A huge vegan market is coming to Manchester this winter, bringing over 80 stalls to Trafford’s Bowlers Exhibition Centre.
Taking place at the huge exhibition centre later this month, the market will showcase the best of the vegan lifestyle with hot and cold food stalls, cookbooks, lifestyle products and more.
Those looking for gift ideas ahead of Christmas will find a host of different products at hand, ranging from organic, natural skincare and cosmetic products to ethical and environmental clothing.
Stalls will be packed with products that you just can’t find at supermarkets, mixing delicious vegan food products to eat on the day and to take home for your cupboards.
Elsewhere, there’ll be inspirational charities and organisations at hand to talk about the work that they’re doing including Miracle’s Mission, a non-profit animal welfare organisation that works with sick, injured and disabled animals worldwide.
ADVERTISEMENT
Street food available on the day will include traditional Ethiopian curries served on injera bread from Manchester’s own House of Habesha, alongside vegan kebabs from British Street Food Awards 2020/2021 Finalist Seitan’s Kebab, and cooked-to-order hot dogs courtesy of VDogs.
Salford’s DevilDog sauces will on hand with their tasty range of chilli sauces, whilst Manchester-based Gillie Foods will be in attendance with their delicious range of Asian dishes. Elsewhere, you’ll find Kind Hearted Chocs selling a delicious selection of locally-made vegan chocolates.
Other local stalls due to appear on the day include itreatskin, which sells 100% natural products for eczema, acne, psoriasis, and plain-and-simple dry skin; Northern Lashe, an eco-friendly company providing handmade vegan lash products; and the Sea Moss Elixir, a local drinks brand that produces herbal healing and vital nutrient-filled beverages.
Salford-based Saco Superfoods, which works directly with small-scale women producers in West Africa, will also be at the event selling a range of superfoods including Organic Mango, Baobab Powder, Hibiscus Flower and Ginger Flakes.
ADVERTISEMENT
As for those looking for vegan cooking inspiration, they’ll want to keep their eyes peeled for the Bo’s Book stall – a new vegan cookbook that makes a great Christmas gift and features simple, easy-to-follow recipes (for both dogs and humans!) with all the profits going to help needy dogs at animal welfare and education charity Miracle’s Mission.
Taking place on Sunday 20 November from 1030am to 430pm at Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Trafford Park, entry is just £5 with all funds from tickets going to support animals in need.
Under sixteens can enter for free, and there is also a £15 VIP ticket option available to purchase in advance fro Eventbrite which will guarantee fast track entry on the day, as well as a goody bag full of vegan products, samples, discounts and offers.
Popular outdoor dining event returns to MediaCity waterfront this summer
Emily Sergeant
Greater Manchester’s popular outdoor dining concept is back again this summer, and there’s a proper tasty lineup of traders.
Kargo on the Docks, which is MediaCity‘s al fresco dining pop-up, has taken over the waterfront and gardens once again with a fresh wave of local food traders and stunning artwork by Salford-based creatives, all as the sun shines down on Salford Quays this summer.
A handful of Greater Manchester‘s most popular independents have set themselves up Quayside inside those signature re-imagined shipping containers.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours including Caribbean, Lebanese, Mexican, Ethiopian, and Pan-Asian dishes.
Loads of local indie food vendors have taken over the Salford Quays waterfront for the summer / Credit: Supplied
Afro Shack – the sister brand to Kargo.MKT favourite House of Habesha – will be serving fusion food combining East African flavours with indulgent American fast food, while new kids on the block Wok Bros will deliver sizzling, wok-tossed Pan-Asian street food and 100% halal dishes inspired by authentic flavours and fresh ingredients.
Iconic Jamaican dishes will also be on offer from Sunrise Caribbean, while Quiero Tacos will bring slow-cooked Birria tacos, cheesy quesadillas, and vibrant rice bowls packed with the spirit of Mexico.
