Manchester Food and Drink Festival: 5 of the best events - from bargain lunch at 20 Stories to chippy teas

Whether you love Michelin-starred gourmet menus or have a passion for street food, Manchester Food and Drink Festival has it covered this month.
The Hub at the food festivalThe Hub at the food festival
The Hub at the food festival

Next week sees a welcome return to a highlight in Manchester’s eating out calendar with the launch of the 2021 Manchester Food and Drink Festival, which runs from Thursday 16 September to Monday 27 September.

Cathedral Gardens will be taken over by the epicentre of the action, the Festival Hub: a huge pop up food and drink village wih bars, an artisan food market, music and street food from 16-19th and 22nd-26th September. Best of all, it’s free to enter.

Cathedral Gardens ManchesterCathedral Gardens Manchester
Cathedral Gardens Manchester
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There are dozens of venues and food producers taking part in the festival across the two weeks: here are five of the mouth-watering events we’re looking forward to most.

1. Eat Your Way Round Manchester on a Budget

Restauranteurs have signed up in their droves to provide special dining offers at their venues during the festival - and where better to start than 20 Stories at Spinningfields? Manchester’s Insta-worthy panoramic restaurant is offering a festival lunch served Monday to Thursday for the duration of the Festival for only £28: book it while you can.

There are stacks more venues taking part with offers: from discount cocktails at the Fitzgerald on Fridays to £5 coffee and cake at Nibble HQ for customers with the food festival app - see the festival website for a full list.

Mezze at Manchester food and drink festivalMezze at Manchester food and drink festival
Mezze at Manchester food and drink festival

2. Sustainable wine tasting at the Open Kitchen at the People’s History Museum

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The museum’s new cafe in Spinningfields is all about ethically sourced food which would otherwise go to waste, and it supports communities struggling with food poverty. On Thursday 23 September they will host a sustainable wine-tasting with small plates to accompany the drinks as part of the Festival Fringe. Get your tickets here.

3. MFDF x Eat Well Dinner at Mana

One for the serious foodies among you, there are only 26 tickets for this exclusive event featuring a stellar line-up of chefs on 21 September.

The dinner will be held at Manchester’s only Michelin Star restaurant Mana with a course from each of the chefs, including Simon Martin from Mana and Mary-Ellen McTague from The Creameries. Tickets don’t come cheap at £200 but proceeds will go towards the Eat Well social enterprise. See the festival website for more here.

4. Manchester’s Biggest Chippy Tea

This one is free and lots of fun! From 5pm on Wednesday 22 September, the Festival Chippy Tea takeover will see some of the city’s best-loved vendors of fish, chips and vegan versions get together to serve up everyone’s favourite tea at the Hub. Favourites include the legendary Hip Hop Chip Shop and JJ Vish and Chips, the city’s first all vegan chippy. Get stuck in!

Hip Hop chip shopHip Hop chip shop
Hip Hop chip shop

5. Artisan Markets

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Come in for a good root around some fine local produce at the Hub in Cathedral Gardens between 16-19th and 23rd-26th September. Featuring handmade chocolates, cheese, bread, gin and much more, it’s like someone stuck all our favourite food and drink in one place - heaven.

For more details on the events, see the festival website here or download the festival app for Apple or Android by searching Mcr Food and Drink Festival’

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