Just on the outskirts of Greater Manchester and spilling over into the North West countryside lays Millington Hall: a stunning farmhouse and 27-acre plot of land situated barely a 20-minute drive from Manchester which is hosting some wonderful culinary events from this summeronwards.
Specialising in local dining and hospitality experiences that strive to showcase the farm-to-table food and drink journey, tasting events, cookery courses and more, the charming Cheshire venue plays hosts to droves of foodies every year.
Moreover, they strive to be as low-carbon as possible, making them one of the most sustainable places offering these kinds of packages in the region, After a year of hugely successful events, they’re hoping to welcome even more Mancs and beyond to their quaint little corner for 2024.
What’s happening at Millington Hall Farmhouse in 2024?
The Big Cheshire Bake Off
First up on our calendar, at least, there’s no better place to start than with the aptly named Big Cheshire Bake Off this September. Having had a go at it for ourselves, we can’t vouch for it enough.
Get ready to unleash your inner baker with this three-hour experience where you take on a trio of challenges including a guided bake, a challenge round and a test of your decorating skills which will then be examined by the judges – just like on the show. We can’t say which one for copyright reasons…
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But seriously, from the welcome glass of fizz, canapé snacks, tea and coffee, there are all the ingredients you’ll need for the competition and for a great day out.
Naturally, you’ll get to dig into all the bakes you make on the day (or box them up if you can resist the urge) and once again, the farm sources as many ingredients as sustainable as they can from a maximum of a 20-mile radius from the Altrincham farm – so you’re helping support the local area too.
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Oh, did we mention there’s an on-site bar open throughout the day too? Honestly, what’s better than bubbles and cake? Taking place from 13-29 September, the Bake Off is open to all experience levels and makes for a great gift too. It’s already selling out quickly, so book your place now if you’re interested.
The Wild Grill Experience
Credit: Supplied
Next up is one for all you carnivores and foodies who genuinely do want to see how the sausage gets made. The Wild Grill Experience is all about discovering the art of butchery, grilling high-quality meat sourced from the region and, of course, eating.
Running for approximately four hours, if you’re someone barbecuing or simply making the most of local produce, the hope is that you’ll get as much educational value out of it as you will pure enjoyment.
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Promising a truly hands-on experience whether you’re a seasoned grill master or a curious beginner, you’ll be welcomed into the ‘Wild Meadow’ by expert butchers/chefs for a jam-packed session featuring everything from pig butchery, meat seasoning, sausage-making and, of course, best cooking methods.
Last but not least, not only will you receive a welcome beer upon arrival as well as charcuterie snacks throughout, but you will get to sit down in the cosy ‘Nordic Tipi’ to dine on your perfectly prepared delectations with your coursemates and teachers as part of the final feast.
Available between 4-20 October, given that Spring sessions sold out so quickly, we’d recommend signing up sooner rather than later. You can book tickets online.
Farm-to-table, tasting events and so much more
Honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Millington Hall Farm as these guys are offering up everything from various other culinary classes, tasting evenings for various local food and drink suppliers, and even gin-based glamping weekends.
They also do special Murder Mystery nights where you eat a three-course dinner whilst trying to figure out a vintage ‘whodunnit’, which genuinely sounds like the best game of Cluedo you’ll ever play.
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The 2024 Murder Mystery night has already sold out but you can sign up now to be the first to hear about the 2025 season.
You can find their full list of events taking place in 2024HERE.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to Manchester next month
Daisy Jackson
One of the world’s silliest and most-loved experiences is returning to Manchester this year, offering people the chance to step inside the world of Fawlty Towers.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience sees immersive theatre blend with a three-course dinner, bringing Britain’s most infamous hotel to life.
Fans of the hit 1970s comedy will enjoy two hours of mayhem led by Basil, Sybil and Manuel, all while tucking into a delicious era-appropriate meal.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience has become an immersive dining phenomenon, scooping awards and selling out venues across the globe since launching almost 30 years ago.
In the years since, it’s welcomed more than one million guests, celebrated 13 years of its West End residency in London, and hosted celebrations for 50 years of the original BBC sitcom Fawlty Towers.
And now it’s Manchester’s turn, with the event returning to our city between 3 and 15 February.
