SAINT George’s Day is actually April 23, but Manchester’s celebrations straddle the weekend. So the annual Parade will take place on Sunday 22 with marchers wending their way down from Miles Platting shortly after noon (map here).
Their city centre destination, Piccadilly Gardens will host a St George's Day Market (11am-5.30pm) offering street food, with craft pies, gourmet burgers, world foods and a hog roast.
On Saturday 21 out in the Pennines at the Hinchliffe Arms, Cragg Vale, the celebratory meat on the spit will be a full Dexter beef roast. Reared up the road, it’s a speciality of legendary chef/patron Robert Owen Brown.
Fun and games start from 12 noon, and will go on all day. Free to attend, it also features music, dancing, a tug of war competition (between 12pm and 2pm), Yorkshire pudding throwing championship, stalls and even veggie food!
Another of the region’s larger than life food personalities, Andrew Nutter, will be leading the St George’s Day high jinks on Sunday 22 at his eponymous restaurant, Nutter’s at Norden, above Rochdale. Expect great food and drink plus much flag draping and singing led by the fantastic Lucy Hope (pictured above with Andrew).
Here at ToM we’re planning a less traditional take on the warrior, who is not just England’s patron saint. To the Catalans he is St Jordi, the saint of lovers, and his Day is their equivalent of Valentine’s. Which gives Lunya in the Barton Arcade (above) the perfect excuse to offer a free flower and a free book (the traditional gifts) to couples dining with them between Saturday 21 and Monday 23.
At the restaurant run by Catalan enthusiasts couples just need to tell their server that they are celebrating St Jordi’s Day and they will receive a ‘Relish North West’ cookbook and a rose.