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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

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

Bar of the Year

Winner: Speak In Code

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

Plans submitted for new £250 million mixed residential neighbourhood in Stockport

Danny Jones Danny Jones New Stockport 8 neighbourhood planning permission

Plans have officially been submitted for a brand-new £250 million neighbourhood in the heart of Stockport town centre.

The new mixed residential mini-village simply dubbed, ‘Stockport 8’, has been put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund – itself a joint venture between Homes England, Legal & General, and Muse).

Set to cost a quarter of a million, the proposed neighbourhood is just the latest step of the ever-growing Stockport Mayor Development Corporation (MDC) masterplan, a wider £500m scheme to transform the specific Stockport Town Centre West area into the most sustainable, liveable town centre in the UK.

With a planning application now submitted, we’ve also been given another look at what the new Stockport neighbourhood would look like if green-lit.

when is Stockport 8 due to be finished?

We first heard reports of the new Stockport 8 neighbourhood back in January after CGIs of what the developers envisioned were shared with the public, alongside how it fit into the West blueprints.

The overall goal of the development is to create a high-quality, green neighbourhood featuring a mix of housing tenures to suit existing and new homeowners and tenants.

Aiming to build a grand total of 1,300 high-quality, energy-efficient homes all told as part of a whipping £1bn investment in Stockport town centre, there will also be room for businesses and community spaces on the ground floor level to knit into the existing centre and its community.

There’s also an insistence from those behind the project to create different atmospheres, creating new environments for people to meet, socialise, relax and enjoy, such as residential courtyards and green roofs, as well as the usual modern amenities re: parking, vehicle charging, bike storage etc.

All told, the council and their development partners – which include chief designers, shedkm, and landscape architects, Planit – are hoping to contribute nearly a third of the homes in Stockport MDC masterplan, which is hoping to surpass 4,000 homes over a total of 130 acres.

stockport 8 neighbourhood
stockport town centre masterplan

As well as helping contribute to the busy and vital road network that is continuing to be redeveloped, the goal is to create a safe and sustainable travel environment too, with a pedestrian-only street running through the centre of the scheme.

With one big road (Cook Street) running throughout the neighbourhood, the new builds will also look to knit into Stockport’s existing structure, celebrating the area’s rich heritage and character by even reintroducing historic street patterns and street names.

If you’re interested in the skyline-changing new project, you can find out more HERE.

Planning permission applications in Manchester can sometimes take upwards of 13 weeks due to the various individual stages and processes, so we’re still a while of way from knowing if/when Stockport 8 will begin work but with a summer 2027 completion date, it could be a huge moment for the town.

Read more:

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Featured Images — Supplied

News

Hidden drug den full of cannabis plants worth £100k exposed by police in Bury

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Police in Bury have exposed a drug den worth an estimated £100,000 hidden behind closed doors during early morning warrants.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained, earlier this week (9 December), officers from the Radcliffe and Elton and Church Neighbourhood Teams were joined by Bury’s newest district commander, Chief Superintendent Kirsty Oliver, to conduct a warrant at an address on Mitchell Street.

The warrant was conducted by acting on intelligence that was gathered from members of the public within the community.

Officers the address, where they forced entry and discovered what has been described as a “sophisticated cannabis farm” within the property.

A hidden drug den full of cannabis plants worth £100k has been exposed by police in Bury / Credit: GMP

The set-up was spread across two floors, and according to police, resulted in around 300 plants being seized overall – with half of them being at the beginning of their growth-cycle, and 100 which had been harvested.

All the plants seized have a combined street value of an estimated £100,000, it is believed.

On top of this, a vehicle was also seized after officers found it suspiciously parked outside the premises, and following further inspection, it was discovered to be outstanding as stolen and had false registration plates.

No arrests have been made at this time.

Police believe that the warrant could be linked with West Balkan’s Organized Crime Groups, and are investigating additional lines of enquiry.

Chief Superintendent Kirsty Oliver, Bury’s new district commander, thanked the public for their help in yesterday’s warrant.

“We received information sent in by concerned members of the community who wanted to create a safer environment,” Chief Superintendent Oliver explained.

Read more:

“Communities are essential to preventing and solving crime, and I encourage you to continue to report any criminal acts or suspicious behaviour to us and let us know what is happening in your area.”

Featured Image – GMP

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