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.
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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.
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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
23 of the very best burgers in Manchester city centre and the boroughs beyond
Danny Jones
Like any normal human being, we Mancs love a good burger and, luckily for you, Greater Manchester has some of the best burgers you’ll find anywhere in the country – even if we do say so ourselves.
With tonnes of brilliant burger spots dotted all over Manchester city centre and the surrounding region, whether you’re into the high-end offerings at Hawksmoor or the outrageous towers at Almost Famous and Yard and Coop, 0161 has you covered.
There’s even room for some solid chains on this list as well, and while the likes of Maccies and Burger King might not have me the cut, we’re not going to pretend we don’t indulge in the odd big-name brand from time to time; we still consider some to be among the best burgers in and around Manchester.
Manchester is chocked full of an endless list of eateries serving up some of the most impressive patties you’ll quite possibly ever see in your life, and we’re really not exaggerating, so no matter if you’re a meat lover, chicken fanatic, veggie or vegan, there truly is something for everyone to tuck into in our city.
The best burger places Greater Manchester has to offer
1. Almost Famous – Northern Quarter
Almost Famous undoubtedly offers up some of the best burgers in Manchester (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Almost Famous is a name that’s pretty much synonymous with burgers here in Manchester, and as the name would suggest, it’s now so well-known it would be daft not to start off this list with one of the first burger spots that comes to mind.
Fan-favourite burgers include the ‘Unabomber’ double cheeseburger with chorizo, the ‘Awesome HQ’, which has two beef and two chicken patties, as well as our personal favourite: the ‘Butter, Blood and Blue’ with ‘wonderbuttered’ steak and peppercorn sauce.
Very few frills, just plenty of flavour. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Not just one of the best-named burger places ever, but genuinely one of our favourite arrivals in Manchester city centre of late, Slap and Pickle is a very solid entry on this list.
Serving up their burgers from Manc favourite food hall Society, S&P don’t just offer great choices for the carnivores but some pretty bloody good plant-based options as well.
From classics like the ‘Personal Cheesus’ and ‘Baconator’ to the ‘Double Double Trouble’ (yes, four patties) and the sweet but fiery ‘Smokin’ Bun’, we haven’t tried a single one we didn’t like yet.
3. Honest Burgers – Spinningfields
It doesn’t matter how big they get, Honest Burgers will always be one of the best in the UK, in our opinion (Credit: The Manc)
While this rapidly growing chain may be a very quick answer whenever someone asks you to think of somewhere to grab a good burger, it’s for a very good reason: franchise or not, they’re still very, very good, and anyone pretending otherwise is just lying.
Honest Burgers have found a real home here among the people of Manchester, so much so that they even created their own Mancunian special: a beef burger with smoked bacon, cheddar, Honey Rum BBQ Sauce, oh-so-crispy shoestring fries, yellow pepper mayo, tomato, lettuce and onion.
That’s a bit of us, alright, and it isn’t just the fresh patties made by their own in-house butchery, those DAMN rosemary-salted chips have us smacking our lips and crawling back every single time.
4. Little Brewski – central
Credit: The Manc Group
If you like your meals meaty, you’ll already know Brewski – and now the team have launched a brand-new concept in Manchester city centre.
At Little Brewski you’ll find just five burgers on the menu, all made with top quality British Wagyu beef, with simple toppings chosen to show off the quality of the meat.
Inspiration comes from across the US, like the California-inspired The Bear, and the Ode to Cheval from Chicago.
5. Yard & Coop – NQ
Yard & CoopWe still have days when we dream about that Great Kathmandu special — bring it back!
If it’s a chicken burger you’re after, then you can’t beat another NQ staple in Yard and Coop. A local institution for many years now, this absolute mecca of all things chicken, unsurprisingly, is just as good at sandwiching said chicken between bread as well.