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is returning to ManchesterThe event is hosted by actors playing Basil, Sybil and ManuelAround 70% of the action is improvisedGuests are served a three-course 70s-inspired meal during the Faulty Towers experienceCredit: Rosie Powell
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience will be taking over the Voco hotel on Portland Street for a limited run, starring Aaron Millard as ‘Basil’, Rebecca Norris as ‘Sybil’, and Simon Hourihan as ‘Manuel’.
You can definitely expect two hours of theatre, chaos, and a 70s-inspired three-course meal, but with around 70% of the performances completely improvised, we can’t tell you much more than that…
Producer Jared Harford said: “It’s such a joy to be bringing Basil and the team back to Manchester. After such an incredible 2025 celebrating 50 years of Fawlty Towers, we can’t wait to continue sharing the laughter, chaos and community spirit that make this show so special.”
Faulty Towers The Dining Experience in Manchester:
Tuesday 3 February to Sunday 15 February
Tuesday to Saturday – doors open 6.45pm, seating and show starts 7.30pm
Saturday and Sunday – doors open 12.45pm, seating and show starts 1.30pm
Ticket prices, all including three-course meal and two hour immersive experience:
Tuesday to Thursday dinner, and Saturday or Sunday lunch – £67.50 pp (including fees) Friday or Saturday dinner £71.50 pp (including fees). Bookings can be made via the box office on (+44) 020 3700 3138 or online at www.faultytowersdining.com
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
Daisy Jackson
Autotrader has teamed up with SpudBros, the UK’s viral jacket potato trader, to open the first jacket potato drive-thru in Manchester.
The UK’s largest automotive marketplace is working with the SpudBros duo on the new Autotater drive-thru, where the duo will be handing out free jacket spuds – and which can also value your car in less than 10 seconds.
You’ll be able to visit the one-of-a-kind drive-thru for one day only next month, picking up a baked potato from an exclusive menu that includes the Autotater (a twist on a classic loaded spud) and the Curry In A Hurry (SpudBros’ signature garlic chicken curry).
You’ll also be able to tune into the Spud FM radio with SpudBros co-founders Jacob and Harley. Autotrader and SpudBros have teamed up for the drive-thru experience off the back of new research that has shown 44% of UK drivers have no idea what their car is actually worth.
The same research has also revealed that half of those surveyed are unsure how to determine the value of their car.
So now Mancs will be able to have their car instantly valued in less than 10 seconds, by Autotrader’s award-winning valuation service*, simply by visiting the Autotater drive-thru on 12 February.
Autotrader will be dishing out free valuations, to help ensure car owners don’t get small potatoes for their car and are empowered to choose when it’s the right time to sell.
Autotrader and viral food brand SpudBros are opening their first jacket potato drive-thru
This will be the first drive-thru for SpudBros, a brand which grew a traditional jacket potato van into a national sensation, finding viral fame on TikTok.
With a cult following of more than 4.8m people on TikTok and Instagram, the pair are now bringing their trademark energy offline for a drive-thru window with free spuds.
Erin Baker, Editorial Director at Autotrader said: “We know no one loves admin, which is why we want to make it easier and quicker for people to find out the true value of their car, in under 10 seconds.
“There’s something fun about that moment of surprise when you finally see what your car is really worth. Once you have that information, you can decide what to do next – whether that’s selling, upgrading or simply showing off to your mates.”
Jacob and Harley Nelson, the founders of SpudBros commented: “This is a big one for us. We’ve fed people across the country and even internationally, and Manchester is one of our most requested visits, so this is a really exciting opportunity.
“We love doing things that get people talking, and we also love cars, so teaming up with fellow Northern brand Autotrader lets us serve up something new that we feel passionately about – a free spud, a car valuation, and telling the story through social media.”
The Autotrader drive-thru will open in Manchester on 12 February, at Depot Mayfield. Tickets will be available through a draw on the Autotrader website for a limited time only.
To be in with a chance to get on the guestlist and for more details on the event, head HERE, and to join the millions who value their car free with Autotrader, visit HERE.
You can also follow @autotraderuk on Instagram for the latest updates.
*Highly Commended Winner of the 2025 Car Dealer Power Award in the Used Car Valuations category.
Danny Jones -
15th August 2024 
