Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards 2020

Ian Jones, Food and Drink Editor

Visit now

Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards 2020

5 October 2020

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

Free
Manchester Food & Drink Festival 2019
MFDF 2020
Book now

There’s a new format for the much-loved Manchester Food and Drink Awards in 2020, following an extraordinary year for the hospitality industry.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it has had upon the hospitality sector, the 2020 awards have been adapted for this year with changes to format, award categories and the MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony.

Voting will be carried out entirely by the public

The MFDF Awards 2020 will be presented in partnership with festival sponsors Just Eat, and will be the culmination of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival (24th September-5th October). The awards will celebrate the innovation, resilience, altruism and successes that have taken place since the last awards, particularly in light of the vast challenges that the industry has faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Voting will be carried out entirely by the public via the MFDF website and the brand new MFDF app which will be downloadable from early September. The shortlists have been compiled by the MFDF judging panel, made up of the region’s leading food and drink critics, writers and experts.

An extraordinary year for the hospitality industry

The awards ceremony itself will be taking place at a venue to be announced and live-streamed so that, for the first time, the industry and public alike will be able to watch at the same time. More details will be announced soon.

The closing date for votes is midnight on the 26th September and the winners will then be announced in October at the virtual Awards ceremony on 5th October.

Where to go near Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards 2020

Testbed Main Space
Leeds
Event venue
TESTBED

TESTBED is a newly renovated 10,000 sq foot event venue in Leeds that offers endless possibilities for creating unique and inspiring experiences.

Manchester
Restaurant
Salt & Pepper

Chinese inspired British food in the centre of Manchester, backed up by plenty of well-deserved local hype.

Morning Glory - Coffee Cup
Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Morning Glory

Morning Glory positions itself as a grab-and-go spot, with just 12 seats inside serving coffee, bagels and sweet treats.

The Warehouse In Holbeck
Leeds
Event venue
The Warehouse In Holbeck

Run by acclaimed theatre company Slung Low, The Warehouse in Holbeck is home to boundary-pushing performance and community projects.

Leeds
Event venue
The Attic

Tucked away above the bustle of Merrion Street, The Attic is one of Leeds’ most distinctive small venues – intimate, unpretentious, and steeped in DIY spirit.

The Chevin is a great place for visitors to do lots of different activities and is open all year round with 5 free car parks. To help you find out whatís best for you we have divided this section up into some of these different activities.Please be aware that The Chevin is a working estate so you may see vehicles including timber-extraction lorries using some of the tracks.Self-guided WalksThe Chevin is a big place and there is a good network of paths to make your own circular walk, but if you want to follow a themed trail there is a Geology Trail, Heritage Time Trail and a route for Tree Spotters.Bikes & HorsesThere is an extensive bridleway network on the eastern parts of The Chevin that caters for a range of abilities.Orienteering and GeocachingTwo orienteering courses and a number of geocache sites are waiting to be discovered.Climbing & BoulderingThere are many fantastic crags for climbing and boulders for bouldering.Mobility Scooters & Wheelchairs
Leeds
Restaurant
Oporto

For many years, Oporto has been a beacon of alternative energy on Leeds’ Call Lane – serving up great food and drink alongside resident DJs and live music.

See all places

What's on: Festivals

A large mechanical puppet controlled by multiple people. Encounter Festival in Preston
FestivalsLancashire
Encounter Festival in Preston

Expect a jam-packed day of outdoor performance, live music, family fun – plus Preston’s iconic Torchlight Procession and fireworks finale.

Free entry
Get Outside with Bradford 2025: An image of a large man made pool with fountains in front of a historic building with a clock tower
Until
FestivalsBradford
Get Outside with Bradford 2025

Explore art in the moorlands, soundscapes through the glen and appreciate how the city has become totally transformed when you get outside with Bradford 2025.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.

See all guides