Bury, brace for unbuckling your belts, because the borough’s annual food and drink festival returns for 2025 this month.
Following the inaugural event last year, Bury Food and Drink Festival (BFDF) is officially back, hoping to go even bigger and better than last summer.
Promising more traders this time around, not to mention a more fully-fledged programme than the maiden Manc feast, BFDF ’25 is shaping up to be a brilliant weekend.
Better still, with the summer sun looking like it’s sticking around for a while, it’s set to be another scorcher across Greater Manchester – the perfect weather for some more al fresco face-stuffing.
Salford Rum CompanyIddons fruit and vegCredit: Bury Market (supplied)
This year, Bury Food and Drink Festival boasts 70 different independent traders from around the local area and beyond.
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In fact, over in the town centre’s Kay Gardens, there’s set to be a brand-new Hong Kong-style market featuring over 50 traders alone.
Set up by nearby favourite, Moliuliu’s Store, visitors can find gifts, jewellery and artisan craft goods, as well as tonnes of amazing flavours from around the region.
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There’s also set to be a new ‘Beer and Bands’ night on Bank Street, where the festival was first born, making way for an evening of live up-and-coming local talent and brilliant Bury brews.
Organised by the Bury Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the world-famous Bury Market and local council, Bury Food and Drink Fest remains a completely free town-centre celebration of native hospitality, cuisine and culture.
The Town Centre Director for Bury BID, Nigel Shields, said of their sophomore event: “It’s a pleasure to be announcing the return of the Bury Food and Drink Festival to the town centre, and to be able to build on the success of last year’s event.
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“We’ve got an exciting and diverse range of local, authentic traders joining us, showcasing the very best flavours and cuisine from Bury and all over the world. The festival is a fantastic addition to our town and what it has to offer – we can’t wait to welcome guests from far and wide across the weekend!”
You can see a full map of the festival down below.
Spanning across three days and multiple central sites, BFDF 2025 kicks off this Friday, 18 July from 9:30am, and will close between 4:30/5pm every day until Sunday.
Part-funded by Local Growth & Place Flexible Grant Funding, the aim is to promote and help give back to popular indies like The Finest Fudge Co, The Thai Food Van, Sip & Sparkle and Daily Grind, just to name a few favourites.
Councillor Charlotte Morris added: “We’re delighted to bring the food and drink festival to Bury town centre once again. The fantastic range of businesses involved is testament to the strength of food and drink offering here in Bury, and the appetite (literally!) for exciting events.
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“The festival will be a chance to explore Bury, support local business, try something new and enjoy flavours from all over the world. We look forward to welcoming visitors from Bury and beyond!”
Find all the details around timings and all the other important info HERE.
A trip to Bury Market usually ends with us spending far too much on two things: chocolate and cheeseThe Thai Food Van
Iconic Thomas the Tank Engine replica to make three visits to Greater Manchester in 2026
Emily Sergeant
Everyone’s favourite little blue engine is making another return to Greater Manchester on several occasions this year.
The Day Out With Thomas experience is said to be ‘a train ride like no other’.
After delighting families throughout the region during countless successful events over the past couple of years, East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has announced that the Thomas the Tank Engine replica train is back by popular demand in 2026, and will be making three special visits to our region.
Families will have the chance to hop onboard the replica of the cult-classic blue train character for a 45-minute trip through the Greater Manchester countryside.
The journey begins at Bury Train Station, where you’ll be greeted by The Fat Controller, meet Sir Topham Hatt, say hello to Thomas on the platform, and then climb aboard a carriage, all before Thomas makes a final stop at the beautiful Ramsbottom station.
The doors to Bury Transport Museum will also be open across the weekend and will be hosting loads of fun free activities.
There’ll be Thomas-themed stories, and engaging and interactive activities to make the most of, as well as amusing performances by Sodor’s mischievous station sweepers, Rusty and Dusty, who’ll be entertaining with singing, dancing, and laughter all day long.
Not only that, but you can also expect fun fair rides suitable for toddlers, face painting, balloon art, and so much more throughout the weekend.
Day Out With Thomas is returning to Greater Manchester several times in 2026 / Credit: ELR
Oh, and this year, there’s a theme to enjoy.
Day Out With Thomas will be bringing its ‘Let’s Rock, Let’s Roll Tour’ to the ELR tracks, so get ready to rock out and move to the beat.
Thomas will be stopping at East Lancashire Railway this year on 2-4 May, 18-19 July, and 3-4 October, so there’s plenty of opportunities to see him, and tickets are now on sale – with prices starting at £14.50 for kids, and £24 for adults.
The Boots recycling scheme where you can get £5 off every shop
Thomas Melia
UK high street retailer and healthcare shop Boots has launched an innovative recycling scheme that entitles customers to £5 off their future shopping trips.
If you’re still struggling to come up with a New Year’s resolution, why not try a spot of recycling and earn some money off your next cosmetics shop while you’re at it?
Started in 2020, the Boots Recycling Scheme allows Advantage Card holders the opportunity to get money while also being more conscious about how we recycle our used health and beauty products.
Their third-party app, Recycle at Boots, uses a ‘Scan2Recycle‘ system where users can upload items from various beauty brands by taking a picture of the empty packaging before identifying its form.
This scheme takes items that can’t usually be recycled at home, such as lotion pumps, toothpaste tubes, lipstick, mascaras, travel minis, make-up palettes and more.
Once you have five items approved, head over to your nearest participating Boots store, drop off your empties and scan the QR code on the deposit box.
After you’ve followed all these steps, a voucher will appear entitling you to 500 Advantage Points when you spend £10 in-store at your nearest location, and not only do you have £5 worth of points with your name on it, you’re also an eco-warrior.
There’s even a dedicated section of the app to recycling empty medicine and vitamin blister packs, which gives customers 100 Advantage Points when they spend £5 in-store.
Brilliant.
Credit: Publicity pictures (supplied)
Items dropped into these deposit boxes are taken to MyGroup, a recycling and waste management service which works around the clock to help divert waste from landfill.
These empties will be washed and traditionally recycled into a material called MyBoard, a construction board material most similar to plywood, with lots of different uses.
Nearest Boots locations in Manchester running the Recycle at Boots scheme:
Manchester Market Street – 32 Market Street, M1 1PL
Salford Regent Park – Regents Park, M5 3TP
Manchester Didsbury – 736-740 Wilmslow Road, M20 2DW
The Trafford Centre – 10 Peel Avenue, M17 8BD
Trafford Retail Park – Neary Way, M41 7FN
If you’re up for getting money off your next Boots splurge while also helping recycle cosmetics containers and more, you can download the Recycle at Boots app and find your nearest HERE.
Danny Jones -
14th July 2025 
