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…)
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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.
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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.”
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All the winners of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards
Plant Based Offering of the Year
Winner – Bundobust, Oxford Street
Bundobust took home Plant Based Offering of the Year at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards. Credit; The Manc Group
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
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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
Pollen Bakery at Kampus. Credit: The Manc GroupPollen Bakery at Kampus. Credit: The Manc Group
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
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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
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Ornella’s Kitchen won Afford Eats Venue at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards
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
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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
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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
Hawksmoor won a Great Service Award at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards
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
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Chef of the Year, sponsored by the Manchester Evening News
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.
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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.
The Manchester restaurant serving up the ‘world’s hottest curry’ for just a few days
Danny Jones
City centre favourite Zouk is serving up ‘the world’s hottest curry’ again to celebrate National Chilli Day next week.
The popular tea bar and grill located on Chester Street just off Oxford Road is slap bang in the middle of student central and has hordes of patrons lining up day in, day out, to taste their incredible Indian and Pakistani cuisine.
Now, to celebrate every spicy-food lover’s favourite day, Zouk is putting on special, limited-time-only menu to cater to all you heat freaks and speaking collectively on The Manc‘s behalf (several of us having tried it), it’s no joke.
The World’s Hottest Curry will be available for five days from Monday 24 to Friday 28 February, with a challenge on Thursday 27 February with prizes to anyone who can finish the fiery karahi.
The dishes
When it came to coming up with the world’s hottest curry, Zouk didn’t have to look far for inspiration, they simply picked the world’s hottest chilli: the Carolina Reaper Chilli.
Combining the 1,569,000 Scoville scorcher of a chilli with their much-loved and already spicy chicken karahi and vegetable karahi recipes, they knew they were on a winner. You might have to sign a waiver to eat it but that’s all part of the fun, right?
Typically prepared in a wok and cooked over hot flames with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and cumin to create the sauce base, the karahi originates from the Northwest region of Pakistan and has a great flavour. Depending on how brave you’re feeling, you can have it as a kebab or a full curry.
Credit: Supplied
That being said, this version does contain dried Carolina Reapers so you might not taste much beyond the heat of the sun after a few seconds. While the chilli is deemed suitable for human consumption, even Zouk’s chefs have admitted to struggling with the dish. Gulp. So, what can you win?
The challenge and prizes
Us Brits love a good curry and we already know that plenty of you won’t be able to resist the urge to take on the Reaper Challenge simply out of pride, so we might as well just tell you what you’ll have to eat in order to win the prizes.
Here’s what’s up for grabs:
Finish the full Carolina Reaper Curry (either chicken or veg) in one sitting (max eating time 30 minutes and no helping from companions), Zouk will give you the meal for free.
PLUS, a £50 Zouk Gift Card so you can come back at a later date to try their full menu (including some less omg-spicy options).
You’ll also get a Zouk Ice Cream Sunday to help cool off afterwards. Trust us, you’ll need it.
Issuing a statement for National Chilli Day and the Reaper Challenge, owner Tayub Amjad said: “Our food is usually more about flavour than heat but it’s National Chilli Day, and we know our customers love this challenge.
“For those who complete the challenge, you still have chance to come back and dine on us at a future date, so you will still get to experience the real Zouk too.”
What you thinking, Manchester? Are you up for taking on the world’s hottest curry?
Prestwich pizzeria Dokes announces closure as neighbourhood goes through big changes
Daisy Jackson
One of Prestwich’s best-loved independent restaurants has announced the end of its current chapter, saying that it’s become too difficult to operate with tighter and tighter margins.
Dokes, a pizzeria that also served arguably the town’s best roast dinner, has said that it’s going to ‘have to call it a day’ after three years in the proudly independent neighbourhood.
The news comes just months after Rudy’s opened its first Prestwich restaurant just across the road from Dokes, though that of course may just be a coincidence…
The restaurant comes from the same team behind Elnecot in Ancoats, and opened in 2022, promising delicious pizzas made with (wherever possible) British ingredients.
In a statement issued today, chef and owner Michael Clay said that ‘it’s just not been possible for us to make the money required for the size of team needed to run as a pizza restaurant’.
He wrote: “We are a small restaurant and the margins that were there pre-Covid are not achievable anymore at this scale and only getting tighter month on month.”
He then teased that they would be keeping the Bury New Road site on, with plans to reopen as a new concept.
Prestwich has been growing in popularity in recent years, with a blossoming food and drink scene and healthily increasing house prices.
It’s on the precipice of a £100m overhaul too, which will see the Longfield Centre transformed and new facilities built near the tram stop, including a community hub, a new village square, a market hall, flexible retail and leisure spaces, landscaped outdoor and green spaces, a new travel hub off Fairfax Road and around 200 homes.
It’s always been a village packed with local small businesses until this year, when both Rudy’s and Gail’s opened up – prompting this heartfelt statement from another local indie.
Dokes’ full statement reads: “After nearly 3 years of trying our hardest, unfortunately we’re going to have to call it a day.
“Having originally taken on the premises in between the two lockdowns (remember them?!), we’ve been extremely proud of what we have achieved under sometimes unbelievably difficult circumstances. Our staff have been the cornerstone of this and we would like to thank them for all of their hard work. The feedback we have received over the past couple of years on their food, service and hospitality has been absolutely incredible and we are extremely grateful for the hard work they have put in and the commitment they have shown.
“We feel like we have created a product that you have absolutely loved and a space that you have enjoyed coming to and we now really feel like a part of the Prestwich community – and for that we can’t thank you enough! You came for the pizzas and stayed for the roasts and it’s been a lot of fun.
“Try as we might though, it’s just not been possible for us to make the money required for the size of team needed to run as a pizza restaurant. We are a small restaurant and the margins that were there pre-Covid are not achievable anymore at this scale and only getting tighter month on month.
“So it is with a heavy heart that we are closing the door on this chapter BUT…we aren’t going to be leaving you completely…
“We have plans for the place which we will be updating you about very soon so please watch this space for more details. We hope you’re going to love it.
“As Dokes, Sunday 9th March will be our final service so please come down over the next couple of weeks, grab a pizza or a roast and say hello. It would be lovely to see you all. Bookings are open and the cellar is stocked so lets fill the little place up and go out with a bang!
Daisy Jackson -
29th January 2024 
