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FIRST PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENTS... FIND OUT WHAT'S TO COME!
Our 20th Birthday MFDF extravaganza promises an extra special line up in collaboration with Manchester’s most talented chefs, operators and producers – the people responsible for the remarkable change in the city’s gastronomic landscape over the last 20 years.
The 20th birthday edition features an extraordinary programme, which will welcome a wide selection of local, national and international chefs and brands to the city, and take over some of Manchester’s most exciting, historic and even forgotten, locations.
MFDF AT THE MAYFIELD
30TH SEPTEMBER - 7TH OCTOBER
Manchester’s abandoned railway station, and one of the city’s most jaw-dropping spaces, is the location for MFDF’s 20th Birthday Banquets. We'll be taking over this amazing space to host a series of special and unique dining events throughout the Festival. These events are not to be missed!
MFDF & TAMPOPO 20TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
SATURDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER
Authentic, independent Pan Asian restaurant is 20 this year too. we'll be celebrating our joint birthday together the only way we both know how…with one great big gastro birthday party in a magnificent location.
THOMASINA MIERS: DAY OF THE DEAD
SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER
Thomasina Miers, the red hot Mexican food entrepreneur, brings a new gastro take on the infamous ‘Day of the Dead’ with a Mexican banquet every bit as fantastical as the venue in which it’s taking place.
HISPI MEETS THE UNABOMBERS
THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER
A collaboration between food and drink innovator, Gary Usher, and club alchemists-turned-restauranteurs The Unabombers, this huge banquet-come-food party will bring together 2 of the hottest food brands in the north – The Refuge and Hispi.
POPS-UPS AT THE HUB ON ALBERT SQUARE
MATT NUTTER'S VEGAN BANQUET
THURSDAY 5TH OCTOBER
Allotment is one of the most exciting culinary destinations to hit Greater Manchester. The vegan banquet will give an insight into just how delicious the menu is using locally sourced, high quality vegan and gluten free food like you’ve never tasted before.
SUGO PASTA KITCHEN
TUESDAY 3RD OCTOBER
The Sugo brothers will be bringing their acclaimed pasta kitchen all the way from Altrincham to the Festival Hub, for one night of pasta and wine pairing in the city centre!
DELICIOUSLY ELLA
SATURDAY 30TH SEPTEMBER
Award-winning cookery author and entrepreneur Ella Mills will be bringing her MaE Deli brand to Manchester via her first ever pop up event outside London.
SIMON SHAW
FRIDAY 29TH SEPTERMBER
The founder/chef Patron of El Gato Negro will be hosting a truly authentic Spanish Pop Up feast including modern and traditional Spanish flavours and techniques.
WHAT'S ON AT THE FESTIVAL HUB?
THE FESTIVAL HUB
28TH SEPTEMBER - 8TH OCTOBER
The heart of the action, the Festival Hub, will remain at its traditional home on Albert Square, and will be a ‘better than ever’ bespoke, pop-up food village.
Throughout the Festival will be the city’s best mix of street food traders (from Manchester and beyond), Vin Van Voom Wine bar, the MFDF live music stage, the MFDF Live Cookery Theatre, and a brand new beer bar take over focused around the best Manchester brews.
CHEF DEMOS & BOOK SIGNINGS
SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER
Thomasina Miers
Kwoklyn Wan
Nisha Katona
Aiden Byrne
WINE AND BEER TASTING
6TH OCTOBER
BBC star and founder of Reserve wines Kate Goodman meets Cloudwater Beer extraordinaire, Paul Jones. Paul will be teaming up with Kate for the first time to host a fascinating evening exploring the cultural and gastronomic differences between wine and beer alongside the best food pairings for each.
JUST EAT LOCAL LEGENDS KITCHEN
28TH SEPTEMBER - 8TH OCTOBER
Everyone’s favourite ‘go to’ food delivery service, Just Eat, will partner with some of its most popular restaurants who will bring their own versions of street food to the Festival.
FEVER TREE GIN GARDEN AND THE DARK SPIRIT DEN
28TH SEPTEMBER - 8TH OCTOBER
The Den will host a programme of live entertainment and Fever Tree will be serving up their new dark spirit mixers range including cola, ginger ale and ginger beer.
OTHER EVENTS
MFDF BIG INDIE WINE FEST
6TH & 7TH OCTOBER
One of Manchester’s most well known buildings, located at the gateway to Spinningfields, Manchester Hall is a Grade II listed building that has been transformed into a stunning and unique space. It will be hosting this year’s ‘ Big Indie Wine Fest’ which returns to the Festival as one of the most popular events.
AIDEN BYRNE'S FESTIVAL BANQUET
TUESDAY 3RD OCTOBER
Festival favourite and one of Manchester’s most revered food celebrities, Aiden Byrne will be staging a 6-course tasting menu and wine flight at Manchester House.
20 YEARS OF BEER
SATURDAY 7TH OCTOBER
Connor Murphy from MCR Beer Week and Paul Jones from Cloudwater will be teaming up with a number of the best brewers in Manchester to give an insight and tasting of the past 20 years of beer in Manchester.
BOOKATABLE FESTIVAL FEAST
28TH SEPTEMBER - 9TH OCTOBER
The Bookatable Festival Feast will be a series of limited edition, bespoke, dining menus, created by Manchester’s restaurants especially for the Manchester Food and Drink festival in association with Bookatable.
GALA DINNER AND AWARDS
MONDAY 9TH OCTOBER
The Manchester Food and Drink Festival Gala Dinner and Awards will be taking place on the 9th October and will be returning to the beautiful and iconic Principal Hotel. The Awards Shortlist will be announced on Thursday 8th June.
MANCHESTER TART OFF
SUNDAY 9TH OCTOBER
In celebration of 20 years of MFDF, the Festival are resurrecting a competition that was staged in year 1… The search to find the best Manchester Tart in Manchester.
MFDF & MCR BEER WEEK
28TH SEPTEMBER - 9TH OCTOBER
MFDF are teaming up with MCR Beer week to create a programme of beer focused events to run throughout the Festival in some of the best bars, pubs and breweries across the city!
THE FESTIVAL FRINGE
28TH SEPTEMBER - 8TH OCTOBER
There’ll be a whole host of other wild and wonderful food events across Manchester’s spectacular restaurants, bars, cafes, delis, museums and more.
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Posted on 19 May 2017
