Caffeine lovers are to set unite for an annual celebration later this year, as Manchester Coffee Festival is back for 2022.
Returning to our city once again this November, Manchester Coffee Festival is an independent event that prides itself on opening up the world of specialty coffee and making it accessible to everyone, and it does this by bringing together a wide range of the best coffee companies under one roof to showcase what they do best through talks, tastings, competitions, workshops, demos, and so much more.
The two-day festival is a popular fixture in the city’s annual events calendar, and gives festival-goers the chance to chat with the experts and improve their coffee game.
Ancoats Coffee, Atkinsons, Blossom Coffee, Heart & Graft Coffee Roasters, and Salford Coffee Roasters are some of the local names that festival attendees can expect this year, alongside regulars like Allpress, Climpson & Sons, North Star Coffee Roasters, and Origin.
There’ll also be some new companies popping up too – including The Service Course, Saddleworth Brownies, and Ecoffee Cup.
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Manchester Coffee Festival is back for 2022 this November / Credit: MCF
This year’s festival headline partners include Oatly, La Marzocco UK, Espresso Solutions, and Urnex – which will both provide equipment and product to exhibitors, and will be on hand to chat with those at the festival.
Tickets to Manchester Coffee Festival are now on sale, and feature everything from entry to all the festival talks and panels, as well as a not-to-be-missed opportunity to watch the UK Cup Tasting Champion be crowned, try out all the coffee samples you can handle, and take part in guided tasting session.
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And new for 2022, you can also upgrade your regular ticket to include access to an exclusive workshop with the experts as well.
From coffee roasting colour experiments to home espresso skills, there’s a workshop for everyone.
The two-day event opens up the world of specialty coffee and makes it accessible to everyone / Credit: MCFThere’ll be talks, tastings, competitions, workshops, demos, and so much more / Credit: MCF
Coffee is of course what the festival will be celebrating at its heart, but that’s not all that people have to look forward to.
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Manchester Coffee Festival has also collaborated with BIMM Manchester to curate the music stage lineup for 2022, and there’ll even be a family party hosted by Born To Be Wild Child on the Sunday morning of the festival too.
The 2022 edition of Manchester Coffee Festival has also partnered with Farmers Voice Radio to support the station in its mission to transform the lives of millions of farmers and rural communities through the power of radio.
5% of all ticket sales will be donated directly to Farmers Voice Radio.
A video of all the action from the 2021 edition of Manchester Coffee Festival / Credit: MCF
Manchester Coffee Festival will be taking over the BEC Arena in Stretford on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 November 2022.
Tickets are now available online, and you can grab yours here.
Featured Image – MCF
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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 -
27th July 2022 
