the MFDF Gala Dinner & Awards on Monday 7 October, where the highest profile awards in the region will be made to the best Manchester restaurants, bars and chefs.
Festival highlights:
Metrolink Presents Food Adventures. Follow celebrity chef Andrew Nutter’s guide to the best food across Greater Manchester and hop on the tram to find it. This is featured throughout the Festival.
Thurs 26–Sun 29 Sept: Robinsons Pub on the Hub, Festival Hub. Pop into Robinson’s pop up pub and sample beers from the Robinson’s range including their newest addition Trooper, a rock and roll beer brewed with Iron Maiden.
Thurs 26 Sept-Sunday 6 Oct: Street Food and Markets, Festival Hub. The Chaat Cart, Tampopo, Margo and Rita Mexican , Mumma Schnitzel, Alberts Chop House, and Susanna’s Churros.
Master classes, Festival Master class Marquee, Fri 27-Sun 29 Sept, Festival Hub. Fri 27 Sept 1pm – Simple Shellfish Master class, Mary Ellen McTague of Aumbry. Sat 28 Sept 12.30pm – How to Dress a Mackerel with Mike Jennings, Grenache. Sun 29 Sept 1pm – Buffalo Mozzarella Master class. How to Master Mozza, Salvi’s
Sunday 29 September: – Annual Birdhouse Cake Sale, Festival Hub. One mega home baked sale raising money for The Birdhouse Fund supporting women across Greater Manchester.
Mon 30 Sept–Sun 6 Oct: Oktoberfest, Festival Hub. A popular feature of the festival with German beers including Kaltenberg, Warsteiner and Konig Ludwig Weiss Beer. Plus live Bavarian music on Sat 5 October.
Tues 1 Oct 10am: Festival Hub – Food Poverty Summit in Partnership with the MEN & Food Futures. MFDF and the MEN invite the food industry, the Council, foodies, chefs and the government to have their say on the issue
Mon 30 Sept–Sun 6 Oct: 100 Greatest Beer Bar and Cider Fest – Drinking Den Marquee, Festival Hub. 100 beers served across the week from the region's best brewers and micro brewers from Marble in Manchester to Bank Top in Bolton. Also in the Den will be the 2013 Cider Fest with Black Dragon, Happy Daze and Farmhouse Scrumpy.
Fri 4–Sun 6 Oct: The Big Indie Food Fair sponsored by Booths, Festival Hub. The Big Indie Food Fair returns to the Festival Hub celebrating 'the finest handcrafted food and drink the nation has to offer'. There will be plenty to sample and buy, as well as chef demonstrations from Booths Chef Rob Morris Lang, featuring recipes from Booths’ Christmas Book.
Thurs 3–Sun 6 Oct: Live music at The Hub. Thurs 3–The Unabombers play an exclusive set at the Hub; Fri 4–Vermillion Cinnabar present Clique DJs; Sat 5-Oktoberfest with live Bavarian Music. Sun 6–I Am Kloot’s Johnny Bramwell pays the Hub a visit to end the Festival in style.
Fri 4-Sat 5 Oct: The Big Indie Wine Fest, Manchester Town Hall. Celebrating its 5 year, there will be a fine selection of boutique wines from the Uk’s best independent merchants.
Sat 5 Oct: The Liquor Market, Rosy Lee Tea Rooms, Stephenson Square. In Association with The Drinks Enthusiast. A chance to dive right into the world of boutique spirits with intoxicating samples from the UK's best brand ambassadors. Ticket price gets you your sampling glass and then customers are free to roam the exhibitors, taste some of the liquors and learn about the products.
Sat 12 Oct: Bridgewater Hall – the Whisky Festival
The Manchester Whisky Festival returns for its fifth year with workshops, tastings and some of the great whisky producers in the world. www.thewhiskylounge.com
Information about all events can be found at www.foodanddrinkfestival.com and by following @mfdf13
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