You can now get Creme Egg cheesecakes

The Manc - 21st February 2020

Eats

A massive street food festival is set to return to Rochdale this month

Lydia Mastrolonardo

A massive street food festival is set to return to Rochdale this month

A popular street food festival will be returning to Greater Manchester this month, filling a historic square with food traders and live entertainment.

That’s right, Street Eat is coming to Rochdale once again, to supply us foodies with our fix of mouth-watering food and thirst-quenching drinks, all held within the magnificent Rochdale Town Hall Square.

Year upon year, this flavourful festival has shown up and impressed us, guaranteeing itself a spot in our annual diaries as a staple spring-time event.

It truly does deserve all of the praise it gets, with more than 3,000 people showing up last year, all with one common interest – proper good food.

Street Eat is a true celebration of the town’s rich history, diverse arts scene, creativity, talent, variety of cultures and of course – food. Boasting a range of local favourites and stalls including Italian, Spanish, Thai, Indian, English, American cuisines and more, it successfully captures what Rochdale is all about.

This year, Street Eat is pulling out all of the stops, with stalls like the prosecco bar Sip and Sparkle and multi-award winning independent brewery Wakey Wakey, as well as tapas from La Mancha, pizza from Vicolo del Vino, Indian inspired street food from Bombay Brew, Thai street food dishes from Issan Friends and many more. Whether you’re feeling adventurous and want to try something new, or are there to support your favourite local restaurant, there’s something for everyone.

Street Eat will take place in the Rochdale Town Hall square

There'll be food and drink aplenty from local traders — Street Eat will take place in the Rochdale Town Hall square

If it’s a sweet treat that you’re after, there will also be cookies from Mason’s Creations, waffles and crepes to be found at Brew Box, and sugary classics from The Traditional Tuck Shop, as well as many other dessert stalls to satisfy those sugar cravings.

Why not check out which of The Manc’s favourites from our Rochdale guide made it onto the festival menu?

The excitement doesn’t just stop with our tastebuds though – Street Eat also hosts lots of free entertainment across a variety of bars and live music stages, which all draw in the crowds and give it a proper festival feel.

This year you can expect a variety of music genres, catering to all ages with everything from singalong classics and pop hits, to Rochdale Music Service’s very own rock bands, brass band and choirs. Not to mention a performance from Turners Dance School to get everyone in the mood for getting their groove on as the music takes us into the evening.

Street Eat welcomes people of all ages, with lots of free activities to keep the kids entertained too including rides, Punch and Judy shows, face painting and even a caricaturist sketching free portraits.

One thing is for certain – Rochdale Business Improvement District (BID) can put on a good party.

Organiser and BID manager Paul Ambrose said: “Street Eat showcases the vibrant and high-quality food and drink the town has to offer, as well as being a great day out.

“It’s a fantastic event, giving us the opportunity to champion the very best local food and drink. Street Eat brings friends and families together, celebrating our vibrant town centre eateries and showing what a foodie hotspot the town is. We do all we can to make the event as affordable as possible and entry is free.”

Councillor Sue Smith, cabinet member for communities and co-operation at Rochdale Borough Council said: “This is always such a great day out and Rochdale Town Hall Square is a wonderful setting. Street Eat is a great celebration of the incredible food and drink offer we have here in our town.”

Great food, drinks, community, music and free entertainment in the sunshine – sounds like the perfect Saturday to us.

Admission is free and Street Eat will run from 11am to 7pm on Saturday 30 May. 

For more on the line-up, head HERE and search #StreetEatRoch on social media.

Featured image: Supplied

Eats

Traders to move out of Manchester food hall as it pivots to ‘new chapter’

Daisy Jackson

Major food hall announces closure of kitchens as it pivots to 'new chapter'

Manchester food hall New Century will be closing its existing kitchens, it has announced, making way for a ‘new chapter’.

The New Century Kitchens are home to some top local food traders, including Parmogeddon’s Fricken concept, Wholesome Junkies, and Ply Pizza.

The food hall opened in 2022 as part of the iconic music venue’s rebirth, creating a modern mid-century space with six kitchens.

In the years since, it’s welcomed a rotation of amazing food offerings, including Hip Hop Chip Shop, Banh Vi, and Zumuku Sushi.

Now, New Century Kitchens has announced it will be ‘evolving’ to make live events part of the offering across the venue – not just upstairs in the main gig space.

That means that the traders currently based here will be moving out later this year, though the venue has assured people that they have been supported as they take their next steps.

Fans will still be able to visit New Century Kitchens in its current guise this summer, before its new chapter begins in autumn (but still some form of food and drink).

New Century said that music is in the building’s ‘DNA’ and this chapter will reflect that.

New Century Kitchens will close, with traders moving out — Current traders will be moving out of New Century Kitchens

New Century is entering a 'new chapter' — Current traders will be moving out of New Century Kitchens

In a statement shared with The Manc, they said: “The ground floor at New Century is evolving. We are currently finalising plans for live events to become an even bigger part of our offering across the whole of the venue.

“As part of this evolution the current community of independent traders are moving onto exciting new chapters, and we have been working very closely with them to support all of these brilliant businesses in their next steps.

“Music is in the DNA of our iconic building and this new chapter will reflect that.

“New Century is a place for people to come together through entertainment and good hospitality and we’re looking forward to sharing more details soon.”

Featured image: The Manc Group