The Manchester Food and Drink Festival (MFDF) has just announced the shortlists for its 2022 Awards as it opens up voting to the Manchester public.
This years’ shortlists have been chosen by a judging panel of local food critics and feature a total of 113 nominees split across 16 categories, including a newly-created award designed to recognise great service.
Following a slight change of format caused by the pandemic, this year, winners will once again be decided by the public and MFDF judging panel.
With voting open from now until 16 September, the city’s food and drinks fans are being invited to vote for their favourites over on the MFDF website.
Image: Supplied
This year’s MFDF shortlisted venues are as follows:
PLANT-BASED OFFERING OF THE YEAR
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Four Side Pizza
Herbivorous
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Otto Vegan Empire
Ruyi Chorlton
Sanskruti
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The Walled Garden
Wholesome Junkies
INDEPENDENT DRINKS PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Bundobust Brewery
Cloudwater
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Hip Pop
Into the Gathering Dusk
Stockport Gin
Steep Soda
Track Brewing
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INDEPENDENT FOOD PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Polyspore
Dormouse Chocolates
Great North Pie Co
Holy Grain
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Long Boi’s Bakehouse
Yellowhammer
La Choquette
FOODIE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF THE YEAR
Ancoats
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Chapel Street, Salford
Monton
Prestwich
Ramsbottom
Sale
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Stockport
COFFEE SHOP OF THE YEAR
Cafe Sanjuan
Factory Coffee
Grind and Tamp
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Grapefruit
Just Between Friends
Station South
Pollen
FOOD TRADER OF THE YEAR
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Burgerism
House of Habesha
The Little Sri Lankan
Lovingly Artisan
Mira
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New Wave Ramen
Pico’s Tacos
AFFORDABLE EATS VENUE OF THE YEAR
Aunty Ji’s
Bahn Mi Co Ba
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Cafe Sanjuan
Levenshulme Bakery
Go Falafel
Mama Flo’s
Salt & Pepper MCR
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POP UP OR PROJECT OF THE YEAR
Platt Fields Market Garden
Sao Paulo Project
Suppher
Eat Well MCR Spring Festival
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Bungalow at Kampus
Heart and Parcel
Foodie Friday
PUB OR BEER BAR OF THE YEAR
Bridge Beers, Staylbridge
Heaton Hops
House of Hops
The Kings Arms
Nordie
Track Taproom
Station Hop
BAR OF THE YEAR
Blinker Bar
Flawd
Henry C
Ramona
Schofield’s Bar
Speak in Code
10 Tib Lane
NEIGHBOURHOOD VENUE OF THE YEAR
Baratuxi Bar
Bar San Juan
The Easy Fish Co.
Nilas Burmese Kitchen
Ornella’s Kitchen
Osma
The Perfect Match
FOOD AND DRINK RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Ad Hoc
Chorlton Cheesemongers
Hello Oriental
Coopers Lets Fress Deli
Le Social
Out of the Blue
Wandering Palate
GREAT SERVICE AWARD
Sponsored by Manchester Evening News
Bull & Bear
Dishoom
Hawksmoor
Flawd
Schofield’s Bar
This year, winners will be announced at the MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards sponsored by Bruntwood and taking place at Escape to Freight Island on 26 September.
Some categories will be decided entirely by public vote and some made up from the public votes alongside a mystery shopping visit from members of the judging panel.
The Independent Drinks Producer of the Year and the Independent Food Producer of the Year Awards will also be judged by a panel taste test.
Alexa Stratton-Powell, Director of MFDF said:“This is an incredible list of brilliant businesses that we are proud to celebrate. As we look forward to our 25th year it’s all about the talent that has shaped this last quarter century and made the city’s food scene the world-class destination that it is today. Please get involved, vote for your favourites and visit the amazing venues on the shortlist for yourselves!” Charlotte Wild, Head of Retail & Leisure at Bruntwood commented: “We’re proud to become headline sponsor for these important awards. Manchester’s hospitality scene is phenomenal and the industry is absolutely central to our vision of creating thriving cities. We’re excited to celebrate 25 years of the Manchester Food and Drink Festival this Autumn, alongside all the talented nominees and winners at the Awards on 26th September. Congratulations to all those shortlisted!”
