Wing Fest, aka the biggest chicken wing festival in the UK, is returning to Manchester this August from its new home at the Love Factory.
Championing street food traders and restauranteurs from across the UK, over the course of the weekend there’ll be more than 100,000 drums and flats churned out from kitchens as they compete for the titles of Best Buffalo Wing, Best Wild Wing, and the Best BBQ Wing, a brand-new category for 2023.
Taking place this year on 12 and 13 August, this year will see the introduction of a new format inspired by the classic beer festival.
Organisers have taken on feedback from previous years about queue waits, and for 2023 Manchester Wing Fest will be divided into sessions with reduced capacity – starting with a Saturday afternoon, followed by an evening session, then finishing with a bang on Sunday afternoon.
This means less time waiting, more wings, and a more seamless festival experience. Expect profound poultry eating, music thumping, axe throwing, beer and bourbon drinking of epic proportion.
ADVERTISEMENT
Guests can expect a seriously saucy line-up for 2023, with wings from returning champs Eat The Bird, and local favourites Yard & Coop.
Wings at this year’s London event. / Image: Wing Fest
Image: Wing Fest
For those wanting wings from further afield, Poor Boys will be showcasing flavours from the big smoke, alongside Birmingham wing slingers, Filthy Wings.
ADVERTISEMENT
All traders will be competing to win your vote and guarantee their spot in the Hall of Flame, chicken wing fans will have the opportunity to cast their votes across each of the two categories.
Wing Fest’s legendary competitions will be held on both days, and it’s set to get seriously heated with the deadly Lava Wing Challenge.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hosted by Clifton Chilli Club, it’s the UK’s hottest wing challenge, renowned for the carnage it causes and strictly for the brave. If you’re a true wing aficionado, then it’s time for the Sweet Baby Ray’s Wing Eating competition hosted by Food Review Club.
Competitors who are hungry enough compete against each other to see who can eat the most chicken wings in the fastest time – easily the messiest spectacle across the two days.
Not just a festival for Wing aficionados, expect plenty of beer from Tiny Rebel, some of the best bourbon around from Horse With No Name, and whiskey from Jameson Black Barrel.
Entertainment includes axe throwing, beer puppeteers, chicken pinatas, and donut eating challenges, alongside live music – best enjoyed with a wing or two in hand.
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets are on sale now from £21 (entry is free for under 12s) and can be purchased via the Wing Fest website here.
Featured image – Wing Fest
News
Manchester councillor Bev Craig has been awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List
Danny Jones
The leader of Manchester City Council and representative for Burnage, Bev Craig, has officially been awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the New Year Honours List for 2026.
Councillor Craig, who has held her leadership position since October 2021, received the OBE for her services to local government.
She joins several other regional councillors to be named by King Charles III.
First elected by Burnage residents back in 2011, she has spent more than a decade and a half devoting her professional life to the community, as well as nearly a whole five years of that time at the highest level within the Council.
The University of Manchester graduate has played several key roles throughout her career, including giving back to higher education, helping trade unions, as well as serving as an executive member for adult social care and health during the pandemic, before serving as Deputy and eventually Leader.
Speaking in an official statement, Craig said: “To receive an OBE is a huge privilege, and to get awarded it for what I’ve been able to give back to our city is all the more special.
“Manchester is an incredible city, made special by its people and a place I’m proud to call home.
“Leading our city is a privilege I don’t take for granted, so to get awarded an OBE for what we’ve been doing to make Manchester an even better place to live and improve the lives of Manchester people, while creating a city that is fairer and more inclusive for generations to come, is the real honour.”
With the Council having also confirmed two special NYE events on either side of the Town Hall this year, it feels like a fitting celebration.
Congratulations to Bev Craig on the well-deserved accolade and title; we have no doubt she’ll continue to excel in her post.
You can find the King’s 2026 New Year Honours List HERE.
As for the discussion around knighthoods, many Brits are currently calling for a change in the rules in hopes of making OBE, CBE and MBE, Kevin Sinfield a Sir.
Featured Images — Publicity picture (via Manchester City Council)
News
VAR audio requested as Nottingham Forest prepare complaint after Man City defeat
Danny Jones
Nottingham Forest have requested that the VAR audio from their game against Manchester City be released, as they are considering launching a formal complaint following the defeat.
Forest hosted Man City at home this past weekend and went on to lose 2-1.
However, Sean Dyche’s side are said to be ‘extremely unhappy’ with some of the refereeing decisions made by first official, Rob Jones, on the day.
As a result, they are now asking the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to share some of the conversations between on-pitch officials and the VAR team at Stockley Park in West London.
"I'm scratching my head and I can't believe it!" 😳
Sean Dyche wasn't happy with the officiating in their loss to Man City 😬
As you can see, Dyche initially said that “there’s no point” in pushing the refs on their performance, as he feels they usually only “get in trouble”, but it looks as though his employers have advocated for him.
Nottingham Forest had a problem with the final call in a number of instances during the festive fixture on Saturday, 27 December, but none more so than in one key moment.
The manager and his coaching team felt that Rayan Cherki’s 83rd-minute winner should have been cancelled out following a foul by Nico O’Reilly on Morgan Gibbs-White in the preceding corner, which may have prevented Cherki from scoring another decisive finish.
Dyche also argued that another City defender, Ruben Dias, was due a second yellow card and therefore dismissal from the pitch for a challenge after the break, but there was ultimately nothing doing.
You can see the collision here:
"I do have sympathy for Sean Dyche… it is a second yellow card!"
Ref Watch discuss whether Ruben Dias should have been sent off against Nottingham Forest. pic.twitter.com/dxTYmGsEqZ
According to Sky Sports News, Nottingham have already requested more information from the refereeing body, with this not being the first time they’ve felt hard done by.
As they put it, the hope/belief is that raising the issue could help “start a broader discussion around officiating this season.”
What do you make of Forest’s concerns against Manchester City, and do you think they’re worthy of launching an official complaint against the PGMOL and Premier League?
You can see the highlights from the game and perhaps decide for yourself down below.
Georgina Pellant -
4th August 2023 