Home to cult classics like the ‘I Don’t Like Spam’ (we do) and, of course, the aptly named and even more ridiculously-sized ‘Massive Cock’ — which has now been reworked as a spicy offering — we have never left this place without feeling like we haven’t been absolutely stuffed. Why are you laughing?…
Never mind, just shut up and get your mouth around a load of cock and tasty buns.
We will literally NEVER get tired of eating at Brewski, and while we’ll scran everything from their burritos and deep dish pizza to their succulent ribs and devilish desserts, their burgers really are the stuff of legend too.
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Name another place that does Korean fried chicken burgers with salt and pepper chips and an extra tub of katsu curry sauce for you to drizzle all over the gaff, or giant smash burgers with garlic parmesan fries and lashings of peppercorn sauce — we’ll wait.
Better still, this place’s menu is always changing, which means two things: you’ll never get bored of the food and, regardless of whether it’s new or not, we can guarantee it’ll be banging.
7. Archie’s – Oxford Road, Arndale, Piccadilly Station, Trafford Centre and Palazzo
We’re dipping our toes back into burger chains and comfortably one of Manchester’s most famous: the pretty pink neon-tinted cholesterol party that is Archie’s. Still, at least you can now burn off those calories in a roller rink…
Started here in 0161 back in 2010, Archie’s has gone on to be one of the biggest takeaway names in the UK and, despite how big they’ve gotten, they still cook up some of the best burgers you’ll find in Manchester — and plenty of them, too, boasting several sites, including a cool subway-style venue.
Be it their very strong breakfast menu, classic burgers like ‘The Superstar’ and ‘The Daddy’, or their take on the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, there’s a reason people keep coming back to their ever-expanding menu: it’s absolutely mint.
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8. Burgerism – Piccadilly Gardens, Salford, Freight Island, Gatley, and Denton
From a burger joint that has already been fully franchised to one so good it is well and truly on its way, Burgerism genuinely might be one of the very best all-around burger places in Manchester and Britain, for our money.
Starting out in Salford, there are now sites in Gatley and Denton, and they even offer a special delivery service around Manchester city centre from their purpose-built delivery-only kitchen over in Ardwick.
We could bang on and on about how much we love this place, but we’d be here all day; we reckon being officially voted one of the best in the country will do for now.
Next up is one that we’re always baffled that more people don’t know about it. We ordered one time on a drunken night in with mates and thought it was amazing, but had to go back to sober to confirm it was as good as we remembered: it was.
Situated not far from the Trafford Bar tram stop, MLK Burgers‘ frontage alone stands out from most of the stuff around it as a place that puts thought into its food and its presentation — a first impression that is quickly confirmed the second you take a bite.
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From their no-nonsense ‘Classic Angus’ and popular ‘Anday Wala’ with a juicy shami kebab and omelette filling, to their signature MLK Burger with Black Angus beef, turkey bacon, a Nashville chicken fillet, hash browns and cheese, this lot push the boundary on burger combos and always deliver a good product.
10. The Bun and Bones Club – Stockport
Yes, that’s a waffle burger…These folks love mixing things up (Credit: The Bun & Bones Club via Instagram)
This is another spot that doesn’t get talked about enough, but thankfully, we have a couple of people in the office who know a thing or two about Stockport and can gladly vouch for Bun and Bones being not only some of the best burgers in the town but also one of the best burger places in Greater Manchester.
Known for ever-changing and highly experimental weekly specials, B&B over in Hazel Grove isn’t just a staple in the SK fast food scene, but they even won Best Takeaway in the North West back in 2021, which came as anything but a shock at the time.
Since then, their success has even helped them spawn sister spot Dough and Bones, but they’ll forever be known as the kings of unique and clever burger creations. They’ve put everything from steak and ale pie filling and crispy potato cakes, to pulled treacle ham, toffee apple chutney, Asian roast pork belly, homemade schnitzel and more on their burgers — and that was in the space of a month!
