A two-day festival full of cooking classes, wellness workshops, and more is coming to Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet this weekend.
The designer outlet has joined forces with Food4Thoughts (F4T) – a nutrition brand co-founded by famed Mancunians Scott Thomas and Eden Thomas – to bring an exclusive wellness weekend to Cheshire, with everything from fitness classes, to live cook-a-longs and workshops led by industry experts across the two days.
Visitors to Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet will also be treated to live entertainment and music by DJ Kieron J, and stars of The Voice, Holly Ellison and Jordan Phillips, as well as receive access to a whole host of exclusive offers too.
You’ll be able to book on to live F4T panel talks from key speakers across the weekend, with local celebrities giving their insight into wellness, healthy eating, and living balanced lifestyles.
The F4T Wellness Festival is taking place on Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 July at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: Supplied
Hosted by Kate Cocker, sessions will feature guests including Emmerdale and Waterloo Road star Adam Thomas, chef and influencer Steph Elswood, and the founder of Men Should Talk Gareth Palmer – with more names soon to be announced.
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Brands including Lululemon, ASICS, adidas, and Under Armour will also be working alongside the expert F4T team for a jam-packed schedule of fitness classes and workshops across the weekend too, so whether you want to test your limits with a HIIT class by F4T’s Commando Charlie, or find your Zen at Lululemon’s meditation sessions, there’s something for everyone to get involved with.
Podcast fans will even be able to enter a competition to secure their spot in the audience of an exclusive live recording of Scott Thomas’ podcast, Learning As I Go.
And that’s not all, as you’ll even get the chance to enter a prize draw worth up to £2,500.
When you enter into the prize draw in the F4T Hub at the Ellesmere Port-based shopping and leisure village, you’ll be in with the chance of winning prizes such as six months of Food4Thoughts membership, £500 to spend at Cheshire Oaks, and a luxe spa experience at the Chester Grosvenor.
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Each entry to the prize draw also gives the option to donate to support Cheshire Oaks’ 2022 charity partner, Flynn’s Port in the Storm – with donations supporting the incredible work that the local mental health crisis café does for those in the community.
“This really is such a special moment for myself and the Food4Thoughts team,” F4T co-founder Scott Thomas said.
“I have visited Cheshire Oaks all my life and to be invited to host our very own F4T Wellness Festival at such a prestigious location really is something else.
The F4T Wellness Festival is taking place on Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 July at Cheshire Oaks / Credit: Supplied
“I’m so happy with the lineup of activations we have confirmed and the brands we have involved for the weekend.
“This is going to be special.”
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Kenny Murray – General Manager at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Cheshire Oaks – added: “The schedule is packed full with physical and mental workshops, so we can’t wait to see our Centre guests all getting involved over the weekend.”
The F4T Wellness Festival is taking place on Saturday 2 & Sunday 3 July, and you can find more information and book onto free workshops and classes here.
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Thanks to Terminal 2’s major upgrade, now holidays really do start at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
It’s a phrase that’s almost as old as air travel itself, but luckily, Manchester Airport are well and truly getting your holidays started early, courtesy of the new and improved Terminal 2.
T2‘s massive upgrade technically finished in 2025, but with other bits debuting already this year and even more to come in 2026, Manchester’s biggest terminal is a more fully-fledged travel hub than ever.
Complete everything from the essentials and a healthy supply of food and drink, to lots of luxuries and plenty of ways to unwind and kill time between both before and after flights, you can feel extra smug about getting to the airport early.
As part of their latest ‘Terminal Explorer’ campaign, we recently paid a visit to see just how much fun we could get up to in and around T2. Spoilers: quite a lot.
With a little help from their wayfinding screens dotted around the various areas, from the World Duty Free section and ever-growing internal shopping district, to all the bars and restaurants that have opened since the big refurb, we took ourselves on a very fun day out.
And that was without even having an actual holiday booked to look forward to, so just imagine how good it must feel to top all this off with a real trip away.
In fact, you don’t even need to think that hard about it; roughly 80% of all passengers heading in and out of Manchester Airport now come through T2, and with the experience improving all the time, they’re seeing a serious uptick in visitors and their time spent enjoying some leisure before their getaway.
From additions like the LEGO store to keep the kids entertained, as well as numerous places to grab a brew, a bite, or even your first adult beverage of the holiday, it’s up to you how you choose to explore – they’ve just given you plenty of options.
There’s no bigger testament to the latest hospitality offerings in Terminal 2 than the recently opened Great Northern Market, which brings a rather big taste of the Mackie Mayor vibe to Manchester Airport.
A VERY comfortable place to wind down any wait times before you fly.
You’ll be blown away by the amount of choice on offer in here – we certainly were – and, of course, the multi-vendor culinary destination epicentre is just one of many fantastic food and drink offerings now boasted by the T2 ‘2.0.’
For instance, we could happily spend most of the time before our next hypothetical flight just chilling in the super stylish Fever-Tree Bar, which includes a wonderful range of breakfast and light bites, charcuterie boards, small plates, sandwiches and so on – plus a cocktail menu perfect for any occasion.
Put simply, you’ve now been given all the tools and means to turn downtime of almost any duration into an excuse to explore Manchester Airport at its best; in fact, scratch that: it’s an opportunity to go for a wander and make the most of it – and it’s one you don’t want to waste.
Whether it’s stocking up pre-flight or kicking back with your first drink of many, don’t just be another person sitting watching the departures board, be a terminal explorer.
Sensory-friendly Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week
Emily Sergeant
This week marks the start of Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
Approximately 15-20% of the population has a neurological difference, according to the most recent statistics, and Neurodiversity Celebration Week (16-20 March 2026) highlighting the importance of championing, raising awareness of, and accommodating neurodiverse people.
And Printworks is marking the occasion in its own special way, with a series of new initiatives designed to create a more ‘inclusive’ and ‘sensory-friendly’ environment.
You may already know that the popular indoor entertainment complex in the heart of Manchester city centre is home to more than a dozen bars, restaurants, and leisure activities – including one of the largest IMAX screens on the continent – and Europe’s largest digital ceiling too, of course, but this week’s experience is unlike anything the venue has welcomed before.
Throughout the week, Printworks will be transforming its digital ceiling with calming Northern Lights and constellations which have been specifically designed to create a relaxed, sensory-friendly atmosphere for visitors with additional sensory needs.
Northern Lights to illuminate Printworks’ digital ceiling to mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week / Credit: Supplied
As part of a long-term commitment to accessibility and inclusivity, Printworks is also introducing a weekly sensory-friendly hour every Sunday too, where lighting throughout the venue will be dimmed, and music and SFX volumes reduced for a reduced-stimulus environment.
200 free sensory packs – which can be collected at Vue cinema – with a pair of ear defenders and sensory-friendly toys, designed to support visitors who may benefit from sensory tools while enjoying the venue, are also on offer throughout the course of the week.
On top of this, there’s also a range of autism-friendly cinema screenings taking place on the last Sunday of every month at 10:30am.
An additional autism-friendly screening will be taking place with a showing of Hoppers this Sunday 22 March at 10:30am, with tickets now available from Vue’s website.
“Neurodiversity Celebration Week is an important time for brands and venues to recognise and support the diverse ways visitors and audiences experience the world,” commented Dan Davis, who is the General Manager at Printworks.
Emily Sergeant -
28th June 2022 
