There’s still time to stick your name down to take part in a super spicy wing eating contest that’s returning to our city by popular demand this month.
And you can even sign-up on the day too, if you’re feeling spontaneous – and brave – enough.
Big fan of wings? Consider yourself somewhat of a chicken wing connoisseur? Fancy uniting with thousands of other wing lovers at the world’s biggest chicken wing festival in just a couple of months? Well, you’re in luck – Wing Fest is returning to a popular Greater Manchester location in just a few weeks time, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
Wing Fest 2022 is set to bring together the UK’s very-best to serve up a whopping 200,000 wings over a two-day period.
In what is always one of the biggest events in the calendar for the region’s foodies, Wing Fest 2022 will this year taking place at The Trafford Centre on Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 September, and here you’ll find 20 different street food traders, restaurants, BBQ teams, and pop-ups from across the country serving up their signature bites, as well as the UK’s finest chicken experts showcasing their culinary skills in a bid to be crowned the ‘Wing King or Queen’.
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There’ll also be bars selling different bourbons and beers, axe-throwing stations, fairground rides, and live music and DJs to set the party atmosphere across the weekend.
But the festival itself is not the only thing making a comeback – what is Wing Fest without an eating challenge?
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Wing Fest 2022 is set to bring together the UK’s very-best chicken experts and wing lovers / Credit: Wing Fest UK
If you really claim to be a true wing aficionado, and reckon you can handle the heat, then you’ll probably want to consider taking part in the event’s popular wing eating competitions, which take place on both days of the festival.
The Lava Wing Challenge – which is this year hosted by Food Review Club and hot sauce legends Clifton Chili Club – sees brave and hungry individuals compete against one another on the main stage to see who can eat the most, and festival organisers proudly say it “causes carnage every year”.
It’s also considered to be “the hottest wing eating challenge in the UK”.
But just how hot are the Lava Wings then? Well, Clifton Chilli Club brews and strengthens the infamous Lava Sauce over a 12-month period and use 15 years of chilli-growing experience to deliver this world-beating, and apparently quite tasty, liquid of fire.
The rules for the eating challenges are simple.
The Lava Wing Challenge sees brave and hungry people compete on the main stage to see who can eat the most / Credit: Wing Fest UK
All you’ll need to do is eat eight Lava Wings as quickly as possible, with the bones sufficiently cleaned, and then you have to wait and feel the burn of the spicy sauce for two minutes, with the first person to complete the two minutes being crowned the winner.
While you can’t drink any milk or water during the challenge, and will need to wait until after, all participants will be provided with safety equipment.
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And remember – do not touch your eyes.
Those taking part in the challenge this year will be up against the two-time champion of the Manchester Wing Fest Lava Wing Competition, Andrew McJimpsey aka The Dizzy Scot, who has confirmed he will be back for more in 2022, and he’s already calling the event the “highlight of [his] year”.
Offering some tips for those looking to take him on, Andrew said: “I think that goes without saying that you have to love wings – but in addition, you have to love the burn. The wings themselves are unbelievably hot.
“Think of the hottest thing you have ever tried and times it by 100 and you’re still not even close to how hot they are.
It’s considered to be “the hottest wing eating challenge in the UK” / Credit: Wing Fest UK
“My secret is something you can’t teach.
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“When my body says “give up” my mind says, “this is where winners are made” and when the mind says, “give up”, my heart says “this is where champions are made.”
“As I always say, “you may take my tastebuds, but you will never take my freedom.”
Keen to give it a go then? To get involved in the Wing Fest 2022 Manchester Lava Wings Challenge, you’ll just need to grab a ticket for the festival and then sign up on the day at the event to enter the challenge.
Michelin Guide restaurant OSMA is officially reopening in a brand-new location
Daisy Jackson
OSMA, the Michelin Guide-listed restaurant that closed the doors to its Prestwich restaurant last year, is set to make an epic comeback.
The much-loved restaurant has finally announced details of a new location, with acclaimed founders Danielle Heron and Sofie Stoermann-Naess moving into the Northern Quarter.
Set to open this autumn, the OSMA team will also be launching Boutikk, a grocer and provisions shop right next to the new restaurant.
