The UK’s biggest (and now world’s largest) chicken wing festival is returning to Manchester for a huge 2021 chicken showdown.
Back in 2019, we helped Wing Fest make its official debut in Manchester with an enormous city centre festival that broke records.
Tens of thousands of wing lovers descended onto First Street South for three days of wing showdowns, live music, food challenges and lots of drinking – and it got the weather, too. That weekend in September turned out to be one of the hottest of the year, which only helped make Wing Fest’s Manchester debut a special one.
Wing Fest
Fast forward two years and Wing Fest’s return to the city should actually be its third event in the region.
The pandemic, of course, stopped Wing Fest 2020’s progress in its tracks, with the team behind the event – which also runs annually in London and Bristol – pausing all activity and gearing up for a year of missed opportunity.
That year of missed opportunity is 2021. The date is the 14th and 15th of August. The location is First Street South (still to be fully confirmed).
Wing Fest 2021 comes when we really need it. Since 2019, we’ve lost lots of things that we love, including eating wherever we want, whenever we want. Live music has become extinct and chicken wings are now very rarely eaten outside of your home – unless you’ve burnt a load of Aldi wings on the barbecue surrounded by five people from the same household.
Wing Fest
Basically, what I’m saying is, Wing Fest Manchester is here to deliver every single thing that you love about leaving your home. Chicken wings, live music, great beer, unparalleled atmosphere, exclusive wing sauces, food challenges and plenty of opportunity for good Instagram content.
The event will showcase the best chicken wings the UK has to offer, with thousands of lucky ticket holders and a judging panel deciding who really does do the best wings. Meanwhile, over 70,000 wings will be served by 20 different street food traders, restaurants and BBQ teams.
It will roll into Manchester on the 14th and 15th of August and you can buy tickets for the event on their official website now.
Food & Drink
Drake-backed fried chicken brand Dave’s Hot Chicken is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The huge LA-based fried chicken brand backed by Drake is heading to Manchester for the very first time this summer.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is set to open in the Printworks this August – the first UK branch outside of London and Birmingham.
The cult chicken brand has said that its new venue will feature an ‘industrial design inspired by Manchester’s rave scene’ (if we had a pound every time a new venue used that design style, we’d be as rich as Drake…).
Dave’s Hot Chicken is famed for its signature Nashville-style hot chicken, which is served in seven different spice levels from No Spice to Reaper.
Expect sliders, tenders, ‘next-level’ top-loaded shakes and slushes.
It’s grown so quickly that in 2021, it caught the eye of none other than rapper Drake, who is a ‘significant investor’ in the brand.
The fried chicken spot will be moving into the large corner unit at Printworks, which has previously been Busaba Thai, and Floripa, with 139 covers.
Dave’s Hot Chicken is coming to Manchester
Inside, it will feature towering ceilings, exposed steelwork, and laser lights, claiming to be a ‘full-on sensory trip, where music, light and fried chicken will come together to create a high-voltage experience’.
There will also be custom graffiti inspired by L.A.-based street artists Splatterhaus and Dehm.
Dave’s Hot Chicken still has hour-long queues down in London, several months after opening on Shaftesbury Avenue – next up will be a Birmingham branch in July before Manchester opens later this summer.
And this is just the start of a nationwide expansion.
Jim Attwood, Managing Director of Dave’s Hot Chicken UK, said: “Printworks Manchester is the ideal setting for our next UK site – right at the heart of one of the country’s most exciting cities.
“The new restaurant pays homage to Manchester’s legendary warehouse rave scene, with an industrial-inspired design and bold, high-energy atmosphere to match our signature flavours.
“We can’t wait to bring something fresh to this iconic venue and its vibrant mix of entertainment, food and culture.”
Dave’s Hot Chicken will open at Printworks Manchester on 8 August.
Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
The Manc -
11th May 2021 