Venturing even further out into Greater Manchester in search of the best burger places, we’ll confess that we hadn’t tried much-loved local eatery Smashville Burger UK until very recently, but it’s safe to say we’ve been sleeping far too long on this one.
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Having recently opened a second site in Bolton following the rave reviews from their first over in Oldham, the name is getting bigger and bigger, but the unique selling point of this brand is that it started out… in a petrol station.
That’s right, building on the gas station food culture that is so commonplace in America, Smashville made its name by serving as somewhat of a drive-thru whilst still slinging some of the most authentic smash burgers you’ll find anywhere in the region. They do more than that, too, but we say start simple.
A burger’s dozen! That’s the right phrase, right? But on a serious note, there aren’t many places that take lifting the humble cheeseburger into a gourmet dining experience like the Hawksmoor.
Literally world famous for their meat-crafting expertise, it’s no surprise that Deansgate‘s culinary cornerstone is really, really good at crafting the highest quality beef into perfect little patties and slapping them between perfectly baked brioche buns.
Having collaborated with everyone from Burgerism here in Manchester to the very best food brands all throughout the nation, the Hawksmoor burger is a perfect example of it taking great skill to not just do the classics really well, but to master them and raise the bar extremely high.
This list is feeling very red meat-heavy at the moment, so let’s take a look at one of the very best places to get a chicken burger anywhere in Greater Manchester: Bird of Prey.
When this place first opened, we remember how mad the queues were and it didn’t take long for us to figure out why. BoP, as it’s affectionately known to us these days, are self-confessed ‘chicken freaks’ and we’re happy to say we share their foodie affliction.
Tucked just off the Oxford Road Corridor on one of Manchester’s newest city squares, the ‘PFK’, ‘smokestack’ and ‘the halloumi one’ are still some of our go-to choices when we fancy a cheeky treat for lunch or a treat on the way home from the pub.
14. Bird at Public – Northern Quarter
Public took over a prime spot on the corner of Stevenson Square a couple of years ago, and more recently launched its Bird concept.
There’s all sorts of ‘clean’ battered and fried chicken in both box meal and burger format.
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The chicken here sits between tempura and classic southern-fried styles, with maximum crunch guaranteed.
Grab yourself a box with chicken salt crinkle fries, plus a side of frickles and some smacked cucumber, and you’ll be ready to box off a few more happy hour cocktails.
15. What’s Your Beef – Kargo MKT (Salford) and Bolton Food Hall
WHAT a feast this was.So many different options vying for the top spot.Ridiculously good – our fave has always been the spicy ‘Freebird’ with a side of those ridiculously good duck fries. (Credit: The Manc)
We can’t keep prattling on about the simple pleasures of a proper good beef burger without talking about one of the GOATs, and What’s Your Beef is certainly up there.
After enjoying a spell at Calcio! on Dale Street, WYB has now truly hit its stride at Kargo MKT inside Salford Quay’s newest food and drink trader destination, Central Bay.
In case you need an idea of just how good these guys are at what they do, their ‘Stateside Deluxe’ made it into the top five best burgers at The National Burger Awards back in 2019, and they’ve been building a stellar reputation ever since.
Whilst we’re on the subject of food markets, any local knows that the Arndale Market has some of the best food spots you’ll find anywhere in the city and, as it just so happens, one of those spots serves up some seriously good burgers.
It’s easy to find Dunkin’ Burgers: all you need to do is follow the massive queue that wraps around the indoor market — funnily enough, it’s right next door to the other massive queue for Viet Shack.
We’ve tried this menu from start to finish multiple times over now, but we’ve found anything quite as delicious as ‘The Manc’ burger (for obvious reasons): a breakfast butty-style burger with two beef patties, bacon, sausage, a fried egg, cheese and sauce to be dunked in a pot of gravy. Perfection.
17. Shakedown – Withington, Wythenshawe and Cheadle Hulme
We’re getting towards the business end now, and once again branching further out into various parts of the region: three, to be specific, and the one thing they all have in common is the almighty Shakedown.
Discovered during a takeaway night while at a mate’s house, we’ll admit we’ve never heard of this place up until that point, but since then we’ve ordered from here a few times and it’s come to feel like a bit of underdog on the Manc burger scene; a cult favourite to those who know it but no way near as reputed as it should be.
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Known for sumptuous shakes, sides, crispy quesadillas and some fat ol’ burgers, be it ‘The Super Beefed Up!’, ‘The Zesty Chicken Burger’ or even the grilled cheese toastie, they’re all solid options and turn up just as paper and foil and they do there in the brick-and-mortar — which isn’t always the case.
18. That Burger Place – Ape & Apple, city centre
You already know them for their burgers, but now the couple behind That Burger Place have taken on a new job as pub landlords.
Ryan and Megan are now behind both the taps and the fryers at the Ape & Apple pub in Manchester city centre, in a unique new partnership between them and Joseph HOlt.
Now you can get their California-inspired smash burgers, wings and loaded fries, alongside a great pint.
19. Burger Box – Fallowfield and Longsight
For the penultimate stop on our burger-based tour of Greater Manchester, we thought we’d pick out an affordable, uni-friendly pair of accessible eateries which do exactly what they say on the tin: deliver solid burgers, often in a box. There’s a place for those stumbling home fast-food takeaway vibes, and we can definitely make room for this one.
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Sky-rocketing in popularity thanks to putting in the graft as a late-night favourite in Fallowfield, a.k.a. student central, Burger Box opened up a second store down the road in Longsight not long ago, and now more Mancs are getting a taste; it helps that they serve from two entrances as well.
Located on Stockport and Wilbraham Road, respectively, this place might be the relatively new boy on the block, but staying open until 3am is a huge perk, and the regular footfall alone should assure you of the quality. Also, the loaded boxes with your burger of choice, four wings, fries and a drink are a real value-for-money option in a cost-of-living crisis.
We sadly had to say goodbye to leading veggie and vegan burger spot, The Vurger Co., a little while ago, and while it’s definitely a big loss to Manc plant-based eaters and beyond, what has taken its place is, rather fortunately, an absolute belter.
Landing in Manchester city centre direct from London, Smoke and Pepper impressed us from the moment it opened and didn’t take long to begin queuing out the door, thanks to its varied and flavourful menu that’s reputation clearly preceded it.
In complete honesty, we often just find ourselves ordering chicken tenders from this place sometimes when we’re passing, but in terms of recommendations, we genuinely want you to try the divisive ‘Flying Dutchman’, which has an onion instead of a bread bun, for yourselves and let us know what you think.
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21. So Famous – Piccadilly Trading Estate
Credit: The Manc
We’re nearing the finish line now; next up is So Famous – not to be confused with Almost Famous – which is based behind the main bustle of Piccadilly, where they’re quietly nailing the patty game.
They’ve featured on our Takeaway Champions (TC) series over on The Manc Eats in the past and proved to be one of our most popular episodes for good reasons: because the burgers are really, really good – not to mention being pretty well-priced too.
You can’t go wrong with whatever you order here, to be honest, but what we will say is that we’re a little obsessed with their onion rings, which seem to achieve that perfect balance of light, crispy, almost Cajun-style batter, whilst still giving you that deep-fried satisfaction.
22. DRIP – Burnage
From one delivery delight to another. Our belt loops are being sufficiently tested now, but before they drop, we urge you to try DRIP, a.k.a. another one of the best takeout burgers in all of Manchester, as far as we’re concerned.
They’ve also featured on TC before, and we’ve ordered them even more often in our own private time (you don’t want to see how piggy that gets), and we only reiterate how much they scratch that same itch of a naughty late-night scran, even if you grab one during the day.
As for what to choose, their Nashville fillet gives Drake’s new and viral Dave’s Hot Chicken a very good run for its money. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which one comes out on top.
