News

The Manchester Food and Drink Festival award winners 2022

The votes have been cast and this year's Manchester Food and Drink Awards winners have been revealed for 2022

Georgina Pellant Georgina Pellant - 27th September 2022

On Monday night, the Manchester Food and Drink FestivaL (MFDF) celebrated 25 years in the city at its annual awards gala dinner.

17 award winners were announced across the Greater Manchester region, recognised in a range of different categories including Restaurant of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, Bar of the Year and Neighbourhood Venue of the Year.  

Designed to showcase the amazing talent within the region’s dining community, this year’s categories were jam packed with individuals and stand-out food and drink businesses who have given their all to industry over the past year. 

Keep reading to discover who took home what at last night’s event.

Awards categories and nominations:

Restaurant of the Year

Winner: Where The Light Gets In

ADVERTISEMENT

Shortlised: 10 Tib Lane, Erst, The Sparrows, Another Hand, Mana, The Firehouse, Where The Light Gets

Bar of the Year

Winner: Speak In Code

ADVERTISEMENT

Shortlisted: Blinker Bar, Flawd, Henry C, Ramona, Schofield’s Bar, 10 Tib Lane, Speak In Code

Chef of the Year

Winner: Eddie Shepherd (The Walled Gardens)

Shortlisted: Caroline Martins (Sao Paulo Project), Joseph Otway (Flawd), Sam Buckley (Where The Light Gets In), Patrick Withington (Erst), Adam Reid (The French), Julian Pizer (Another Hand), Eddie Shepherd (The Walled Gardens)

ADVERTISEMENT

Pub or Beer bar of the Year

Winner: The Kings Arms, Salford

Shortlisted: Bridge Beers, Heaton Hops, House of Hops, The Kings Arms, Nordie, Track Taproom, Station Hop

Food and Drink Retailer of The Year

Winner: Chorlton Cheesemongers

Shortlisted: Ad Hoc, Chorlton Cheesemongers, Hello Oriental, Coopers Lets Fress Deli, Le Social, Out of the Blue, Wandering Palate

Independent Food Producer of the Year

Winner: Dormouse Chocolates

ADVERTISEMENT

Shortlisted: Great North Pie Co, La Chouquette, Holy Grain, Long Bois Bakehouse, Polyspore, Yellowhammer, Dormouse Chocolates

Image: Pollen

Coffee Shop of the Year

Winner: Pollen (Cottonfield Wharf)

Shortlisted: Cafe Sanjuan, Factory Coffee, Grind and Tamp, Grapefruit, Just Between Friends, Station South, Pollen

Food Trader of the Year

Winner: Burgerism

Shortlisted: House of Habesha, The Little Sri Lankan, Loveingly Artisan, Mira, New Wave Ramen, Pico’s Tacos, Burgerism

ADVERTISEMENT

Plant Based Offering of the Year

Winner: Wholseome Junkies

Shortlisted: Four Side Pizza, Herbivorous, Otto Vegan Empire, Ruyi Vegetarian House, Sanskruti, The Walled Gardens, Wholseome Junkies

Affordable Eats Venue of the Year

Winner: Salt & Pepper

Shortlisted: Aunty Ji’s, Bahn Mi Co Ba, Cafe Sanjuan, Levenshulme Bakery, Go Falafel, Mama Flo’s, Sat & Pepper

Image: Salt & Pepper

Foodie Neighbourhood of the Year

Winner: Ancoats

ADVERTISEMENT

Shortlisted: Monton, Prestwich, Sale, Stockport, Ramsbottom, Ancoats, Chapel Street, Salford

Pop Up or Project of the Year

Winner: Platt Fields Market Garden

Shortlisted: The Sao Paulo Project, Suppher, Eat Well Spring Festival, Bungalow at Kampus, Heart and Parcel, Stockport Foodie Friday

Independent Drinks Producer of the Year

Winner: Hip Pop

Shortlisted: Bundobust Brewery, Cloudwater, Hip Pop, Intro The Gathering Dusk, Stockport Gin, Steep Soda, Track Brewing

