Some of Manchester’s best street food traders will soon be taking up monthly residencies at a popular city centre neighbourhood.
After a series of successful trial events throughout the summer over, Food.Fest has now announced that it’ll be bringing a tasty lineup of traders to city centre neighbourhood, Circle Square, on the last Thursday of each month, and it’s all ready to “add some flavour to lunchtimes”.
Food.Fest initially launched back in June, and since then, has seen some of Manchester’s best food traders descend on Circle Square to take lunchtimes to the next level.
The likes of Triple B, Marley’s Tacos, and Tommy’s Bar and Pizza have already taken the reins.
Food.Fest will be taking up a monthly residency at Circle Square in Manchester city centre / Credit: Supplied
When Food.Fest’s residency kicks off for “a payday lunch like no other” this Thursday (26 September) between 12pm and 3pm, it’ll be the Malaka Brothers bringing their authentic Greek street food using only the freshest local ingredients to Manchester for the month.
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There’ll be unbeatable classics like gyros, souvlaki, and halloumi fries on the menu.
Venturing out of their home at Tap House, Fat Frank’s will also be serving up New York-style pizza by the slice, with fan-favourites like Buffalo Chicken, Smokey Pepperoni, and more.
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Malaka Brothers, Little Bao Boy, and more will be taking up the reins / Credit: Supplied
Triple B by Eat New York has been making waves over in Prestwich for quite a while now, and it’ll soon be back in the city centre with its classic New York-style Reuben bagels and pastrami burgers that sound set to be winner for any lunchtime.
Finally, Little Bao Boy will be bringing its signature mouthwatering bao buns to Circle Square, with char sui pulled pork, and pulled teriyaki mushroom being just a couple of the tasty options on offer.
Food.Fest officially kicks off at Circle Square this Thursday 26 September from midday through to 3pm, so if you’re feeling hungry, you know where to head.
Featured Image – Supplied
Food & Drink
Enormous Manchester venue set to open (again) after brief rebrand
Daisy Jackson
A huge, glamorous restaurant and bar space looks set to reopen just months after it closed down and attempted to rebrand.
SakkuSamba announced back in June that it was closing for a short while to undergo a refurbishment.
That news came after two years hosting all-you-can-eat sushi dinners and star-studded parties in Spinningfields, like an afterparty with Ne-Yo following his show at the AO Arena.
They wrote at the time: “Exciting News! We will be closing our doors on June 2nd for an exciting refurbishment and upgrade. We’re sorry to be closing for a little while, but stay tuned for updates over the next couple of weeks as we begin this transition!
“We can’t wait to show you what’s coming next soon!”
But then SakkuSamba never reopened and the space instead became Raft, essentially Manchester’s most boujie buffet.
Raft had a huge dining room upstairs, a hidden club room, a ‘toilet disco’, 360-degree DJ booths, and a ‘coastal boozer’ on the ground floor.
The restaurant when it was previously SakkuSamba. Credit: The Manc GroupVs when it was Raft. Credit: The Manc Group
Raft was only open for three months when it was suddenly bolted shut, with a forteiture notice in the window that was apparently linked to a ‘historic dispute’.
And now, in an unexpected twist in events, SakkuSamba has shared that it’s coming back to Manchester.
Keeping up okay? Let’s continue.
In the first post since announcing the temporary closure and refurbishment of both of its restaurants (in Manchester and in Bradford), SakkuSamba wrote: “SakkuSamba 2025. Manchester keep your eyes peeled, major announcement coming soon.”
If it follows the same format it took previously, that means a fusion of Brazilian and Japanese cuisine together in a swanky all-you-can-eat setting.
And hopefully it’ll last longer than poor Raft did…
Northern Quarter craft beer bar Fierce Bar announces sudden closure
Thomas Melia
A much loved independent craft beer bar in the heart of the Northern Quarter is set to close before the end of the year.
Fierce Bar, which opened in Manchester city centre in 2020, has been a firm favourite for Mancs and visitors alike with their range of beers and IPAs.
The Fierce Beer company has established itself as a leading force within the beer community winning ‘Scottish Brewery of the Year in 2021’ and numerous Scottish Beer Awards.
Their wide range of drink flavours pay homage to varieties from the USA and offered people who frequented their Thomas Street site in the Northern Quarter were treated to a refreshing taste of the transatlantic.
The Thomas Street bar had previously been home to 57 Thomas Street, a bar operated by Marble Brewery, which also operates The Marble Arch.
In a post on social media which opens with, “Some sad news…”, the company have stated: “We face continually spiralling costs that unfortunately mean it’s going to be unsustainable to continue operating the venue viably going forward”.
There’s still some hope as beer brand have also announced: “This is not the end for Fierce Beer south of the border though; we’re continuing to keep an eye on the market and aim to get back as soon as we can with a new physical location.”
Anyone wanting to continue the bar’s legacy in Manchester can sport the indie establishment’s range of t-shirts, hats and funky glasses, some of which adorned the walls.
Being a Scottish born and bred brewery, if you’re still after your alcohol fix, you can still visit their two other locations in Edinburgh and Aberdeen next time you’re heading up north.
The last day of trade for Fierce Bar will be 20 December where the founders Dave and Louise will be heading to the Manchester site say a sad goodbye.
As it will be the final night of service ever, the team are urging anyone to pop down for a pint or two to commemorate the Manchester home.
It’s a shame to see such a well-used city centre social space shutting its doors, however Fierce Beer loyalists fear not as their online website is still very much alive and thriving here.
Emily Sergeant -
24th September 2024 