Manchester City’s alleged charges have been increased to 130
Danny Jones
Manchester City’s hearing over their 115 alleged breaches of FFP (financial fair play) has ended and the outcome is that their charges have now been increased to 130.
Not exactly what Blues will want to hear.
The hearing officially concluded last Friday, 6 December after a 12-week process to determine whether they broke Premier League regulations regarding PSR (profit and sustainability), with accusations initially spanning a nine-year period.
However, rather than making any progress when it comes to clearing their record, it looks as though the opposite has happened.
Man City are now alleged to have committed 130 breaches of Premier League rules with both parties still able to enter an official appeal.
The hearing was held at the International Dispute Resolution Centre near St Paul’s in London, kicking off in September before coming to a close on Friday, 6 December.
Fans will no doubt have been hoping for and maybe even expecting a much more positive update, especially after having been successful in their recent case against the division regarding sponsorship deals and Associated Party Transactions (APT).
As well as the number of alleged breaches having risen to 130, the period of offence is also now said to have been extended, jumping from just under a decade to a total of 14 years.
The Times writer Martyn Ziegler says the club could quietly learn of their fate as soon as next month and even though a final decision still isn’t expected until spring 2025, should either side appeal the final outcome, this will likely draw out proceedings for several more months.
Man City’s charges have gone from 115 to 130. (Credit: The Manc Group)
For context, City still deny all of the claims laid against them, which include failing to provide accurate financial information for as many as nine seasons, full details of players’ wages, hiding the true figure former manager Roberto Mancini was paid for her service, as well as failing to cooperate with the Premier League’s investigation and UEFA’s FFP rules.
The club were slapped with a two-year European ban back in 2020 and have been fined by the European footballing body previously, but that ban was ultimately dropped and even their most recent financial punishment was dropped from £30 million to just £10m – chump change given their spending power.
It still remains unclear what exactly will happen to the reigning English champions if they are found guilty but with Pep Guardiola’s also struggling for form of late, having lost five games in a row for the first time in the Catalan’s career, those inside the Etihad could do with some good news.
The blue moon that has loomed over Manchester in recent years is looking a little lost behind the clouds at the minute.
Manchester Airport trains cancelled more than any other UK airport during Christmas season
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport sees more trains cancelled during the Christmas season than any other UK airport, a new study has revealed.
We’re certainly no stranger to a train cancellation or prolonged delay here in the North West, and train services to and from our region’s airport – which is the third busiest airport in the UK, and the largest outside of London – tend to be among the most cancelled of them.
But now, a new study by Arriva has found that Manchester Airport trains are as unreliable as we think… in fact, the most unreliable in the country.
As Christmas fast approaches, many people will be set to make some important journeys to visit family abroad, or to just escape cold weather, but due to transport prices increasing and regular cancellations occurring, it’s been found that more than half (51%) of Brits suffer from travel nerves, which is why knowing the most effective route to your nearest major airport matters.
Transport company Arriva has conducted a new study revealing the most efficient and cost-effective airport transport method this December for the five largest airports in the UK.
A new study has found that trains to Manchester Airport are cancelled more than any other UK airport during the Christmas season / Credit: Ivan Shimko (via Unsplash)
And you can probably guess the train isn’t one of them.
According to the study, Manchester Airport experienced a total of 626 train cancellations last December in 2023, with Northern Rail services accounting for the majority of them with 492 services failing to turn up – making our region’s airport number one on the list nationwide.
5pm to 9pm was also found to be the worst time to travel by train to Manchester Airport during the last festive season, with 169 cancellations.
Top 5 UK airports with the most Christmas train cancellations
Manchester Airport – 626
Heathrow Airport – 220
Luton Airport – 135
London Stansted Airport – 76
Gatwick Airport – 18
Heathrow Airport follows in second place with 220 cancellations in December 2023, while Luton Airport ranks in third with 135 cancellations, and the 6am to 11am timeframe found to be the worst time to travel with 39 cancellations.
While travelling to the airport is often dictated by the time of your flight, this new research has also ranked the best and worst times of day to travel, depending on the number of train cancellations.
It was found that midday between 11am and 2pm was the best time to travel, with only 167 cancellations in comparison to the 245 cancellations experienced between 5-9pm which is the worst.
Georgina Pellant -
28th July 2022 