ADVERTISEMENT

Neighbourhood Venue of the Year

Winner: Bar San Juan

Shortlisted: Baratxuri, The Easy Fish Co, Nila’s Burmese Kitchen, Ornella’s Kitchen, Osma, The Perfect Match, Bar San Juan

Image: Bar San Juan

Newcomer of the Year

Winner: Another Hand

Shortlisted: Flawd, The Alan, The Black Friar, Bundobust (Oxford Street), Yellowhammer, 10 Tib Lane

Great Service Award

Winner: Dishoom

ADVERTISEMENT

Shortlisted: Bull & Bear, Dishoom, Hawksmoor, Flawd, Schofield’s Bar, Speak In Code, 10 Tib Lane

The Howard and Ruth Award for Outstanding Achievement

Winner: John and Rosemary Barratt, Stockport Foodie Friday

  1. The Howard and Ruth Award for Outstanding Achievement

Recognising people who have contributed something outstanding to the hospitality industry in Greater Manchester.

How the votes were cast

The shortlists were compiled by the MFDF judging panel, with all categories carefully considered and created to reflect an innovative, diverse, and inspiring food and drink industry. 

The shortlisted venues were put to the public vote via the MFDF website where  food and drink fans voted for their hospitality heroes.

For some of the awards, the public votes were combined with a mystery shopping visit from members of the judging panel. Others were decided entirely by public vote.

The Independent Drinks Producer of the Year and the Independent Food Producer of the Year Awards were judged by a panel taste test during the MFDF opening weekend.

The awards were presented in partnership with MFDF Awards headline sponsors Bruntwood, and commemorated a year of ongoing innovation and success to further establish Greater Manchester’s importance on the national food and drink scene.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Manchester Food and Drink Festival continues this weekend, having been postponed for a week following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Read more: Manchester Food and Drink Festival unveils full 25th anniversary programme

Speaking on the 2022 awards,s Alexa Stratton-Powell, Director of Manchester Food and Drink Festival said: “The strength of this year’s awards are testament to the hard work and dedication of all the nominees. As ever, the awards put the spotlight on the incredible talent and resilience of our brilliant hospitality industry.

“Despite hugely challenging times for the industry, we’ve celebrated 112 fantastic Greater Manchester businesses this evening as the reputation of the sector continues to go from strength to strength. We’d like to thank the judges, everyone who voted and the nominated businesses who took part in this year’s awards, as well as our hosts at Escape to Freight Island for a wonderful night of celebrations.” 

James Tootle, Head of Retail and Leisure, added: “We’re thrilled to have supported the MFDF Awards this year and proud to have been part of celebrating such a fantastic year for hospitality.

“Great restaurants, bars, cafes as well as talented chefs and entrepreneurs are at the heart of thriving towns and cities, and recognising the best in class is a fantastic way of celebrating the importance of this industry to the region as a whole. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated tonight!”

Feature image – MFDF / King’s Arms Salford

News

Poundland facing ‘significant store closures’ after being sold for just £1

Danny Jones Danny Jones Poundland sold to American firm for £1

Long-standing British bargain brand Poundland could be set to close a number of locations across the UK after being sold for just £1.

The franchise famed for selling things for just a quid has been a mainstay on the high streets for what feels like it’s been around for as long as most of us can remember, but has been struggling to compete in the discount market.

Opened in 1990, Poundland was eventually bought by Polish variety store chain Pepco Group back in 2016, but has now been auctioned off after struggling sales over the past few years.

As per a press release from the company, Pepco decided to sell the business to American investment firm Gordon Brothers for what reports cited as a “nominal fee” – a figure now revealed to be £1.

poundland greater manchester locations
manchester arndale poundland
Credit: The Manc Group

Poundland’s former boss, Barry Williams, left the brand in 2023 but was reinstated in at the start of this year to help the business and the Group’s European counterparts (Pepco and Dealz).

Sharing an official update with The Manc, the returning MD and CEO said, “Poundland is a UK and Ireland retailer of real significance, serving 20 million customers each year with a much-loved brand.

