The best food and drink stalls at Manchester Christmas Markets 2021
Think Biscoff cookie pies, giant carvery roast boxes from the Yorkshire wrap legends at Porky Pig, giant truffles disguised as Christmas puddings and more.
Gluhwein, Bavarian beer, and bratwursts of all flavours have returned to Manchester today as the city’s Christmas markets reopened, following a year’s hiatus.
Cheese-filled, spicy, classic, and white German sausages can be seen (and smelt) grilling over hot coals in all corners of the city, and you can’t move for innumerable wooden huts selling all the classic wintry drinks you might expect – from mulled wine and hot, boozy cider, to steaming mugs of Italian Vin Boule, Nordic Glocc and French Vin Chaud.
But alongside the classics, there are also some new and intriguing additions this year we haven’t seen before – like Biscoff cookie pies, giant carvery roast boxes from the Yorkshire wrap legends at Porky Pig, and ‘Manchester’s legendary Hot Blobs’, which we’re told are a mix of sweet white wine, sugar, lemon, and hot water.
Keep reading to discover all of the best food and drink stalls at Manchester’s Christmas markets this year.
Piccadilly Gardens is the home of this year’s Christmas markets
Piccadilly Gardens
This year, it’s finally Piccadilly Gardens’ time to shine. The forever-controversial public space has become the home of the Manchester Christmas Markets for 2021 – and council bosses have gone all out, installing two huge, covered bars alongside a live music stage and numerous street food huts.
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Alongside the usual food and drink suspects, you’ll find not one but two vegan bratwurst stalls – Manchester’s vegan restaurant Vertigo, and newcomer Panc – battling it out for the plant-based crown, plus Korean potato hot dogs rolled in sugar, glasses of shimmering prosecco and steaming mugs of hot Vimto.
Elsewhere, you’ll find a mouthwatering Chrimbo chicken brioche burger loaded with gravy, bacon, and cranberry from The Dirty Chicken Co (£8), S’mores churros sandwiches (£6.50) from Loop Churros, and hot roast pork rolls loaded with stuffing and apple sauce (£6.50).
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Cathedral Gardens
The first Christmas markets to open this year, the offering here is pretty simple with a collection of bars selling mulled wine and cider, and wooden huts selling dutch mini pancakes, sugar waffles and more.
Zara’s Cupcakes stall by the Corn Exchange is selling cupcakes loaded with Jammy Dodgers, golden pretzels, pick and mix sweeties and more.
The Corn Exchange
Jammy Dodger-loaded cupcakes, Nutella-topped confections, and more covered with pick and mix sweeties, chocolate Oreos, and golden pretzels can be found at Zara’s Cupcakes market stall, priced at £3.50 each or £13 for four. There are also cake jars, old-school puds, and cake mix-making kits to be found here.
At the Corn Exchange, there’s also a pie stall from The Crusty Pie Company selling every filling variation you can think of – from pork and black pudding to Hunstmans pies, chicken and leek, wild boar and mushroom, turkey and cranberry, and chicken and chestnut stuffing pies.
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You can find some great gourmet sausage rolls here, too, as well as bags of traditional pork scratchings from £2.
The Crusty Pie Company is selling every filling variation you can think of – plus gourmet sausage rolls and traditional bags of pork scratchings.
Exchange Square
The go-to stall here at Exchange Square has to be Porky Pig, the home of the Yorkshire pudding wrap and battered pigs in blankets. Wraps are served carvery-style, so you can pick your meat from choices like chicken, beef, gammon and pork, then opt for stuffing, gravy, and veg separately.
This year, the Porky Pig team has also introduced some new options too – bringing across its popular giant roast dinner carvery boxes and bangers and mash. Look out for the ‘Yorkshire Rose’, a giant swirly Cumberland sausage-loaded Yorkshire pudding topped with gravy.
Porky Pig is selling giant roast carvery boxes for the very first time at its stall on Exchange Square Porky Pig is also selling its iconic Yorkshire wraps filled with a full Sunday dinner
Elsewhere, you’ll find chargrilled grill wraps, curries, and Indian street food at TKK Food Experience; parmesan and truffle fries at the Dutch Fries Company; Dutch mini pancakes and sugar waffles; and German bratwurst, Christmas punch, and Bavarian cherry beer at the German Windmill Bar.
