MANCHESTER Food and Drink Festival is under way from Thursday, September 28, as the original big city party celebrates its 20th anniversary with customary pzazz. And to celebrate that Big 2-0 MFDF, are going to give away a prize to remember to one lucky festival-goer,The 20,000th Festival Fan to set foot on to the Hub in Albert Square will be crowned MFDF20 Winner and will win a full day of feasting at the Festival with drinks and food on MFDF all day and night, plus a stay at Festival Partner Hotel, The Principal Manchester.
MFDF Fans have got to be in it to win it, so are advised to get down to the Festival Hub as much as possible (every visitor is elctronically logged) and to share the news via the hashtag #HUBBAHUBBA.
1 THE Hub, of course, remains the centrepiece of all the Festival food and drink fun, free to get in and open from 12noon-11pm daily until Sunday, October 8, offering the best ever mix of street food traders (from Manchester and beyond), Vin Van Voom Wine bar, the CITYLIFE live music stage, the MFDF Live Cookery Theatre, an indie beer festival, a gin garden, wine tastings, pop up restaurants, masterclasses, workshops and more.
There are even two Hub Cocktail Bars this year.
Cocktail Institution Be At One will be serving up a range of their classic cocktails from 28th September 28- October 3, featuring Porn Star Martinis, Mojitos and their specialty ‘Candy Pants’.
Cocktails and Carbs, hosted by Laundrette from October 4-8, will be serving an array of their delicious cocktails accompanied by candy floss, toasted marshmallows, bath tubs and ice cream.
2 MFDF @ Mayfield.
Mayfield Depot, September 29-October 7. Ticketed.
Manchester’s abandoned railway station, and one of the city’s most jaw-dropping spaces, is the location for MFDF’s 20th birthday feasts. Breathing new life into this forgotten space, Mayfield will be transformed for the Festival into an extraordinary dining room and party space. A unique, one-off chance to eat, drink and party in an awe-inspiring, historic, giant of a Manchester landmark.
Friday September 29 – MFDF & Tampopo 20th Birthday Party
Authentic, independent Pan Asian restaurant, Tamopop, is 20 this year too jut like MFDF. These two iconic Manchester food brands will be celebrating their joint birthday together the only way that both know how…with one great big gastro birthday party in a magnificent location. With DJ sets from Graeme Park, music from Happy Mondays’ Rowetta (pictured above)and lots of fabulous Tampopo food and drink, expect a hedonistic mix of full moon party fun and Manchester icons. Tickets include food, entertainment and welcome drinks.
Thursday October 5 – Hispi Meets The Unabombers
A collaboration between food and drink innovator, Gary Usher, and club alchemists-turned-restaurateurs The Unabombers, this huge banquet-come-food party will bring together two of the hottest food brands in the north – The Refuge and Hispi – along with club pioneers The Unabombers as they DJ throughout. A unique food experience awaits. Tickets include food, entertainment and welcome drinks.
3 MFDF Indie Beer Fest
Festival Hub, September 28-October 8, 12pm-11pm. Free
This year’s Festival Beer Bar represents a non-stop, indie extravaganza of beautiful brews making this the ultimate 20th birthday beer fest. All on tap, all the way through MFDF, the Festival’s huge beer bar. What better way to toast the 20th anniversary of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival than by inviting 20 breweries from our world famous scene to contribute their finest beers to the party? Leading the way will be Brightside, Wildside, Ticketybrew, Black Jack, Runaway, Seven Brothers and the Manchester Brewing Co.
Alongside our local brews are the official beers of MFDF 2017, on tap throughout the festival. Shedhead, a 4.6% ABV American-style pale ale brewed in Sweden, and Brooklyn and Poretti lagers, from America and Italy respectively. All of this housed under one, gigantic, all weather pop up beer hall complete with long tables, sofas, live music stage and room for dancing.
4 Ed Baines: Cookery Demo and Q&A. Festival Hub: September 29, 1pm. Free.
Chef/founder of Randall & Aubin, Ed is best known for his role as a judge on ITV’s hugely successful Britain’s Best Dish. He is hosting his own masterclass and Q&A session at the Hub, sharing some of the secrets of his legendary Soho brasserie, an offshoot of which has transferred to Manchester this year.
5 Ella Mills: Q and A/Book Signing. Festival Hub: September 30, 4pm. Free.
Award-winning cookery author and entrepreneur Ella will be at the Festival Hub for a Q&A, sharing some of the secrets of her phenomenal success story and signing copies of her book, ‘Deliciously Ella With Friends’.
