There’s a huge sushi festival coming to Manchester this spring, and it sounds far too good to miss.
Bringing together a whole host of the city’s best sushi parlors, the Manchester sushi festival will land in the city on Thursday 21 April – showcasing the very best vinegared rice dishes (yes we said rice, not fish) that Manchester has to offer across three days.
For those who think that sushi is all about raw fish and have already decided they don’t like that, we’ve got good news: It’s not. You can make sushi with anything – and avocado, cucumber, carrot and ginger are all popular choices for those who don’t like raw fish.
Of course, there’ll be plenty of fishy sushi to go around too – and the festival will have a lot to offer those who are into the more adventurous side of things.
A mixed sushi platter served in a wooden boat at Kyotoya, Withington./ Image: Bidds Bites
Where better, then, to discover the full variety of this amazing Japanese dish than at an all-day event dedicated to the stuff?
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California rolls, maki, nigiri, temaki and more are all set to be on show, alongside other Japanese dishes like ramen, as the festival promises to ‘show you the greatest variety of sushi and Japanese cuisine’ that Manchester has to offer.
There’ll even be a live workshop hosted by Manchester cookery school Food Sorcery teaching you how to handroll your own sushi at home.
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That said, it won’t all be about sushi. There’ll be a live sake talk and tasting session, live performances from a Japanese taiko drumming ensemble, pop-up bars selling Japanese beer and more, plus Japanese-inspired art classes, fashion pop-ups, live music and DJ performances.
Of course, we’re very lucky in Manchester with a whole range of eateries offering sushi all year round – from Yuzu and Samsi to Kyotoya, Unagi, and the members-only Umezushi Omakase. Still, an all-day festival dedicated to Japanese cuisine is not to be passed up.
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Whilst the festival promises to feature some of Manchester’s best sushi restaurants, the line-up of traders is still to be confirmed.
Tickets are priced at £20 per person and include entry to the Sushi Festival, access to the theatre with live cooking demonstrations, and a portion of sushi or delicious Japanese dish from one of the festival’s hand-picked vendors.
Tickets for the live sushi-rolling workshop hosted by Food Sorcery need to be purchased separately here.
Taking place at Audacious Church on Trinity Way, Manchester, Salford, M3 7BD, the Manchester Sushi Festival will run from Thursday 21 April to Saturday 23 April 2022. Sessions will last three hours, starting at either 3pm or 7pm.
Six GMP officers dismissed following racial discrimination allegations
Emily Sergeant
A number of police officers have been dismissed following an internal investigation, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has confirmed.
Following the internal investigation into alleged racial discrimination against an officer on the Bury district – which was launched by GMP‘s Professional Standards Directorate in July 2024 – six officers and two former officers were found to have committed gross misconduct, and a ninth officer was found to have committed misconduct.
The investigation came after a report was made that an officer had been subjected to ‘racist behaviour’ by colleagues in December 2023.
The panel heard how PC Y – who has African heritage and has been granted anonymity – made a complaint after her accent was mimicked by a group of officers. She was also compared to a suspect with similar skin colour, and one of the dismissed PCs made a derogatory comment about her hair.
PC Y was supported and kept updated throughout the investigation, GMP assured, as well as providing evidence at the hearing.
The misconduct hearing lasted just over two weeks, with the panel concluding that the officers breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Equality and Diversity, Authority, Respect, and Courtesy.
The six officers who have been dismissed are PC Demi Green, PC Heena Rani, PC Lucy Granby, PC Matthew Barlow, PC Matthew Hill, and PC Mohammed Abid, while the former officers who were found to have committed gross misconduct are PC Jake Holt, and former Officer A – who has been granted anonymity.
The panel also found that Sergeant Adrian Bick’s actions amounted to misconduct, as there was no breach of the standard of equality and diversity.
As a result, the six serving officers have been sacked without notice, while the two former officers would have been dismissed had they not already left the force, and Sergeant Bick was issued a written warning.
“No officer or member of staff should have to come to work and experience discriminatory behaviour from the people they serve alongside,” declared Deputy Chief Constable, Terry Woods.
“Everyone has the right to feel respected, valued and part of the same team with a shared commitment to serving our communities and keeping people safe.”
‘There must be a way’ – Andy Burnham vows to save Jodrell Bank after funding cuts
Emily Sergeant
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has vowed to save the UK’s largest telescope at Jodrell Bank.
In case you hadn’t heard, back in July, theUK Research and Innovation (UKRI) announced that the Jodrell Bank Observatory – which is home to the Lovell Telescope – will not be prioritised for further funding after its current agreement ends in March 2028, despite the telescope standing in its Cheshire home since 1957.
The UKRI said the decision not to continue funding priority was ‘the result of a comprehensive, evidence-based prioritisation process’.
Since the news broke, however, it has been a topic of national uproar and discussion as to how to ensure its legacy lives on.
A proud part of the University of Manchester (UoM), Jodrell Bank had a pioneering role in the development of radio astronomy, and has evidence from its emergence as a new science in the 1940s through to the present day, making it an outstanding part of scientific heritage.
The Prime Minister was pressed to address concerns surrounding the future of the site by Sarah Russell, Labour MP for Congleton, in the House of Commons yesterday (1 September 2026).
Mr Burnham replied: “Every one of my generation went on a school trip to Jodrell Bank, and there is no way that we can see its demise – it won’t happen under my Government.
“I know there’s changes that have been made in relation to research funding, but Jodrell Bank is a heritage asset for the country, as well as a research asset.
Georgina Pellant -
11th January 2022 