There are also piles of flavoured Turkish delight, plus caramel cider (£5), classic English mulled wine (£5), and non-alcoholic ginger and honey with orange juice and cranberry (£5) to be discovered here.
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The go-to stall at Exchange Square has to be Porky Pig, the home of the Yorkshire pudding wrap and battered pigs in blankets
Market Street
There’s not much to report food-wise, with the majority of stalls focusing on selling gifts and other trinkets. We did spy a massive stall selling pick and mix, though, for those who haven’t yet got over the closure of Woolworth’s.
With a big focus on beer and wine, Exchange street is dominated by bars selling all the usual suspects – sausages included
Exchange Street
With a big focus on beer and wine, Exchange street is dominated by bars selling all the usual suspects – plus Baileys, boozy coffees, gin and tonics, and other spirit mixers.
Prestwich restaurant Triple B also has a stall down here selling bagels stuffed with fried camembert or hot salt beef, plus turkey Reuben bagels and French dip sandwiches – a must if you’ve never tried them before.
You’ll also find some cute little preserves from the Cherry Tree, The Cocktail Co. selling bottled hot and cold cocktail gift sets (bottles from £5, gift sets from £15), a burrito stall called Wrap Up, flavoured rums made in Bath by Beckford’s, and German bratwursts down by Zara
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St Ann’s Square has a big bar, pizza, 1/2 meter long bratwurst and more The biggest bratwurst at the Manchester Christmas markets
St Ann’s Square
Head to St Ann’s Square for square pizzas, 1/2 meter long bratwurst rolls (£6), and a stall from Manchester fried chicken legends Yard and Coop selling festive trays of fried chicken and chips (£10) alongside some brand new chicken tender and buffalo sauce po boys (£7).
Think Christmas dinner in a tray, combining buttermilk fried chicken tenders, fries, cranberry ketchup, and chicken gravy (£10), or. there’s a salt and pepper twist that comes garnished with seaweed (£10).
Square pizzas in St Ann’s Square can be ordered with a choice of different toppings
Elsewhere, you’ll find square pizza, reams of German bratwurst and salami pre-packaged to take home; a Spanish kitchen selling tapas and nibbles like serrano ham, manchego, Catalan fuet, and Spanish chorizo; and sweet treats like apple strudel and kaiserschmarrn (scrambled pancakes) down by the church.
Oh, and don’t forget the Lotus Biscoff cookie pies and giant truffles disguised as Christmas puddings over at Gingerbread House Confections – they look incredible and can easily be heated up at home in the microwave.
An Italian stall selling meats and cheeses at the bottom of King street
King Street
The wonderful Italian cheese and meat stall that sits on the border of King street and Deansgate has returned for 2021, we’re happy to confirm, selling everything from taleggio and coor da Sardegna, to salame chighiale, casereccia piccante, and more.
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You can also get your go-to bratwurst here, with a choice of cheese sausage (£5) or white sausage (£5) available.
The Grumpy Mule gin bar is on hand selling a selection of juniper-laced spirits from the likes of Malfy, Thomas Dakin, Tanqueray, and Gin Mare, as well as boozy hot chocolates, mulled wines, and everything else you might expect.
There’s also a provencal stall selling French favourites like garlic mushrooms (£6), garlic chicken(£6.50), and mustard chicken (£6.50) alongside garlic potatoes or rice; and a Sicilian street food stall flogging sourdough pizza slices, various stuffed balls of arancini, and a coppo misto (a selection of fried specialities like arancine, panzerotto, panelle and crostini).
Featured Image – The Manc Group
Manchester
Manchester’s reigning Chef of the Year unveils new restaurant
Danny Jones
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A brand new restaurant from Manchester Chef of the Year, Shaun Moffat, and a small team of hospitality heavyweights is opening in the city centre.
The former Manteca, Hix and St. Leonards chef, who has gone on to earn even plenty of local acclaim thanks to his work at the Edinburgh Castle in Ancoats and most recently Maya in the Gay Village, is now set to embark on his own venture and will soon become the Chef Patron of a brand new concept.
Although there aren’t too many details just yet, Moffat and co. are promising to focus on two core principles: ‘Northern hospitality and thoughtful British cooking’.