Danielle and Sofie will be bringing the magic that made the restaurant so beloved in Prestwich into the city centre, blending Sofie’s Norwegian upbringing with Danielle’s classical culinary training.
When it launches at One Port Street, OSMA (which is a portmanteau of Oslo and Manchester) will have a menu of fresh seafood, local meats, seasonal vegetable dishes and the much-loved sharing Sunday roast.
While Danielle will oversee the kitchen, Sofie will lead the front-of-house and Boutikk, where customers will be able to pick up top-quality local produce.
You’ll be able to grab seasonally sourced veg, dairy, fruit and fresh meat and fish, as well as chat to chefs for advice on how best to cook everything on your shopping list.
Boutikk will also have freshly baked Scandinavian-style bread, with a retail space inspired by the shopping traditions of Sofie’s native Oslo.
As well as earning a place in the prestigious Michelin Guide, OSMA’s success in its former home in Prestwich led to Danielle taking part in both Masterchef: The Professionals, and Great British Menu, where she reached the finals in both shows.
OSMA is moving in to the Northern Quarter. Credit: Jon Parker LeeOSMA food while they were in Exhibition. Credit: The Manc Group
Since closing in Prestwich, they operated for a time out of the luxury food hall Exhibition – but now it’s time for their own site again.
Of the opening, Danielle and Sofie say: “We’re so delighted to be reopening OSMA, we’ve missed it every day and to be bringing the restaurant back into such a vibrant part of the city centre is beyond exciting.
“We will miss our community in Prestwich but we’re only a couple of miles down the road!
“Bringing a shop like Boutikk to Manchester has been a dream for such a long time – we feel that there is a need and a want for this kind of produce in the city centre so when it became apparent that we could create something alongside OSMA we jumped at the chance!”
Adam Price from One Port St’s developer, Select Property adds: “Osma has made a remarkable impact on Greater Manchester’s dining scene in a short space of time, and we’re proud to be partnering with them on this exciting new chapter.
“Their new home at One Port St is a natural fit – we share a commitment to community, quality and creativity, and this collaboration reflects our ambition to bring something truly fresh and inspiring to the Northern Quarter.
“It’s also a key part of our vision to curate an exceptional lifestyle offering for residents. In addition to indoor and outdoor working and socialising spaces, spa and wellness facilities, and panoramic views of the city, residents will have direct access to one of Manchester’s most exciting culinary destinations – all without leaving the building.”
A rosé festival where your ticket includes unlimited wine is returning to Manchester
Lydia Mastrolonardo
A festival dedicated to rosé wine is making a return to Manchester this summer – and your ticket includes unlimited wine.
This year marks the third year of The Beeswing’s Rosé Festival, which has quickly become a staple for all Mancunian wine-lovers.
This outdoor festival will transport you to a French vineyard, with acoustic live music from La Chanteuse, and a setting in amongst the leaft Kampus gardens. Even your four-legged friends are invited to the party.
Head on down to absorb some of that sunshine and get your hands on unlimited glasses of more than 20 different rosés, orange and sparkling wines, sourced from across the world.
Whether you consider yourself a connoisseur or just like the sound of some fizz in the sun, this garden party has plenty of new wines for you to try.
Sit back and relax, chat with suppliers, and if you choose to, you can purchase bottles of some seriously top-notch wines at exclusive reduced rates.
You can expect wines from Raymond Reynolds (Portuguese Wines), Alliance Wines, Hammonds of Knutsford, and Boutinot.
Beeswing in Manchester will host the rosé festival again. Credit: The Manc Group
In the run-up to the festival, The Beeswing are also holding various other opportunities for us to try some delicious wines, including an English Wine Tasting next Sunday.
Wine Tasting with Gusbourne – 28 June – Celebrate English Wine Week at an exclusive tasting experience from 4-6pm, with five Gusbourne wines and some nibbles. Tickets cost £40.
Click HERE to secure your Wine Tasting with Gusbourne tickets.
The Rosé Festival – 4 July – Hosted on the Kampus gardens in Manchester from 12.30pm-3pm. Tickets cost £35 and include unlimited wine and a welcome drink.
Tickets sold out quickly last year and booking in advance is necessary to attend.
Emily Sergeant -
12th September 2022 
