Eats
Festa Italiana 2022 – full line-up, opening times and how to get there
Brought to Manchester by Salvi’s, the festival has become something of a favourite amongst local foodies
Festa Italiana, the free-to-enter weekend-long festival celebrating Italian food, drink and culture is returning to Festival Piazza this August bank holiday weekend for its fifth year in the city.
Taking place from 26 to 28 August 2022 at Cathedral Gardens in Manchester city centre, it will bring together some of the city’s best Italian and Sicilian eateries alongside a host of live music, Italian bars and special chef masterclasses.
Featuring street food pop-ups from the likes of Pasta Factory, T’arricrii and Lucky Mama’s, to a dedicated Aperol Spritz bar and Airstream bar selling Italian craft lagers, and a special intimate chef’s dinner event, there is a lot for foodie fans to get excited about this year.
What is the street food line-up at Festa Italiana 2022?
Over the course of the weekend, foodie fans can enjoy sweet treats from Café Cannoli, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas from I Knead Pizza and Proove, and ‘rasta pasta’ from Chorlton-via-Eccles favourites Lucky Mamas.
T’arricrii will bring along handbuilt arancini and fritto misto, whilst the Pasta Factory will be on hand with its authentic plates of fresh Puglian-style pasta dishes.
Elsewhere, there’ll be sweet treats from festival founders Salvi’s, doughnuts from Destination Doughnut and grilled paninis, cakes, drinks and snacks from Kickback Coffee.
What bars are on offer at this year’s Festival Piazza?
The main festival bar will serve Italian favourites including fine Italian wine, Ponte prosecco, Luxardo, gin and tonics and other popular Italian spirits.
An Airstream Bar from Birrificio Angelo Poretti will serve Italian craft beers, whilst an Aperol Spritz bar will be on hand serving up everyone’s favourite low-ABV aperitivo. Soft drinks and coffees will also be available on-site across the weekend.
Live music
This year, Compagnia Sole Luna will bring traditional folk music from Naples, revisited in a folk-rock style from southern Italy.
There will also be a full lineup of local artists and bands including the city’s best-loved opera singer The Manchester Tenor, while DJs will be spinning records each night.
What events and masterclasses are taking place?
Festa Italiana Feaast – Dine with legendary Italian restaurateurs, authors, and UK TV favourites at the Festa Marquee
On Saturday 27 August an intimate chefs’ table dinner featuring top-class Italian TV celebrity chefs, Gennaro Contaldo, Giancarlo Caldesi, and Aldo Zilli, hosted and cooked by Salvis-owner Maurizio Cecco, with fresh pasta made from scratch by Carmela Serano Hayes. Guests and chefs will dine alongside one another, enjoying a four-course meal and drinks reception hosted by Gin Mare.
Festa feast tickets available here
Masterclasses inside the Festa Marquee
Carmela’s Kitchen – Carmela Sereno Hayes will be hosting ‘Carmela’s Kitchen’ across the entire weekend, with free drop-in sessions on the hour, every hour teaching pasta-loving adults and kids how to make the perfect pasta.
Friday 26 August
1.30pm – Festival founder Maurizio Cecco hosts a cooking masterclass with his daughter Sienna.
2.30pm – The team from I Sapori di Corbara Tomatoes will be flying in from Naples and doing a talk showcasing the brand and their products
3.30pm – Giulia Martinelli of The Pasta Factory will be showyou how to be a pasta master
4.30pm – A drinks masterclass from the Luxardo Maraschino team, whose versatile cherries are used in desserts and drinks across the world.
5.30pm – A drink making Campari masterclass.
Saturday 27 August
1.30pm – Maurizio Cecco hosts a pasta masterclass
2.30pm – Masterclasses and book signings from Gennaro Contaldo, UK brand ambassador for Parmigiano Reggiano, (Saturday Kitchen, Two Greedy Italians, Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast)
3.30pm – Masterclasses and book signings from celebrity chef and award-winning restaurateur, Aldo Zilli (The One Show, This Morning, Celebrity Masterchef)
4:30pm – A drinks masterclass from the Aperol team, showcasing the methods behind some of the most loved Italian drinks
Sunday 28 August
1:30pm – Masterclasses and book signings from Giancarlo Caldesi (Return to Tuscany, Saturday Kitchen, Sunday Brunch
2:30pm – Gennaro Contaldo returns for a masterclass
3:30pm – A masterclass from Great British Bake Off 2021 winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno
4:30pm – A very special pizza making masterclass by the team from Pizzeria Da Michele
When is Festa Italiana 2022 and what are the opening times?
Festa Italiana 2022 will take place from 26 to 28 August 2022 at Cathedral Gardens.
It will open across the weekend from 11am to 11pm, Friday to Sunday.
How do I get to the Festa Italiana festival hub?
Located opposite Manchester Victoria Station, the Festa Italiana festival hub sits in Cathedral Gardens. It can easily be accessed via tram, bus or train and is a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly.
Eats
Eccles pub says it’s ‘a dream come true’ as it’s named the best pub in Britain
Daisy Jackson
The Good Food Guide has named its best 100 pubs in Britain – and it’s a local Eccles boozer who’s come out on top.
