MANCHESTER Food and Drink Festival have announced this year's shortlist of contenders for the most coveted industry awards in the region.
Maintaining the BBC's Restaurant Wars theme, Aiden Byrne's Manchester House has been nominated for a whopping four out of twelve awards this year, while Simon Rogan's Mr Cooper's House and Garden has been nominated for three.
The annual festival, established in 1998, will return to the Albert Square hub from Thursday 18 to Monday 29 September with a vast programme of events spread across the city, culminating with the MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards in the Great Hall of Manchester Town Hall.
There'll be twelve categories this year, from Restaurant of the Year to Pub of the Year, including two new categories for 2014; Best Street Food and Best Food Project or Pop-Up, 'added in recognition of the growing market and considerable talent seen in these areas'.
Albert Square will host the MFDF 'hub'
2013's big winner was Simon Rogan's The French at the Midland Hotel, which scooped both Restaurant of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.
Maintaining the BBC's Restaurant Wars theme this year, Aiden Byrne's Manchester House has been nominated for a whopping four out of twelve awards, while Simon Rogan's Mr Cooper's House and Garden has been nominated for three.
Public votes will be combined with scores from the judging panel, including Confidential Publisher, Mark Garner (aka Gordo), the Editor Jonathan Schofield, and Confidential contributors Neil Sowerby and Ruth Allan.
Winners will be announced at the MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards on Monday 29 September at Manchester Town Hall.
Here's the full list of nominations (do you agree?):
MFDF Gala Dinner
Restaurant of the Year
Aiming to recognise the best dining establishments in Manchester in 2014. This category refers to venues visited primarily for a full dining experience featuring table service, alcohol license etc.
63 Degrees, 20 Church St, Manchester M4 1PN
Manchester House, Tower 12, 18-22 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BZ
Mr Cooper’s House and Garden by Simon Rogan, The Midland Hotel, Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS
Aumbry, 2 Church Lane, Manchester, Prestwich M25 1AJ
Australasia, 1 Spinningfield Way, Manchester M3 3AP
Nutter’s, Edenfield Rd, Rochdale OL12 7TT
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: THE FRENCH AT THE MIDLAND.
Mr Cooper's House and Garden
Newcomer of the Year
Recognising the best new food and drink operations to open in Greater Manchester since the last awards decision period (July 2013).
Superstore NQ, G18 Smithfield Building, Tib St, M4 1NB
Manchester House, Tower 12, 18-22 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BZ
Red’s True BBQ, Albert Square, 22 Lloyd St, Manchester M2 5WA
Volta, 167 Burton Road, West Didsbury, Manchester, M20 2LN
Mr Cooper’s House and Garden by Simon Rogan, The Midland Hotel, Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS
Salvi’s Cucina, 19 John Dalton Street, Manchester, M2 6LE
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: THE FRENCH AT THE MIDLAND.
Red's
Chef of the Year
Aiming to recognise the most talented and outstanding work of chefs cooking in Greater Manchester kitchens - his or her skill, menu, commitment and contribution to the dining scene
Adam Reid, The French, The Midland Hotel, Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS
Mike Jennings, Grenache, 15 Bridgewater Road, Walkden, Worsley, M28 3JE
Aiden Byrne, Manchester House, Tower 12, 18-22 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BZ
Eric Moreau, 63 Degrees, 20 Church St, Manchester M4 1PN
David Spanner, Australasia, 1 Spinningfield Way, Manchester M3 3AP
David Leong, Yuzu, 39 Faulkner St, Manchester M1 4EE
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: MARY-ELLEN MCTAGUE, AUMBRY.
Mike Jennings and a massive crab
Pub of the Year
Identifying the finest pubs in the region, focusing on quality and range of ales/beers and atmosphere
The Marble Arch Inn, 73 Rochdale Rd, Manchester M4 4HY
The Eagle Inn, 18 Collier Street, Salford, M3 7DW
New Oxford, 11 Bexley Square, Salford M3 6DB
The Dockyard, Blue Tower, Media City UK, The Quays, Salford M50 2EQ
The Magnet, 51 Wellington Rd N, Stockport SK4 1HJ
The Rising Sun, 22 Queen Street, Manchester, 52 5HX
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: STALYBRIDGE BUFFET BAR.
The Dockyard
Food Pub of the Year
Acknowledging our region’s ‘gastro pubs’ - a chance for ‘pub restaurants’ to be recognised in their own category. All public houses eligible as long as they consider themselves a food pub, but they are not eligible for shortlisting in both.
Eagle and Child, 3 Whalley Rd, Ramsbottom BL0 0DL
Albert’s Chop House, Memorial Hall, 14 Albert Square, Manchester, M2 5PF
The Wharf, 6 Slate Wharf, Manchester M15 4ST
The Red Lion High Lane, 112 Buxton Rd, High Lane, Stockport, SK6 8ED
The Parlour, 60 Beech Rd, Manchester M21 9EG
Dukes 92, 18 Castle St, Manchester M3 4LZ
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: HEARTH OF THE RAM.
