Eats
The best restaurants and bars have been named at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards
Daisy Jackson -
29th January 2024 
The Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards have named the best restaurants, bars, individuals and more in our city, in a glittering ceremony at New Century.
The MFDF Awards took place on Monday evening, championing the best of the city’s hospitality industry across 18 categories.
From the highly sought-after Restaurant of the Year award, to Chef of the Year and the new Takeaway of the Year award, more than 350 people piled into New Century for the celebrations.
Each category was packed with brilliant food and drink businesses from across Greater Manchester, with several awards dedicated to the people who keep the industry ticking.
The Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards shortlist was compiled by the MFDF judging panel, made up of food and drink critics and writers (hello, including us here at The Manc…)
Then the public had their chance to vote for their hospitality heroes, with some category scores being combined with the results of secret shopping visits from the judging panel.
Highlights include Higher Ground scooping Newcomer of the Year (on the same day they received a Bib Gourmand from Michelin), Fat Pat’s nabbing Food Trader of the Year, and Erst taking home the coveted Restaurant of the Year Award.
Alexa Stratton-Powell, Festival Director of Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards commented: “We’re delighted to announce the winners of the 2023 MFDF Awards. Times are more challenging than ever for the hospitality industry, which has made it all the more important to champion our fantastic nominees and winners tonight.
“Shining a light on the city’s incredible independent restaurants, bars, cafes and everything in between is what the awards are all about and we’ve loved bringing everyone together to celebrate.
“We’d like to thank the MFDF judges and presenters, the sponsors of the awards, everyone who voted and New Century for hosting a night to remember.”
All the winners of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards
Plant Based Offering of the Year
Winner – Bundobust, Oxford Street
Shortlist – Lily’s Indian Vegetarian Cuisine, Bahn Vi, The Walled Gardens, Maray, Speak in Code, Flawd, The Mekong Cat
Takeaway of the Year
Winner – Burgerism, Salford
Shortlist – Fat Pat’s, Ad Maoira, Unagi Street Food & Sushi, Ciaooo Garlic Bread, Wright’s Fish and Chips, Maida Grill House, Al Madina
Independent Drinks Producer of the Year
Winner – Track Brewing Co, Manchester
Shortlist – Sureshot Brewing, Stockport Gin, Cloudwater Brew Co., Tarsier Spirit, Pod Pea Vodka, Manchester Union Brewery, Squawk Brewing Co
Independent Food Producer of the Year sponsored by Capital & Centric
Winner – Pollen Bakery, Ancoats and Kampus
Shortlist – Great North Pie Co, La Chouquette, Gooey, Yellowhammer, The Manchester Smoke House, The Flat Baker, Companio Bakery
Foodie Neighbourhood of the Year sponsored by Manchester’s Finest
Winner – Stockport
Shortlist – Levenshulme, Altrincham, Urmston, Prestwich, Monton, Sale, Stretford
Coffee Shop of the Year
Winner – Grapefruit Coffee, Sale
Shortlist – Cafe Sanjuan, Another Heart to Feed, Idle Hands Coffee, Bold Street Coffee, Smoak, Ancoats Coffee Co, Siop Shop
Food Trader of the Year
Winner – Fat Pat’s, Portland Street
Shortlist – Baratxuri, Chaat Cart, Triple B, Tawny Stores, Little Sri Lankan, Pico’s Tacos, Oh Mei Dumplings
Affordable Eats Venue of the Year
Winner – Ornella’s Kitchen, Denton
Shortlist – Nila’s Burmese Kitchen, Great North Pie Co, Cafe Sanjuan, Noodle Alley, Tokyo Ramen, Lily’s Deli, House of Habesha
Food and Drink Retailer of the Year
Winner – Cork of the North, Stockport
Shortlist – Ad Hoc Wines, Out of the Blue Fishmongers, Littlewoods Butcher, Wandering Palate, New Market Dairy, Petit Paris Deli, La Chouquette
Pop-up or Project of the Yer
Winner – Platt Fields Market Garden, Fallowfield
Shortlisted venues – Our Place, Tawny Stores, SAMPA, Little Sri Lankan, Suppher, Fare Share, Micky’s
Pub or Beer Bar of the Year sponsored by Sagres
Winner – The Marble Arch
Shortlisted – Track Brewery Taproom, The City Arms, Runaway Brewery Taproom, Fox & Pine, Reddish Ale, Station Hop, Heaton Hops
Bar of the Year
Winner – Schofield’s Bar
Shortlist – The Jane Eyre, Blinker, Red Light, Sterling Bar, Hawksmoor, 10 Tib Lane, Flawd Wine
Neighbourhood Venue of the Year
Winner – Stretford Canteen
Shortlist – Restaurant Örme, OSMA, Ornella’s Kitchen, The Oystercatcher, Yellowhammer, Fold Bistro & Bottle Shop, The Jane Eyre
Great Service Award, sponsored by Boutinot
Winner – Hawksmoor, Deansgate
Shortlist – Higher Ground, Schofield’s Bar, Where The Light Gets In, Climat, Wood Manchester, Sterling Bar, Tast Catala
Newcomer of the Year, sponsored by Bruntwood
Winner – Higher Ground, New York Street
Shortlist – Climat, Restaurant Örme, Fold Bistro & Bottle Shop, The Jane Eyre, Madre, New Century Kitchen, Stretford Canteen
Chef of the Year, sponsored by the Manchester Evening News
Winner – Shaun Moffat, The Edinburgh Castle Pub
Shortlist – Joseph Otway (Higher Ground), Danielle Heron (OSMA), Luke Richardson (Climat), Julian Pizer (Another hand), Patrick Withington (Erst), Seri Nam (Flawd Wine), Mike Shaw (MUSU)
Restaurant of the Year, sponsored by Stephenson’s
Winner – Erst, Ancoats
Shortlist – Higher Ground, Climat, Another Hand, 10 Tib Lane, OSMA, The Sparrows, Mana
The Howard and Ruth Award for Outstanding Achievement
Recognising people who have contributed something outstanding to the hospitality industry in Greater Manchester.
James Campbell, owner of Sureshot Brewery, and one of Manchester’s leading craft beer specialists.
James has over two decades of experience in the industry, beginning his journey in Manchester with pioneers of the scene Marble, where he was head brewer for eight years. Then as co-founder and head brewer, he launched the high profile Cloudwater, before constructing brewhouses for the likes of Verdant, Deya, and Bundobust. Now, post-pandemic, he is owner of the acclaimed brewery, Sureshot.
Read more
- Manchester restaurant Higher Ground has scooped a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand
- The Edinburgh Castle – an Ancoats pub that’s earned its name as one of the best in the UK
- The Magnet Freehouse in Stockport has been named as one of National Geographic’s 12 ‘perfect’ UK pubs
Featured image: The Manc Group