6 Fever-Tree Gin Garden and The Dark Spirit Den, Festival Hub, September 28-October 8, 12pm-11pm. Free.
An array of extraordinary gins will be on the menu via the free to enter Fever Tree Gin Garden and Dark Spirits Den. As ever, festival goers will be able to create their very own bespoke, ‘ultimate’ G&T with a host of gins available, all chosen to perfectly pair with the Fever-Tree range of mixers. This year that will include the biggest collection yet, including Premium Tonic, Naturally Light Tonic, Mediterranean Tonic, Elderflower Tonic, Aromatic Tonic and Lemon Tonic.
The new Dark Spirits Den will be the ultimate festival hangout with visitors able to sample their favourite dark spirits, as well as gin, with the most appropriate Fever-Tree mixer. There’ll be live entertainment from local musicians and songwriters from across Manchester and undercover seating all in a specially created space inspired by the contrasts of light and dark.
7 Cup North. Festival Hub, October 1, 12pm-6pm. Free.
Cup North, the people behind Manchester Coffee Festival, will be popping up at the Hub to present a day of tasting, talking and learning. Inside the coffee tent there will be the opportunity to try and buy coffee from a range of local roasters including Heart & Graft, Ancoats Coffee Co. and Passionfruit. Visitors are invited to engage with a number of free talks and demos throughout the day, all aimed at bringing consumers closer to the world of professional coffee making.
8 Just Eat at MFDF Student Supper Club. Festival Hub, October 2. Ticketed.
Just Eat are offering 40 lucky students a chance to join them at The Hub at Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2017 on Monday October2 . The evening will start with a drinks reception, followed by a complimentary three course dining experience with Didsbury’s finest Indian restaurant, Indique, offering gloriously colourful food, as well as live entertainment. All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning tickets for you and three friends for this fabulous event is email [email protected] from an accredited college or university email address with your name, age, telephone number and the name of the Indian Restaurant providing the food for the evening.
9 Just Eat Street Kitchen at The Hub. Festival Hub, September 28-October 8. Free.
As official Online Takeaway Partner for MFDF 2017, Just Eat offers more than 700 Just Eat restaurant partners to choose from, and what better opportunity to showcase them than by bringing them to the Festival Hub in Albert Square? So, with the help of their customers, they’ve selected some of their highest rated restaurants to serve up quality food for all budgets, tastes and appetites. Just Eat welcome Oishi Q (yakitori, pictured) The Pasta Project, Strip Health, Italian Express, Kings Treats and Naasouk to their Festival Hub pop-up, throughout MFDF.
10 Cheese and Ciderologist. Festival Hub, October 4, 6.30pm. Ticketed.
Moss Cider Project founder Dan Hasler and new found friend Gabe Cook AKA The Ciderologist (Channel 4's Sunday Brunch go-to cider guy) host an evening of food and cider pairings from near and far.These dapper gents, one with the finest facial whiskers this side of Herefordshire, will guide you through five courses of cheese and cider's weird and wonderful customs from around the globe and closer to home. Tickets from here.
11 Take a Journey Through Spain with Iberica, Spinningfields. October 4 from 6pm. Ticketed.
In a revelatory hands-on Spanish experience, kick off with a chance to mix your own G&T and drink it before learning from head master carver Sergio Escudero all about Jamón Ibérico through a live carving demo while enjoying a glass of bone-dry Manzanilla. Then enjoy head chef Nacho Linares’ (bove) bespoke menu including tapas and a dessert to share, with Paella Valenciana as a main course.To match these dishes– two special glasses of boutique Spanish wines.
12 Bookatable Festival Feast
Across the city. September 28-October 9. Book online.
As the exclusive booking partner of Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2017, Bookatable helps foodies to discover and book the city’s best restaurants.This partnership celebration of dining out takes place across Manchester’s favourite restaurants – you’ll find festival menus at your chosen high street spots, as well as the city’s most luxurious fine dining establishments. Whether you’re a seasoned Manchester foodie looking to return to your favourite restaurant, or a dining-out newbie on the hunt for an amazing-value experience, there are special MFDF/Booktable menus out there for everyone. Explore the menus here.
There is a huge amount more detailed in the Festival brochure, which can be downloaded here.
Sold out events from the first half of the Festival are not detailed above and they include:
Simon Shaw El Gato Pop Up at the Hub
Sugo Pasta Kitchen Comes to Manchester at the Hub