Set to take the lead on Winsome Restaurant sooner than you think, should everything stay on schedule, Moffat and the new restaurant will be housed on Princess Street, adjoining the Whitworth Locke Hotel, as they cook to the masses from this historic corner of Manchester.
Winsome will be opening in the old Peru Perdu site, which sadly closed back in May 2024 after being given notice by the landlords next door.
The South American spot had proved a popular one for half a decade but has sadly been vacant ever since, but neighbours Foundation Coffee and the aforementioned Whitworth remain frequented city centre destinations.
With that in mind, the man voted ‘Chef of the Year’ at the most recent Manchester Food and Drink Awards and who notched a spot in the UK’s Top 50 Gastro Pubs during his time at the Castle, will be hoping to welcome diners back into the building and continue his success at Winsome.
The aim, more specifically, will be to bring local and seasonal produce and deliver a regularly changing menu that showcases the very best of ingredients, all with a comforting familiarity and a touch of Moffat’s own modern flair. But there are plenty more brains and pedigree behind this new opening too…
The drinks programme at Winsome will be led by none other than Tom Fastiggi, who previously worked at the industry-leading and equally award-winning Schofields. There will be a selection of hotel classics and familiar drinks alongside a strong no and low selection and some of Fastiggi’s own creations.
Wine will also be a focus with a sommelier served and curated list focusing primarily on old-world wines delivered again with Winsome’s laidback personality and flair.
Fastiggi and the Winsome team will also take over Whitworth’s stunning Atrium hotel bar (pictured above), providing a space for diners, hotel guests and passers-by to enjoy memorable bar food paired with delicious cocktails in the quaint setting of the Locke’s iconic glass structure.
“The Atrium space truly gives a unique feel to this bar. The drinks will be familiar and a warm welcome will await all guests. It’s a great new addition to Manchester’s hospitality scene”, says Tom Fastiggi.
Completing the team will be Owain Williams, founder not only of the renowned Belzan in Liverpool but, more importantly for us Mancs, Kampus’ Madre and Medlock Canteen over on Deansgate, among a number of other notable hospitality venues across the Northwest.
Quite the trio of talent with a wealth of expertise behind them.
Speaking on launching his own restaurant, Shaun Moffat added, “Opening the doors will be a big moment in my career, I am truly excited to share Winsome with the people of Manchester.”
Sneak peak inside Manchester Airport’s brand new terminal following £1.3bn transformation
Emily Sergeant
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Manchester Airport has released video giving passengers a taste of what Terminal 2 will look like when it fully opens later this year.
You may already know that the first phase of the airport’s £1.3 billion transformation programme being carried out over 10 years was finished back in 2021, when an extension that doubled the size of Terminal 2 opened to the public.
But now we’ve been given a glimpse into what the full finished product will look like.
The first phase of the programme has already received the prestigious UNESCO-backed Prix Versailles award for architecture and design, so the transformation is already off to a flying start.
CGIs of what Terminal 2 will look like once it’s fully open later this year / Credit: MAG
Since the completion of phase one, lots has been happening – including ongoing work to revamp the original part of the building, and create more space for seating, security, shops, restaurants, and check-in along the way.
Now though, the airport has shared a fly-through video showing what passengers will experience when they use the new terminal.
The video augments CGIs of parts of the terminal that are under construction with the parts that have been finished to show the full experience.
“It’s so exciting for us to finally be able to share this video our passengers, so they can get a preview of what they’ll be able to experience here later on this year,” commented Manchester Airport’s Managing Director, Chris Woodroofe, as the video was released this week.
“Our transformation programme has been 10 years and £1.3bn in the making, but now we’re in the final stages of finishing everything off to open it to the public later this year.”
Take a look at our brand-new terminal experience✈️
This fly-through video gives passengers a taste of what they will experience in our new T2. From arriving in our new check-in hall and going through security, to walking through the new section of our departure lounge.
Mr Woodroofe says there’s a “huge amount of work going on” all over the airport, but this video shows that it will “all be worth it” in the end.
He also added that the transformation isn’t just limited to Terminal 2 either, as work is also being done to modernise the airfield, building a new road to improve access to the new terminal, and improvements to Terminal 3 are also on the horizon – with announcements on this expected to be coming soon.