Manchester Food & Drink Festival features some of the city’s best restaurants

The Manchester Food & Drink festival kicks off for its 24th year this week and basecamp at Cathedral Gardens will be showcasing some of the region’s best food – as well as a number of fringe events across the city.

The Festival Hub, will be taking over Cathedral Gardens from Thursday 16 – Sunday 19 September and again from Wednesday 22 – Sunday 26 September. It’s free to enter and will be the place to get your hands on goods from independent street food outlets as well as an artisan market and live music and entertainment.

Elsewhere, the festival fringe will be hosting supper clubs and exclusive tastings, including an exclusive all-star line-up at Mana.

FESTIVAL HUB STREET FOOD MARKET | FESTIVAL HUB | 16 – 19 SEPTEMBER & 23 – 26 SEPTEMBER

A varied line-up of street food will be split across the two festival weekends with the first (16-19 September) including Aunti Ji’s, chai, coffee and East Indian favourites and Maison Breizh, authentic Breton crêpes and galettes.

The last weekend of the festival (23-26 September) will see an equally diverse selection of street food with something for all tastes, be it Northendon’s Mi & Pho bringing the bahn mi and pho or Northern Soul bringing their famous grilled cheese sandwiches.

BULL & BEAR TAKEOVER | FESTIVAL HUB | 20 SEPTEMBER

On Monday 20 September Tom Kerridge’s Bull & Bear will take over the Festival Hub with a pub grub feast. A range of local beers will be on hand thanks to the festival’s Manchester Beer Bar. Menu items include potted Loch Duart salmon with apple jelly and cucumber chutney to start and a braised beef and cheese pie with English mustard for main. Tickets start at £55 and include a three-course meal.

MFDF X EAT WELL DINNER | MANA | 21 SEPTEMBER

One of the biggest events on this year’s food and drink festival calendar is the MFDF x Eat Well dinner which will see some of the city’s most celebrated chefs teaming up to raise money for Eat Well – a social enterprise fighting food poverty in Manchester. Top chefs including Simon Martin of Michelin-starred Mana, Ben Humphries (District), Mary-Ellen McTague (The Creameries), Eddie Shepherd (Walled Garden) and Anna Søgaard (Erst) will be taking on a course each with the proceeds from the dinner going to the great cause.

ELNECOT X IT’S ALIVE SUPPER CLUB | ELNECOT | 21 SEPTEMBER

Ancoats favourite Elnecot, will pair up with their own wine suppliers It’s Alive to put together a choice selection of dishes inspired by the British Isles aside natural wine pairings. Expect Yorkshire hogget broth, a unique surf and turf and a rendang doughnut as well as other inspired options. Tickets are £65 per person.

MANCHESTER’S BIGGEST CHIPPY TEA | FESTIVAL HUB | 22 SEPTEMBER

Anchors of Didsbury, Hip Hop Chip Shop, JJ Vish and Chips, Street Urchin and Lord of the Pies will all be chipping in with personalised versions of the perfect chippy tea including vegan fish and chips and bespoke seafood twists. No booking required, walk-ins welcome.

TAST MEETS THE MACALLAN | TAST | 23 SEPTEMBER

Catalan restaurant Tast is bringing to the festival a five-course gastronomic tasting menu designed by Executive Chef Paco Perez and Head Chef Julià Castelló that includes octopus, oysters as well as yuzu and mango. Cocktails, wine and one limited-edition Macallan whisky that pairs with the meal are also included. Tickets cost £125.

Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2021 will take place at Cathedral Gardens and associated venues 16 – 27 September. For more information click here.