Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2022

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

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Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2022

22 September-2 October 2022

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

MFDF 2022
Ian Jones
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Update: The 25th Manchester Food and Drink Festival (MFDF) will now start on Thursday 22nd September. Following guidance from Manchester City Council the Festival will be delayed by a week in order to fall in line with the national mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II and the council’s cessation of events and entertainment on public squares during this time.

The Festival Hub will now open on 22nd September and will run until 2nd October. The Festival Hub opening schedule is now as follows: Thursday 22nd September – Sunday 25th September; Thursday 29th September – Sunday 2nd October. The Hub will be closed Monday – Wednesday as usual. The MFDF Curry Club has been postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

The 25th Manchester Food and Drink Festival is back for a quarter-century blowout and this year will see an extra special celebration of Manchester’s thriving food and drink scene. There are enough events on offer for all tastes, and you can book your tickets at the MFDF website below.

As ever, Cathedral Gardens is at the heart of the action, hosting The Festival Hub which will be home to an array of street food traders, bars, and artisan producers, as well as masterclasses and takeovers.

It’s fair to say 2022’s festival looks set to be a major improvement on last year’s excellent instalment

Excitingly, the first ever Festival Fire Pit Takeover will be coming to the Hub for both long weekends.  Here’s where you’ll find the region’s best-loved chefs, cooking over fire for a first-time festival feast.  Caroline Martins, founder of the Sao Paolo project,  Robert Owen Brown and Francisco Martinez from Fazenda will all be bringing their own specialist BBQ flavours to the fire pit as part of Weber’s takeover.

The Hub will also host the Octopus Cookbook Confidential demo kitchen on Saturday 24th September in collaboration with Octopus Books. Top chefs and industry experts will be coming together to share their tips, ideas and knowledge in cookery demos, conversations and debate discussions.  A full day of foodie demos and panels will include:

  • Kate Humble & Lia Leendertz: The joy of the outdoors – Eating & Cooking with the Seasons
  • Edd Kimber: Pudding Love! – discussing our love of puddings from childhood to becoming professionals and everything in between
  • Pip Payne & Nicky Corbishley: Tips, ideas and hacks for putting dinner on the table every night without breaking the bank
  • Joe Woodhouse, Josh Katz & David Bez: From the swede to the courgette – why we should all be eating more veg and all the veggie inspiration you could hope for
  • Jeremy Pang: School of Wok Chinese Cooking Demo
  • Rahul Mandal: The Baking Surgery
  • Jaega Wise vs Joel Harrison in conversation with Neil Ridley: Beer vs Cocktails

Free spaces for the Octopus Cookbook Confidential are limited and can be booked here.

But wait, there’s more. Some of Manchester’s best-loved chefs will also be joining the Festival Hub to lead cooking masterclasses on the opening weekend of the Festival. Plus, the much-anticipated Artisan Food Market will take place across the duration of the Festival. This free-to-attend market will showcase some of Manchester’s finest food and drink producers, including New Market Dairy, The Flat Baker & Dghnt.

Away from the festival hub, an array of activities will be taking place across Manchester city centre:

MFDF will be the first event to take place at the iconic New Century in Manchester’s NOMA district, bringing the Wine and Fizz Festival to town. New Century is currently being restored with stunning original features creating an extraordinary new live music and events hall for Manchester. Opening in September, the Wine and Fizz Festival will be the first event to take place in this iconic space. A chance to see amazing retailers like Cork of the North, Prestwich’s Grape to Grain and UKiYO Republic (showcasing their wonderful range of Japanese sake) in an incredible setting. Tickets are available to buy here.

Across the city for the duration of the festival, MFDF is also curating a lineup of fantastic restaurants to take part in their £25 for 25 years menu collaboration. Northern Quarter favourite District will be creating an exclusive £25 drinks pairing menu to compliment their amazing Thai cuisine and celebrate the 25th anniversary of Manchester Food and Drink festival.  Embankment Kitchen are also creating an exclusive £25 menu to give diners a taste of the best of their offering at a reduced price. Other restaurants taking part include Mi and Pho with a Vietnamese take on the exclusive menu offer, as well as Three Little Words, Shoryu Ramen, Tast, Society and more.

From the lineup of events so far, it’s fair to say 2022’s festival is a major improvement on last year’s excellent instalment. Keep your eye on this page for more details as we get them. Until then, mine’s an Aperol Spritz.

Where to go near Manchester Food and Drink Festival 2022

Leeds
Gallery
The Sculpture Gallery

The Sculpture Gallery is an outstanding new gallery, of pure sculpture, showcasing the work, not only of the six owners but guests also.

A club bedroom at Malmaison Leeds
Leeds
Hotel
Malmaison Leeds

Malmaison Leeds is a historic and dramatic building, full of character and individual style. Beautifully refurbished quirky bedrooms with power showers, blackout curtains and great beds.

On The Wall is a funky independent shop that sells a wide range of creative and artistic items including, posters, art prints, canvases, greeting cards and merchandise/gifts. They also offer a bespoke framing and canvas printing service and a screen printed t- shirt service. If you are looking for something more unique and inspiring they also sell work by local artists.
Leeds
Shop
On The Wall

Bright, bold and full of character, On the Wall pairs expert framing with prints, posters and gifts inside Leeds Corn Exchange.

Leeds
Restaurant
Canned Heat

Canned Heat is an independent bottle-shop & bar in the heart of Chapeltown, Leeds. Born out of a passion for Music, Art and Community.

Chorlton
Restaurant
Yane

Friendly neighbourhood restaurant in Chorlton, specialising in authentic Japanese cuisine such as donburi, katsu kare and traditional pickles, made in-house.

Creatures Comedy Club
Manchester
Theatre
Creatures Comedy Club

Whether you’re a die-hard comedy fan or just after a spontaneous night out, there’s something here for everyone. Open 7 nights a week.

The Loft
Manchester
Music venue
The Loft

The Loft is an intimate, industrial-style club tucked away on the edge of Manchester city centre. Known for its impeccable sound system and low-key vibe.

Stables Tavern
City Centre
Restaurant
Stables Tavern

The Stables Tavern is an olde style pub in the St John’s neighbourhood of Manchester, where the Rovers Return once stood.

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