The beloved festival is officially back.
Following last year’s last-minute cancellation as a result of yo-yo-ing restrictions imposed on Greater Manchester last summer, the organisers behind the Manchester Food and Drink Festival have confirmed that the much-loved event will return for 2021 – and we couldn’t be more excited.
Coming back for a week of delicious food cooked up by local chefs, the festival will take place at the end of summer as usual, with dates booked in for 16th-27th September.
Dubbed the ‘hospitality homecoming event of the year’ and ‘a magnificent celebration of the region’s food and drink and all the talented people that bring it to the table’, this year’s event is expected to be extra special, with many of Manchester’s bars and restaurants enduring months of turmoil as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Alexa Stratton-Powell, Festival Director said: “This year’s Festival is about celebration, reflection and recovery. It has been an extraordinarily difficult time for the hospitality industry, and so too for the Festival and all the events companies and professionals around the country. Postponing last year’s MFDF was a very difficult decision, but the right one.
“This year we’ll come together to do what Manchester does best – support each other and our city. We want to create the most exciting Festival yet; celebrate as many of our hospitality businesses as possible and make sure everyone has a brilliant time enjoying the region’s amazing food and drink! We’re particularly excited to be announcing the MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards are back! They give everyone a chance to recognise the achievements of our unrivalled hospitality community. We will be back soon to announce the award categories, nominees and how to vote- giving everyone the chance to get behind their food heroes.”
Who’s gonna cooking up a storm this year?
MFDF unveiled an epic line-up just today, with some stellar names in store for this September. See the full list of confirmed Festival Hub vendors below:
- What’s Your Beef Burgers
- Aunty JJ’s; serving South Asian inspired street food with a contemporary twist
- Great North Pie Co
- The Spinn; usually known for their beefy burgers, guests can expect wraps, wings, halloumi and more
- Grandad’s Sausages
- Maison Breizh; savoury galettes and dessert crêpes with the finest French chocolate
- Ginger’s Comfort Emporium; known for its tasty classic ice cream
- Vertigo Plant-Based Eatery
- Peck & Yard; pan Asian chicken
- Chorlton Bread Co; handmade plant-based, sourdough bread and cookies
- Cafe Cannoli; handmade, authentic Sicilian cannoli
- DevilDog Sauces; small batch chilli sauces and seasonings made right here in Manchester.
- Cocoa and Bloom; sustainable, handmade chocolates made with natural fresh fillings
- Chorlton Cheesemongers; quality farmhouse and artisan handmade cheeses, chutney and pickles
- Manchester Cheesecake Co; locally produced small batch cheesecakes in an array of amazing flavours
- BreadFlower; handmade bagels and seasonal bouquets
- Twisted Wheel Beer Co; craft Beer brewed in the Northwest
- Prestwich Gin; locally produced, award-nominated, small batch gin
- O’Donnell Moonshine; handcrafted spirits and liqueurs presented in their now-iconic glass jars
- Companio Bakery; Ancoats’ neighbourhood, sourdough bakery
- Paradiso Authentic Italian; freshly made, authentic Italian desserts
- The Gourmet Brownie Co
- Ribble Valley Gin; small batch, multi award-winning gins
- HM Pasties; pies and pasties handmade in Bolton with the social mission of reducing re-offending by employing people with criminal convictions
- Crozier Drinks; premixed Artisan cocktails specialising in inventive combinations of fruits spirits and spices
- Oh My Glaze; Bringing wraps, wings and halloumi to the celebrations
- Mezze; a family-run, Cypriot kitchen
- Halloumination; delicious halloumi fries and halloumi burgers
- I Knead Pizza; Stockport-based local food heroes serve up their woodfired pizza and amazing ‘pizza bites’
- Northern Soul Grilled Cheese
- Mi & Pho; Northenden’s award-winning Vietnamese restaurant brings Bahn Mi and Pho to the Festival.
- Spoons Desserts; crepes made locally and featuring all the classic crepe toppings
The Festival Hub returns to Cathedral Gardens this year, with pop-up kitchens, bars, live music and entertainment in store for guests to enjoy. The Gala dinner and awards will also return for the 2021 festival.
If that wasn’t all, a number of local restaurants will be providing some incredible offers throughout the festival’s duration, which you can find out more about here.
Want to secure a space to park your butt? You can book a table in advance now.