Manchester’s culinary scene speaks for itself, with some of the best restaurants and street vendors you’ll find anywhere in the country – yeah, we said it – so it only seems right that the British Street Food Awards would also wash up on our shores.
The annual celebration of the very best street food the UK has to offer, which also forms part of the wider European Street Food Awards (ESFA), is broken up into regions and this year’s Northern final is taking place right here in Manchester city centre.
Set to take place at Freight Island, where there’ll also be live entertainment as well as plenty of food and drink on top of the competition and ceremony itself, this year’s awards are set to attract a massive and very hungry Manc crowd.
Taking place over a full weekend, we can’t think of many better ways to spend our time.
Credit: Supplied
So how does it work? Well, the British Street Food Awards (BSFA) brings together top street food traders to compete for the British Street Food Awards ‘Northern Champion’.
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The Northern finalists are set to showcase their one killer signature dish for a judging panel. This year’s judges are still yet to be revealed but previous panels have welcomed the likes of Michelin-star chefs and acclaimed food writers such as Ed Cooke, Richard Corrigan, Gizzi Erskine, Giorgio Locatelli, and more.
Following this stage, successful regional finalists then take their dishes to the UK final in London on 13-15 September as they compete for the ultimate domestic award: the prestigious British Street Food Awards Champion.
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From there, the sky’s the limit and they can go on to compete in ESFA, whose grand final takes place in Germany later this year.
Past winners include popular names such as Wingmans, MEATliquor, BAO and more. The event promises a weekend filled with mouth-watering dishes, vibrant atmospheres, and the chance to discover the next big name in street food. Safe to say we know a thing or two about that around here.
In addition to the obvious wealth of food offerings at your disposal over the weekend, there’ll also be a performance by Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip on the Sunday, as well as live sets by Body Heat DJs.
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The competition itself not only showcases the finest in street cuisine but also offers food enthusiasts the unique opportunity to vote for their favourite vendor in The People’s Choice award. Both The People’s Choice and the Northern Champion will be announced on the final day of the awards.
The British Street Food Awards regional final for the North West takes place at Freight Island on Saturday, 17 and Sunday, 18 August from 12 pm until 6pm. You can book your tickets to the Northern edition of the 2024 British Street Food Awards HERE.
Until then, we highly recommend you feast your eyes on what is just a taster of one of the very best street food hubs in our wonderful city – though we’ll pre-warn you, the mouth will water…
The best restaurants and bars named at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards
Daisy Jackson
The Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards (MFDF) has honoured the best restaurants, bars, producers and more in a glittering ceremony in Manchester tonight.
The annual food and drink awards celebrated the best of the hospitality industry across 18 categories, including Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, and Newcomer of.
More than 350 hospitality professionals piled into New Century to see the top spots in town crowned, with a whopping 136 worth venues, traders, places and people nominated.
Every year, the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards sets out to recognise the individuals and businesses who have shaped the city’s culinary scene over the last 12 months.
The shortlist is chosen by a panel of judges made up of food and drink writers, experts and critics, before the overall winners are chosen through a combination of public votes and mystery shopping visits by judges.
This year, the MFDF Awards celebrate everything from Michelin star to back-alley street food.
Alexa Stratton-Powell, Awards Director of Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards commented: “We’re thrilled to be announcing this list of incredible winners. In such tough times for the industry, we want to thank, support and celebrate every nominee and winner and their fantastic achievements.
“We hope that the food fans of Greater Manchester and beyond will be inspired to go out and support all of these exceptional venues that we are so lucky to have on our doorstep.”
All the winners at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards 2025
Affordable Eats Venue of the Year
Nell’s Pizza at KampusNell’s at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
The Pearl in Prestwich has made it onto the list of the Top 100 Local Restaurants in the Good Food Guide. Credit: The Manc GroupDoughnuts at All The Shapes in Prestwich. Credit: The Manc Group
Winner: Prestwich
Shortlist
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Monton
Prestwich
Salford
Urmston
Levenshulme
Altrincham
Denton
Sale
Independent Drink Producer of the Year
Winner: Cloudwater Brew Co
Shortlist
Cloudwater Brew Co, Piccadilly
Pomona Island Brew Co, Salford
Sureshot Brewing, Piccadilly
The Salford Rum Company, Salford
Steep Soda Co
Pod Pea Vodka, Salford
Hip Pop, Piccadilly
Balance Brewing & Blending, Piccadilly
Independent Food Producer of the Year
Great North Pie Co at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
Winner: Great North Pie Co.
