News
Escape to Freight Island’s huge Kantina food and drink festival returns next month
Top chef collaborations, special supper clubs and a bar takeover from Soho House await...
Georgina Pellant -
5th May 2022 
A huge food and drink festival is returning to Escape to Freight Island next month, as the massive food hall brings back its Katina celebrations for 2022.
Bringing together esteemed guest chefs from across the country, special supper clubs, and an exclusive Soho House cocktail bar, Katina will give foodies from Manchester a chance to immerse themselves in the country’s wider scene.
Taking place across the second weekend in June, Kantina will bring guest chefs, restaurants, and bars together from London, Sheffield, Manchester, and Birmingham to pair up with Escape to Freight Island’s existing traders for a host of special collaborations.
Luke French, head chef and owner at the acclaimed 3 AA Rosettes and Michelin Guide 2021 recommended JÖRO in Sheffield, will host a very special and limited supper club over the weekend – combining local produce with Asian influences and pushing culinary boundaries.
Representing Manchester, Pippa Middlehurst (aka Pippy Eats of South East Asian noodle and dumpling fame) will return for a second collaboration with family-run Vietnamese restaurant Mi & Pho, whilst Mary-Ellen McTague (Eatwell MCR, The Creameries in Chorlton) teams up with Sheffield’s Bench founders, Ronnie Aronica and Jack Wakelin.
Over at Birmingham chef Brad Carter’s One Star Döner Bar, the Michelin-starred chef will partner with the equally talented Cornerstone founder Tom Brown and renowned indie food consultant, Lap-fai Lee.
Budgie Montoya of Sarap in London will bring his Filipino flair as he partners up with Lucky Foot, ETFI’s brand-new deep-fried and charcoal-grilled chicken trader, whilst elsewhere an event called ‘Sous Do Ray’s’ will see sous chefs from some of the most celebrated restaurants in the country deliver their own take on Voodoo Ray’s pizzas.
Madre’s upscaled tacos will partner with AngloThai’s co founder and head chef John Chantarasak, whilst Carnival, the new grill concept to overtake Baratxuri, will be headed up by award-winning chef, butcher, restauranteur and food critic Richard Turner (ex-Hawksmoor).
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And for sweet tooths, a selection from Happy Endings, famous for their ice cream sandwiches, will be available alongside offerings from Gooey and Batard.
Elsewhere, there’ll be free-flowing beer from the Pomona Island taproom and fermented delights from a special natural wine bar hosted by Bench director Jack Wakelin.
In true Escape to Freight Island style, the venue will also host a vibrant roster of accompanying entertainment, from live performances to DJs and more throughout the weekend.
How to get tickets
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Taking place from 10 to 12 June, Kantina 2022 is free entry.
For one weekend only, guests at Escape to Freight Island will get to have one-off and unique dishes from these amazing chefs’ collaborations. www.kantinaweekender.com.
Kantina will be hosted at Escape to Freight Island on Friday 10 June (from 4pm until 1am), Saturday 11 June (from 12pm until 1am) and Sunday 12 June (from 12pm until 9pm).
Free table reservation and more information is available on the Katina website here:
Feature image – Escape To Freight Island