Our penultimate pick is one we think is still criminally underrated when it comes to the burger scene in Manchester city centre, maybe because they’re arguably better-known for their ice cream and dessert selection.
Nevertheless, Big Licks – who have relocated to the Printworks from their old Liverpool Road location – do bloody good burgers and big ones, at that. They’re not exactly known for portion control here, and we’re glad, because if we’re eating a burger, we tend not to be thinking about the ol’ waistline.
Again, perhaps another reason they’re not so regularly associated with burgers is that they only have two fixed options on their menu: the smashed Angus beef burger and the buttermilk chicken version, but trust us, that 100% grass-fed meat and the signature ranch sauce on the poultry one are top quality.
As always with these lists, please don’t ask us to put them in order; it’s simply too hard, and there’s enough room for all of them in this big burger-loving corner of the world we call Greater Manchester.
It goes without saying that there are dozens of other burger places that could rightly be considered among the best: Shack, Grand Daddy’s, Fat Hippo, and now even Popeye’s, just to name an unfairly small few. It was a real Sophie’s Choice this, but you’ll have to forgive us if your favourite isn’t on here.
Or, you know, you can always just argue with us in the comments – we’ll try not to take offence.
Nevertheless, if you’re looking for something city-centre-based or a lesser-known burger spot further out into the reaches of our 10 beautiful boroughs, we promise it won’t be hard for you to find your favourite burger.
Inside Prologue, Stockport’s brand new independent bookshop, cafe, and wine bar
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Stockport is celebrating the arrival of a stunning new bookshop, which doubles up as a cosy café by day and a swanky wine bar by night. What more could we possibly ask for?
Created by the team behind Bramhall’s award-winning independent bookshop, Simply Books, you know we’re in good hands – with a selection of literary events, book clubs, and comedy nights, as well as live music, language classes, and writing workshops all under one roof.
Prologue can be found nestled inside Weir Mill, the new Capital&Centric development by the River Mersey, which houses 253 homes inside Grade II-listed cotton mills and industrial-style new builds.
It’s described as a meeting point for readers, writers, and creatives to connect with like-minded people, learn new skills, and explore new authors or music – with at least two live ticketed events a week.
This new bookstore concept is a welcome addition to the growing selection of independent local businesses popping up across Stockport in recent months, providing further space for the community to thrive.
Upon entering, you are met with every literature-lover’s dream bookcase – a 10m wall of books equipped with two rolling ladders, stocking every kind of genre imagineable, alongside a stylish bar area.
A miso martini and mango picante at ProloguePrologue will host events all week roundBasket of books
The ‘best book sellers in town’ are also doing things a little differently with a concierge desk for buying books, joining clubs or asking for recommendations, instead of a regular checkout.
However, the centre piece of the space is definitely the purpose built stage to accommodate a range of speaking events and live music, contrasted by the cosiest reading nooks lining the perimeter.
Not to mention a lovely outdoor area which will be absolutely perfect in the warmer months.
Prologue has a wide selection of specialty coffees on offer, seamlessly flowing into a sleek wine and cocktail bar in the evening, with drinks like a miso martini and a mango picante.
This one isn’t just for adults, there are also plenty of children’s books stocked making it the perfect location for a waterside café family day trip, down under the viaduct.
Cosy reading nooks at PrologueA huge range of curated books
Ben Johns, co-founder of Simply Books and Prologue, said: “We’ve always believed that bookshops are a place of connection. With Prologue, we wanted to create something special for Stockport – somewhere everyone can feel right at home. We can’t wait to get to know a whole new community of readers.”
If you like it as much as we did, there is also the opportunity to join the Prologue Society. As a member you gain presale access to all events, treats throughout your membership like a free birthday book or coffees and tickets for quarterly special events such as supper clubs and bookshop lock-ins.
Not to mention exclusive access to new releases and early entry to events.
Opening Saturday 3 October at Prologue, Weir Mill, Stockport, SK3 0GS.
The Manc -
11th May 2021 
