THE Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2016 is underway. Ten days of unabashed culinary hedonism ahead culminating in the Manchester Food and Drink Awards Gala Dinner and Presentation at the spectacularly revamped Palace Hotel on Monday, October 10.
Under clear skies at the Festival Hub in Albert Square everyone felt a winner on launch night. The evening crowds enjoying live music from Funk Soul Family in the Wainwright Ale Tent were joined by movers and shakers from the city’s restaurant and bar industry, fresh (if that’s the right word for the ToM team) from two hours of cava and jamon-fuelled partying at Iberica the upmarket Spanish restaurant in in Spinningfields. A few images below, courtesy of photographer Jody Hartley, capture the spirit of a wonderful occasion.
First major event of the 19th Festival, Three Wine Women at the Hub, coincided. If you missed that treat there’s a lot more to get your teeth in literally in the coming days.
Check out the MFDF highlights here, including Live Cookery Theatre demos from the likes of Nadiya Hussain, the incredible Hidden Banquet and Great British Menu 2016 finalist Adam Reid cooking up three bespoke banquets in the Square.
Tapas? Go for the Spanish Trail, featuring seven top Spanish places, including Iberica, who host their MFDF Game Dinner cooked by two Michelin-starred chefs on Tuesday, October 4. Italian? Salvi’s Festival is a must, culminating in its own gala dinner.
Beer? You can’t go wrong. Here’s our pint-sized guide. It can wash down a selection of Street Food from the Hub. The Fringe your thing? Here are our 10 top tips.
The Festival Brochure is widely available across the city or you can download it here.