Last but not least, Mediterranean food lovers can expect juicy lamb koftas, golden halloumi, and richly spiced chicken shawarma from Habibs.
Foodies can expect a menu packed with bold new flavours / Credit: Mark Waugh (via Supplied)
As well as the tasty food on offer, as mentioned, Kargo on the Docks also features a range of artwork and installations from local independent talent – with each container adorned with murals from creatives including Fernandes Makes, Kelly Ma, and Caroline Daly, bringing a feel-good summer vibe to the MediaCity Gardens.
Visitors can also enjoy an art trail display through the gardens, featuring structures designed by, A Studio Called Jane, Luke Passey, and Tasha Whittle.
There will also be a range of pop-up events hosted at the venue throughout the summer, with more announcements to be made very soon, so keep your eyes peeled.
Kargo on the Docks is now back at MediaCity from today (9 May) and will be open Tuesday to Sunday from 12pm-9pm throughout the summer.
Featured Image – Mark Waugh (via Supplied)
Eats
I went all the way to Paris to test out Big Mamma ahead of Manchester’s most exciting new restaurant opening
Daisy Jackson
Hospitality heavyweights Big Mamma Group are finally heading to Manchester, opening a Circolo Popolare Italian restaurant in the city centre – so we nipped over to Paris to see exactly what’s in store for us.
In the 10 years since launching their very first restaurant, East Mamma in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, the group have spread their wings wide.
There are Big Mamma Group restaurants, under several different names, all over Europe – and although they all belong to the same family, each one is treated like a total individual.
Some have maximalist, kitsch interiors with animal print furniture, gilded ceilings and retro prints of men in Y-fronts; others are more traditional trattorias with exposed brick, terracotta floors and crisp white tablecloths.
These interiors are fun, which is so refreshing in an industry which sometimes takes itself a bit too seriously.
On our tour of Big Mamma restaurants in Paris I came across delightful details like a loo wallpapered in pictures of Rod Stewart, a cocktail menu designed like a retro football sticker book, and an ice cream parlour built into an old train station carriage.
Every corner is packed with whimsy and wonder and there’s a whole team dedicated to sourcing these little touches from antiques fairs, second-hand shops and independent makers, stashing them all in an Aladdin’s Cave of a warehouse. Each restaurant even has its own crockery pattern.
East Mamma, one of Big Mamma’s Paris restaurantsNo Entry cocktail barA Big Mamma speakeasyPink MammaLa Felicita food hallLa Felicita food hall
So yes, the interiors in Manchester will be similarly interesting and lavish.
Big Mamma Group has already confirmed that the huge two-storey Circolo Popolare trattoria will be inspired by a Sardinian Festa, meaning cosy alcoves, more than 8000 bottles of vintage booze, and a vast room inspired by an overgrown Mediterranean courtyard.
As it takes shape in Gary Neville’s £400m St Michael’s development, they’ll be moving in big sharing tables, antique trinkets, reels of twinkling lights and even an Italian wishing well ahead of the big launch next month.
But not enough of us are talking about the food yet – this is a restaurant group that sources its produce from 160 different Italian artisans to ensure that everything you’re eating as authentic and delicious as possible.
Food at Big Mamma
While the menus shift between restaurants you can expect hearty bowls of handmade pasta laced with truffle or tomato or cheese, crispy-soft pizzas layered in creative sauce bases (like zucchini cream or black truffle cream, along with their classic San Marzano DOP tomato sauce), and per iniziare starters like giant burrata balls, melt-in-the-mouth croquettes, and slivers of cured meats – all prepared in an open kitchen run by Campanian-born Alfonso Esposito.
And a show-stopper for Manchester will be an outrageous six-inch lemon meringue pie, with a wibbly wobbly tower of Italian meringue on top.
Circolo Popolare will officially open its doors on 6 June – and before then, there’ll be a very limited soft launch where you can snag yourself 50% off your bill. Sign up HERE, with bookings live on Monday 12 May.
Georgina Pellant -
3rd November 2022 
