MANCHESTER Food and Drink Festival is back from Thursday September 26 and a big thing to remember is its beating heart has swapped to a new location – leafy Cathedral Gardens between historic Chetham’s School and Urbis, icon of Manchester’s regeneration.
Epicentre of the epicurean action at the free entry MFDF Hub will be the Dining Dome, a huge success on its debut last year. This spherical foodie palace will host specially curated banquets, supper clubs and food parties (check with website for ticket availability).
Alongside it will be a new artisan market and an augmented street food array, from local to global. There will also be a huge craft beer bar serving up the very best from the region’s incredible brewery and micro-brewery scene. Camden Town Brewery will be on site, too, pouring fresh Camden Hells Lager, Pale Ale and Show Off Juicy Lager from their shipping container bar.
Also making its debutis a gin bar hosted by JJ Whitley, while Montann Wines will be showcasing English wines at a separate bar. Factor in a non-stop of roster of live music and you may never leave this Festival Hub.
The full list of free live music daily on the City Life Stage can be found on the festival website. Our ToM good time tip is to check out the great cover party bands on the Friday and Saturday nights, including Whoever and the Somethings (above), The Covertones and The Cassettes.
MFDF recognises the swell of enthusiasm for all things plant-based by turning over the entire first Sunday (September 29) at the Hub to a Vegan Takeover (noon-11pm). The ‘Vegan Kitchen’ will fill the Live Cookery Theatre with demos by the city’s vegan luminaries from noon to 4pm. These include Matthew Nutter, former Food and Drink Awards Chef of the Year after founding the acclaimed Allotment, and Masterchef last four finalist Jackie Kearney, author of the best-selling Vegan Street Food.
Matthew will prepare dishes showcasing his favourite flavours – miso baked pineapple tatin, miso caramel, confit beetroots, pomegranate and rose – while Jackie will cook seasonal treats from her new book, Vegan Christmas Feasts. Plant-based street food stalls feature Dim Sum Su’s Chinese dumplings, Tibetan Kitchen’s Himalayan cuisine, Tampopo’s Thai range and Ginger's Comfort Emporium’s array of vegan ice creams.
Vegan food features across the street food stalls in both Festival sessions. The first line-up (Thursday September 26-Tuesday October 1, noon-11pm daily) includes Vegan Fried Chicken – using their own house made seitan dough, dunking it in a secret dredge and deep frying it.
Other traders include: Dim Sum Su (steamed buns and karaage); The English Indian (halloumi and chips with an Indian twist; The Ottö-Men (Middle Eastern and Med); Tibetan Kitchen (Himalayan ‘momo’ steamed dumplings); Tampopo (Pan Asian stalwarts); Los Churros Amigos (dunked in their Belgian chocolate sauce); Coffika (caffeine-fuelled Swedish tradition); The Humble Kitchen (gourmet burgers); Cookie Dough (with yummy toppings).
Live Cookery Theatre – The Dining Dome, Saturday September 28. Free.
The chef demo line-up is: 1pm Ben Chaplin, chef, 20 Stories; 2pm Sam Buckley (above), chef/patron, Where the Light Gets in; 3pm Rachel Stockley, head chef, Levanter/Baratxuri; 4pm Andrew Green, exec chef, Mamucium.
Manchester Food and Drink Festival runs citywide ,from Thursday, September 26 to Monday, October 7. The Festival Hub in Cathedral Gardens if open daily from 12pm-11pm until Sunday, October 6. For further information on all events visit the Festival website. Or follow @MFDF19 on Twitter, @MFDF2019 on Instagram or check out the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Facebook page. The print brochure is available across Greater Manchester.