“Although recent trading has been challenging, we have built a turnaround plan with a simplified and more focused Poundland at its heart, as we aim to deliver the amazing value our customers expect.

“In due course, we’ll share more details of the proposed restructuring and turnaround. I’d like to thank Pepco for its stewardship of the business. We welcome Gordon Brothers and look forward to working with them as we implement our turnaround plan.”

As for Gordon Bros themselves, the American group with outposts all over the globe, says it is “delighted” to be providing the bargain brand with “the financing to support the substantial turnaround of this iconic retailer.”

Even with their own hardships, Poundland stores have still been providing a much-needed cut-price place to shop for those looking to save wherever they can amid the cost of living crisis, not to mention taking over previous Wilko stores and helping bail out others in need.

Poundland offers jobs to 200 Wilko staff who were made redundant
Before Poundland were sold, they also helped prop-up those hit by the Wilkos falling into administration.

According to Retail Gazette, an approximate £80 million cash injection has been pledged to help support their 800 stores and roughly 16,000 staff across the UK and Ireland.

Nevertheless, BBC sources understand that the even with the new backing, the proposed restructuring of the company which will be put before the High Court here in England could still “involve a significant number of store closures.”

Meanwhile, an official statement from Pepco’s Stephan Borchert reads: “The agreed sale of Poundland marks an important milestone in our strategic plan to move away from FMCG and focus predominantly on Pepco, our higher margin clothing and general merchandise business…

“Poundland remains a key player in UK discount retail, with millions of customers annually and a well-loved brand and proposition. We want to sincerely thank Poundland for their ongoing commitment and contribution to the Group and wish Barry Williams and his team all the best for the future.”

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Pepco (via Wikimedia Commons)/The Manc Group

News

Ryanair introduces immediate £500 fines for ‘unruly’ passengers

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Ryanair plane

Ryanair is majorly clamping-down on passenger conduct by introducing a new immediate fining system.

In a bid to get onboard conduct to an acceptable level, Europe’s largest budget airline has today confirmed (12 June) that it has introduced a £500 fine for disruptive passengers whose unruly behaviour results in them being offloaded from the aircraft.

The airline – which prides itself on being one of the most ‘punctual’ in the continent – says passengers expect to travel in a ‘comfortable and stress-free environment’ that’s free from ‘unnecessary disruption’ caused by a tiny number of people travelling onboard the aircraft at the same time as them.

Ryanair has introduced immediate £500 fines for ‘unruly’ passengers / Credit: Wikimedia Commons

While it’s no secret that passenger disruption is a problem that’s increasingly affecting the airline industry as a whole, Ryanair says it’s ‘committed’ to tackling unruly behaviour for the benefit of its passengers and crew.

The company intends to continue to pursue disruptive passengers for civil damages, but at a minimum, they will now be issued with a £500 fine immediately.

“It is unacceptable that passengers are made suffer unnecessary disruption because of one unruly passenger’s behaviour,” a Ryanair spokesperson commented as the fines were announced today.

The airline says it’s committed to tackling this for the benefit of its passengers and crew / Credit: Pxhere

“To help ensure that our passengers and crew travel in a comfortable and stress-free environment, without unnecessary disruption caused by a tiny number of unruly passengers, we have introduced a £500 fine, which will be issued to any passengers offloaded from aircraft as a result of their misconduct.

“While these are isolated events which happen across all airlines, disruptive behaviour in such a confined shared space is unacceptable.

Read more:

“We hope that our proactive approach will act as a deterrent to eliminate this unacceptable behaviour onboard our aircraft.”

Featured Image – CCNull

More News

Primark Home

Boroughs

Primark is opening its first dedicated Home store in Manchester this summer

When best to see the 2025 strawberry moon in Manchester, UK

News

A rare ‘Strawberry Moon’ will appear in the sky for the final time tonight – here’s when to catch it

Billy Boston first knight in rugby league history

News

Wigan Warriors legend Billy Boston has become rugby league’s first knight

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches