Manchester Food and Drink Festival: eat for free.

Gastronomes rejoice: today marks the start of the annual Manchester Food and Drink Festival (until 12 October). Now in its twelfth year, highlights include the much-loved fine food market in St. Ann’s Square (pop by for lip-smacking snacks or a hot lunch), a real ale festival (sup on beers from 30 regional breweries) and, best of all, a star-studded gathering of celebrity chefs – everyone from the Hairy Bikers and Clarissa Dickson-Wright to Michael Caines. Caines, incidentally, runs one of the best eateries in Manchester – read Andrew Shanahan’s review, which we think may be the first ever to include a reference to ‘kittens’ breath’ in a restaurant description, here.

To celebrate the start of the festival, MFDF is offering one very lucky reader a slap up meal at Obsidian. Part of the festival’s Dinner in the City series (specially created, one-evening-only menus in some of Manchester’s finest restaurants), the prize includes a seven-course, Lancashire-themed meal for two. Head chef Bryn Evans has been hard at work selecting the finest local ingredients and has settled on a final menu that includes Fleetwood sea bass and Bury black pudding – with Manchester Tart for afters, naturally.

Please note that this competition has now closed.

Image: The Hairy Bikers hit the road (en route to Manchester, presumably). Courtesy Manchester Food & Drink Festival.

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