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.
Viral internet sensation SpudBros to launch pop-up at Trafford Centre this summer
Emily Sergeant
Viral internet sensation SpudBros are popping up at the Trafford Centre this summer.
The UK’s most-followed jacket potato creators, SpudBros – also known as Jacob and Harley Nelson – will officially launch their hotly anticipated summer pop-up the iconic retail destination next week as part of Trafford Centre‘s annual summer fair.
Shoppers can get ready for freshly prepared, fully loaded jacket potatoes served up in minutes, all without compromising on quality, flavour, or portion size.
You can pick from fan favourites like the Tram Classic, which is loaded with garlic butter, the signature three-cheese mix, beans, crispy onions, and world-famous ‘tram’ sauce, to the Spudfather topped with chilli con carne, tuna, and coleslaw.
There’s also a range of other flavour-packed options to tuck into, alongside the option to build your own potato, allowing every customer to create their perfect lunch.
Viral internet sensation SpudBros are launching a special pop-up at Trafford Centre this summer / Credit: The Manc Group
“Manchester is by far the most requested location we’ve had since we started sharing our journey online, explained SpudBros co-founder, Jacob Nelson.
“It’s a city that has always seemed to elude us despite the incredible demand, so bringing SpudBros to Trafford Centre feels particularly special.
“Both Harley and I grew up visiting Trafford Centre, so to now be bringing the tram here for a week-long pop-up is a genuine full-circle moment. We’re excited to give people in Manchester a taste of what we do, whether they’ve followed our journey from the beginning or are discovering us for the first time.”
To mark SpudBros’ Trafford Centre debut, some lucky early visitors could be in for a surprise on opening day, as Jacob and Harley have built a reputation for rewarding their community.
While details of what surprises are in store remain under wraps, fans are encouraged to get down early and join the celebrations.
The new SpudBros pop-up concession will be located outside The Great Hall next week (18-25 July), serving signature loaded potatoes daily from 12–8pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
Eats
Two Greater Manchester gems named in Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants 2026
Emily Sergeant
Two of Greater Manchester’s best-loved eateries have been featured in a prestigious new ranking.
The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants for 2026 have been named, celebrating the independent restaurants that define their neighbourhoods.
Rooted in reader nominations and rigorously inspected by the Good Food Guide team, the awards shine a light on the most exciting, accessibly priced places to eat across Great Britain.
Each year, tens of thousands of nominations are submitted by readers championing their favourite local restaurants, from bustling city dining rooms to small-town gems and rural hideaways, and then inspectors narrow it down to 100 of the best.
Inspectors visit anonymously, book like any other guest, and always pay their own bill.
Across Greater Manchester, we’re incredibly lucky to be home to thousands of independent local restaurants, but two of the very best have been featured in this year’s list – Lupo in Prestwich, coming in at a very respectable number 19, and The Spärrows in the Green Quarter at number 58.
Tucked away on a rather unassuming industrial estate, Lupo opened its doors back in 2015 with owner Nico Pasquali at the helm, and has been serving up a slice of Rome in Manchester ever since.
Speaking on Lupo and what makes it such a local gem, the Good Food Guide said: “Even though this homely little all-day trattoria is in the incongruous setting of an industrial estate, it attracts a steady flow of customers drawn by the unfussy, unpretentious vibe, the chequered tablecloths, the soft hum of Italian music, and the precisely cooked traditional dishes – from perfectly crisped Roman-style pizzas, to richly sauced hand-rolled pastas.
“To drink, there’s a modest collection of artisan Italian wines, as well as cocktails and Italian beers. The expertly brewed coffee also receives rave notices.”
Two Greater Manchester gems have been named in the Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants for 2026 / Credit: The Manc Group
A beloved resident of Manchester’s Green Quarter, The Spärrows is a modern continental restaurant which opened up in 2019 offering traditional Swabian Spätzle, as well as hand made dumplings an pasta of Central European origin.
“Not the least reason The Spärrows has been such a firm local favourite is that there is so much going on here, from winemakers’ lunches to sake tastings, it’s in those perfectly rendered little parcels of happiness, though, that the culinary energy is focused,” the Good Food Guide commented.
“Spätzle or gnocchi come with a range of sauce options, before the menu heads east for pierogi and pelmeni, with lashings of sour cream and garlic breadcrumbs to complement their richly meaty fillings.”
Outside of Greater Manchester and looking at the North West as a whole, there are also some other impressive inclusions in the top 10 – including the number one spot being given to La Laconda in the Ribble Valley village of Gisburn, and Almanac in Glossop taking ninth place.
Read the Good Food Guide’s full list of the Best 100 Local Restaurants for 2026 here.
Emily Sergeant -
12th September 2022 