Albert's Chop House
Bar of the Year
Recognising the best drinking venues in the region that aren’t considered ‘pubs’.
Manchester House, Tower 12, 18-22 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BZ
Kosmonaut, 10 Tariff St, Manchester M1 2FF
Mr Cooper’s House and Garden by Simon Rogan, The Midland Hotel, Peter St, Manchester M60 2DS
Grand Pacific, The Avenue, Spinningfields , Manchester, M3 3AP
Revolucion de Cuba, 11 Peter St, Manchester M2 5QR
Neighbourhood, The Avenue, Spinningfields, Manchester M3 3BT
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: GORILLA
Manchester House bar
Coffee Bar or Tea Shop of the Year
Recognising the best coffee bars and teashops in the region.
Fig and Sparrow, 20 Oldham Street, Manchester, M1 1JN
North Tea Power, 36 Tib St, Manchester M4 1LA
Sugar Junction, 60 Tib St, Manchester M4 1LG
Proper Tea, 10 Cateaton St, Manchester M3 1SN
Takk, 6 Tariff St, Manchester M1 2FF
Richmond Tea Rooms, 15 Richmond St, Manchester M1 3HZ
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: HOME SWEET HOME.
Takk
Cheap Eats of the Year
Recognising the best venues that are visited for a high value, casual eating experience. Judges looking for venues that can offer a good meal for under a tenner!
Almost Famous, 2 Great Northern Warehouse, 235 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4EN
Luck, Lust, Liquor and Burn, 100-102 High St, Manchester M4 1HP
Tampopo, 16 Albert Square, Manchester. M2 5PF
Pita Pit, 3 Piccadilly Pl, Manchester M1 3BG
Splendid Sausage Company, Unit C, 11 St James Square, John Dalton Street, M2 6WH
Viet Shack, Unit 8 Arndale Market, 49 High St, Manchester M4 3AH
LAST YEAR'S WINNER: TROVE
Almost Famous
Best Food and Drink Retailer of the Year
This year the Best Food and Drink Retailer category will be searching the whole region for the best purveyors of food and drink ‘to go’ and be involving the general public in the process from the off - no shortlist will be announced by the judges.
The Festival is asking the people of Greater Manchester to provide this shortlist and winner, and help us uncover the best food and drink retailer in the region. Votes can be cast on the Festival website. This year the Festival will announce a winner as well as two runners-up at the Gala Dinner.
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: BEERMOTH
Best Food and Drink Pop Up Event, Club or Project of the Year – new category for 2014
Designed to recognize the ever more pioneering food and drink one-off projects, events, activities and pop-ups happening in the region. The criteria for this category are fairly broad and the judges will consider special events, markets, pop-up bars or restaurants, and dining clubs.
Votes for this award can be cast on the Festival website, and the Festival will announce a winner as well as two runners-up at the Gala Dinner.
Friday Food Fights: street food and pop-ups form new award categories this year
Best Street Food of the Year – new category for 2014
This year the Festival will recognise one of the Greater Manchester-based street food vendors that are gracing our kerbs with an ever increasing plethora of grub. To be eligible for this category businesses must own a street food operation that has been trading for at least six months at the time of entry.
A judging event for this award will take place at the Festival Hub during MFDF 2014. Businesses don’t have to be trading at the Festival Hub to be eligible, but they will need to be able to bring a signature dish to the Square for the judges to taste. Greater Manchester’s Best Street Food Winner will be named at the tasting and presented with their award at the MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards.
The deadline for this category will be open right up until the start of the Festival and has a separate application form. Businesses must email alexa@foodanddrinkfestival.com to register. More details to be announced.
The Howard and Ruth Award for Outstanding Achievement
Recognising a person or business who has contributed something outstanding to the food and drink industry in Greater Manchester over the last 16 years. There will be no shortlist for this category and businesses or individuals may not nominate themselves, but are welcome to nominate their peers.
For this category suggestions can be emailed to siobhan@foodanddrinkfestival.com
LAST YEAR’S WINNER: DISTEFANNO SAN CARLO, SAN CARLO.
MFDF
Here's the judging panel:
Mark Garner, Manchester Confidential
Jonathan Schofield, Manchester Confidential
Paul Ogden, Manchester Evening News
Dianne Bourne, Manchester Evening News
Neil Sowerby, Freelance Food Writer
Ruth Allan, Taste of Manchester
Thom Hetherington, Holden Media
Simon Binns, City Co.
Emma Sturgess, Freelance Food Writer
Andy Cronshaw, Manchester Evening News