Shortlist
Companio Bakery, Ancoats
H.M.Pasties, Oldham
La Chouquette, Didsbury
Great North Pie Co, Wilmslow
The Flat Baker, Ancoats
Long Boi’s Bakehouse, Levenshulme
Yellowhammer, Stockport
Half Dozen Other, Cheetham Hill
Neighbourhood Venue of the Year sponsored by SH Comms
Winner: Bar San Juan
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Shortlist
Cibus Pizza, Levenshulme
Ornella’s Kitchen, Denton
Fold Bistro & Bottle Shop, Marple Bridge
The Pearl, Prestwich
425 Bury New Road,, Manchester, M25 1AF
Restaurant Örme, Urmston
Tawny Stores, Marple
Vero Moderno, Salford
Bar San Juan, Chorlton
Plant Based Offering of the Year
Maray in Manchester has loads of vegan and vegetarian options. Credit: The Manc GroupVegan Sunday roast at Maray in Manchester
Winner: Maray
Shortlist
Maray, Lincolm Square
Lily’s Indian Vegetarian Cuisine, Ashton-under-Lyne
Wholesome Junkies, Northern Quarter
Allotment Vegan Eatery, Cathedral
Walled Gardens, Whalley Range
Little Aladdin, Northern Quarter
Herbivorous, Withington
Sanskruti, Withington
Pop up or Project of the Year sponsored by ASP Events
Winner: Love From
Shortlist
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Bungalow at Kampus
Tartuffe, Side Street Studio
Midori Didsbury at Wine & Wallop
The Landing, Stockport
Love From, Kampus
Root to Flower
Sampa
Manchester Wine Tour
Pub or Beer Bar of the Year sponsored by JW Lees
Mulligans has revealed its new look with an extra floor now open. Credit: The Manc Group
Winner: Mulligans
Shortlist
Heaton Hops, Heaton Chapel
Port Street Beer House, Northern Quarter
North Westward Ho, Chapel Walks
Pall Mall, 19 Chapel Walks, Manchester, M2 1HN
Mulligans of Manchester
The City Arms
The Britons Protection
The Old Abbey Taphouse, Hulme
Café Beermoth
Great Service Award
Winner: Schofield’s Bar
Shortlist
Flawd Wine, Ancoats Marina
The Pearl, Prestwich
Higher Ground, New York Street
Skof, NOMA
10 Tib Lane
Schofield’s Bar, Quay Street
Adam Reid At The French, The Midland
Ornella’s Kitchen, Denton
Bar of the Year sponsored by Conductr
Winner: Hawksmoor
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Shortlist
Red Light, Kampus
Flawd Wine, Ancoats Marina
Speak in Code
Project Halcyon, St John’s
Hawksmoor, Deansgate
10 Tib Lane
Stray, Mackie Mayor
Sterling Bar, Stock Exchange Hotel
Newcomer of the Year
Winner: Skof
Shortlist
The Pearl, Prestwich
Skof, NOMA
Medlock Canteen, Deansgate Square
Onda Pasta Bar, Oxford Road
Tawny Stores, Marple
Caravan, St John’s
Hakkapo, First Street
Flat Iron, Deansgate
Chef of the Year sponsored by Boutinot
Winner: Tom Barnes (Skof)
Shortlist
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Iain Thomas (The Pearl)
Joe Otway (Higher Ground)
Tom Barnes (Skof)
Sam Grainger (Medlock Canteen)
Patrick Withington (Erst)
Danielle Heron (OSMA)
Sam Buckley (Where the Light Gets In)
Julian Pizer (Another Hand)
Restaurant of the Year
Winner: Where The Light Gets In, Stockport
Shortlist
Skof, NOMA
Higher Ground, New York Street
Another Hand, Deansgate
Where the Light Gets In, Stockport
The Pearl, Prestwich
Restaurant Örme, Urmston
mana, Ancoats
Adam Reid At The French, The Midland
The Howard and Ruth Award for Outstanding Achievement
Get Baked owner offers lifeline to hospitality staff after sudden closure of Almost Famous
Danny Jones
The owner of viral sweet treat brand, Get Baked, has given a potential lifeline to local hospitality staff in Manchester following the sudden news of Almost Famous’ nationwide closure.
Confirmation that the Northern foodie favourites and dirty burger pioneers would be shutting down all of their sites across the country hit the likes of Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool like a freight train on a truly sad Monday mourning.
Although countless customers expressed their condolences online and bid farewell to the more than decade-old institution, the question of what is/will happen to their numerous staff was quickly put to the forefront.
With Almost Famous employees informing The Manc that they had been given no notice of the immediate closure and some still being owed wages, many have sadly found themselves in a crisis. Step up, Leeds-born baker and businessman, Rich Myers.
Yes, Yorkshire’s very own ‘Mr Sprinkles’ – who is slowly building a small but solid and superbly sweet dessert empire in the North – dropped a comment underneath our announcement post and kindly slid into our DMs to help get the word to those who need it most.
With Get Baked’s first-ever Manchester store set to open this year, Myers and his team are on the lookout for staff to make sure it hits the ground running.
That being said, upon learning of AF’s gutting closure, Myers messaged: “Hi everyone. We are opening a new site in NQ on February 28th, and want to do what we can to help any ex-AF staff get into new employment.
Although Get Baked is now planning to move to a different location in Manchester city centre, the opening date is still edging ever closer and we literally cannot wait.
The brand’s original home in Headingley has become internet-famous for its viral take on the legendary ‘Matilda cake’.
It’s unclear as to whether Get Baked have vacancies beyond Manchester but it’s still well worth expressing your interest if you don’t mind a job switch that revolves around sweet instead of savoury.
As for those who have unfortunately been let go by the long-standing burger joint, we sincerely hope that as many of them are snapped up by other local hospitality businesses as possible – and fast.
Almost Famous has been hit with a fair amount of criticism following the mass shutdown; reflecting on this and a raft of recent closures, one person wrote: “I feel sorry for the hospitality industry as a whole and Manchester. But not for AF if they treat their staff with such contempt!
A former employee added: “As a staff member who hasn’t received any direct communication from the business about the immediate redundancy of my contract and no payment of owed wages – the ‘top priority’ comment doesn’t exactly ring true.”
Danny Jones -
22nd July 2024 