The guide has travelled the length and breadth of the country to single out the best pubs the nation has to offer, from community atmosphere and great drinks to top quality kitchens.
Greater Manchester is well-represented in the top 100, with the Marble Arch placing 36th and The Trof 76th, plus The Pack Horse (just outside the region in Hayfield) came in 16th.
But showing the country how it’s done is The Queens Arms in Eccles, a fantastic Victorian red-brick pub with an unexpected yet authentic Japanese izakaya-style menu.
This is a pub where you can get an eel rice bowl or a pork cutlet katsu alongside a pint of pale ale, or a Japanese Sapporo lager.
Since October 2024, the historic pub has been under the steer of Mr. Lo and Mr. Anthony Sit, and their efforts have meant that The Queens Arms has now been named the number one pub in Britain – something they said is a ‘dream come true’.
The Good Food Guide said: “Expect the unexpected. Rarely does this well-worn phrase ring truer than at this historic Victorian pub in an obscure part of Eccles.
“The small, red-brick tavern has a significant claim to fame in the annals of industrial heritage: built in 1828 and ranked as the oldest passenger railway boozer in the world, it has been sympathetically preserved in all its Grade II-listed glory. That might be reason enough to visit, but it doesn’t prepare the first-time visitor for the culture shock inside.
“Under Hong Kong ownership, and with an authentic Japanese izakaya-style menu, the result could be an aesthetic car crash – a cultural pile-up that does no favour to either tradition. Instead, the Queens Arms is as packed with Asian diners and Chinese tourists as any eatery in Manchester’s Chinatown – even on a dull Monday lunchtime.
“And the unlikely combination has been a great success, as much for the novelty as the excellent quality of the cooking and speedy service (as many repeat customers testify).
“The menu is short but expertly executed: best-selling dishes include pork cutlet katsu, a teriyaki ox-tongue rice bowl, eel rice bowl and teppanyaki mixed vegetable udon. The tempura batter on our visit was outstanding – meltingly light, fresh and crisp.
“Somehow, the whole thing fits together: etched ‘snug’ windows, comfortable padded booth seating, tiled fireplaces, wooden bar fittings and Victorian knick-knacks. One room still functions as a local drinking den with a dartboard – so you can practice your throws with a glass of cold Sapporo on draught.”
Sharing the news today, The Queens Arms wrote: “A DREAM COME TRUE – WE ARE THE WINNER
“We are incredibly proud and delighted to announce that The Queens Arms has been named the overall WINNER of The Good Food Guide Britain’s 100 Best Pubs 2026! What an incredible moment for our little pub in Eccles!
“When we first took over The Queens Arms, we had a dream of bringing new life to this historic 1828 pub, combining the charm and heritage of a traditional British pub with our passion for Japanese cuisine.
“It has been quite a journey, and this recognition means so much to us.
“A heartfelt thank you to our amazing team, whose hard work and dedication make everything possible, and to all our wonderful customers, friends and local community for your continued support. You have been part of our journey from the very beginning, we couldn’t have done it without you.
“Our sincere thanks to The Good Food Guide for this incredible recognition and for continuing to celebrate the great British pub, independent hospitality and the people who work so hard behind the scenes.
“This is not just our achievement – it is something for our whole community to celebrate!
“Thank you for believing in us. We can’t wait to welcome you and celebrate together!”
You can see the full Good Food Guide top 100 pubs in Britain HERE.
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Featured image: Instagram, @queens.arms.patricroft
Eats
Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant team to take over iconic NQ venue
Daisy Jackson
The team who earned Cantaloupe a Michelin Bib Gourmand are moving into Manchester city centre – and into a site we all know pretty well.
The Cantaloupe team are about to embark on a new venture with Rasade, a new French restaurant in the site of the former TNQ in the Northern Quarter.
The old neighbourhood restaurant announced its shock closure earlier this year, after more than two decades serving Manchester.
But now the beautiful corner building on High Street is under new ownership, and in very safe hands.
Shortly after pivoting Cantaloupe into Bar Caput (a more casual neighbourhood offering), the duo behind it, Joshua Reed Cooper and Mike Thomas, have announced they’re launching Rasade in Manchester city centre.
Rasade in French refers to a glass filled to the brim, traditionally of wine or another drink.
The new French restaurant will showcase regional French cooking and seasonal local produce, drawing inspiration from France’s diverse regions.
This won’t be a stuffy French restaurant though – they’re aiming to create the relaxed spirit of a bistro with their serious commitment to traditional cooking.
Early menus show dishes like oysters with mignonette, langoustine with Karri-Gosse, and pâté de campagne, plus brill with rancio sec and mushroom fricassée, and pork chop with garniture Mirabeau.
And as for desserts, expect classics like a tarte Tatin designed for two to share, alongside flan pâtissier and Opéra religieuse.
Alongside the cooking, an extensive French wine offering will span the many, many wine regions of the country, featuring both small and unusual producers as well as more established names.
Mike and Josh now want to build on the success they quickly found in Stockport with this new city centre venture, bringing the same focus on good produce, thoughtful cooking and an informal approach to hospitality.
Rasade will open at 108 High Street in the Northern Quarter later this year.
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Featured image: Supplied
Georgina Pellant -
17th August 2022 
