FIRST in the race to make it a Merry Manc Veganuary is the city’s most exciting venue space. YES on Charles Street is hosting its free Everything’s Gone Green festival on Saturday, January 5 with kitchen residents Firebird Hope and Pepperoni Playboy creating their own special vegan recipes (including jerk-fried seitan nuggets!) alongside a tasty line-up of street food traders across the four-storey music venue.
That's three weeks's start on GRUB's returning ExtraVEGANza at Fairfield Social Club (Jan25-27, details below).
The obvious star guest ay YES is Oh/Mei/Dumpling, winner of Best Street Food Trader at the 2018 Manchester Food & Drink Awards. Joining them will be Leeds-based Döner Summer, known for their secret spiced seitan Doner burger, young entrepreneur Mama Z, who brings "a taste of Manila to Manchester" and vegan Mex stalwarts Los Antojitos, who used to work out of HATCH just down Oxford Road alongside Firebird Hope.
The latter, of course, are famous for their fried chicken, but they have also dreamed up the best vegan sandwich in Manchester, featuring the same components – koji mayo, house slaw, fast pickles and artisan sourdough bun – as the carnivore’s version but with a patty of home-made vegetable protein seitan.
YES’s pizza residents, Pepperoni Playboy, have created their own plant-based contribution, the Aubergine Genie, which uses vegan mozzarella as one of its toppings.
Everything’s Gone Green, YES, 38 Charles Street, Manchester, M1 7BD. Sat, Jan 5, 12pm-6pm. Free entry.
The Grub ExtraVEGANza takes place at Fairfield Social Club, Archway 6, Temperance St, M12 6HR. Fri Jan 25, 5pm-10pm, Sat Jan 26, 12pm-10pm and Sun Jan 27, 12pm-6pm. Free, families and dogs welcome, full details here.
