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…
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
Hordes of people dressed as giant poos run through Manchester for bowel cancer awareness
Danny Jones
If you happened to be in town on Thursday and noticed a bunch of people dressed as giant poos running through the city centre and wondered, ‘What the hell is going on?’, it was this…
We know Manchester has a serious case of the runs, what with the annual Marathon and Great Manchester race, both just around the corner (one literally just next week), but this takes the cake.
On a more heartfelt note, although there is an obvious and innate silliness to this now annual get-together, it’s all for a very important and worthwhile cause.
Uniting for a fourth time, the Pall Mall Medical team (along with a couple of us here at The Manc) are hoping to flush out the stigma and silence surrounding bowel cancer awareness.
Credit: The Manc Group
Starting from Pall Mall’s very own clinic on King St, more than 105 runners laced up their shoes and popped on emoji suits, toilet costumes, daft poo hats and more for a 5k jog around the city centre alongside local run club, Blaze.
They even tried to make the route in the shape of a poo, too.
Why such a specific number, you ask? Well, that’s the exact number of people who are sadly diagnosed with bowel cancer across the North West every single week.
It’s an alarming statistic, but once you pair it with the fact that they make up the rising number of new cases being reported in the country – more than a whopping 41,000 each year – you can see why they’re desperate to get more people talking about the disease.
Moreover, the rate among under 50s has also seen a concerning rise since the 90s, but this also means that the earlier it’s caught, the better people like Pall Mall can help with treatment.
The sooner it’s spotted, the greater the chance of survival, with 90% of those diagnosed at the earliest possible stage surviving for five years or more; that’s why these lot are hoping to better the discourse around bowel-related issues.
Besides offering important scans and blood tests for numerous health conditions, they also boast the dedicated and revolutionary ColoAlert® testing service, which is a German import that’s more accurate (around 85%) and effective than most others here in the UK.
It has quite literally proved to be a life-changing bit of kit for so many, and for Pall Mall’s Dr Chun Tang, this whole initiative has a deep personal connection.
Having sadly lost his father to the illness, as well as his brother being diagnosed with bowel cancer, he knows all too well how important increasing the conversation is – bowel cancer being the second biggest killer in the UK after lung conditions.
Even before you book in a check-up, Dr Tang says it’s simple to spot noteworthy signs at home: “Any blood in the stools, streaks in your poo, on the pan or on the paper; any changes in your digestion such as diarrhoea, constipation and [continued] fatigue, then see your GP or come visit us at Pall Mall.”
Best of all, the money raised with the latest ‘Poo Protest’ all goes towards Bowel Cancer UK, so well done to everyone involved.
For once, we couldn’t be happier to hear so many people talking sh**.
Throughout April, Pall Mall are offering £75 off the ColoAlert® Bowel Cancer stool test, and 20% off the Virtual Colonoscopy in Aprilo. To find out more about the event and book an appointment, you can click right HERE.
We Are Football Festival – Europe’s biggest World Cup fan park is opening in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
The largest World Cup fan park in all of Europe is set to open in Manchester this summer, in an ambitious project from 4TheFans, in partnership with Freight Island and Broadwick.
The We Are Football Festival will bring together 15,000 football fans in front of the biggest screens in the UK to cheer on England as they race for World Cup glory.
The enormous fan park will open in June at Depot Mayfield, transforming the space into an unrivalled celebration of football.
Fans will be immersed in all the action thanks to a massive sound system, pyrotechnics, CO2 cannons, DJs, and entertainment around the games themselves, providing the closest thing you can get to a big game atmosphere.
The venue will be open for all late kick-offs and every moment of the World Cup too, with the potential for some games to run well into the early hours.
Fans can head to the rooftop or garden at Depot Mayfield for a 5pm kick-off in the sunshine, or enjoy late-night games in the warehouse.
We Are Football Festival by 4TheFansThe fan park will open at Depot MayfieldIt’s set to be Europe’s biggest World Cup fan zone
There’ll also be a dedicated Footy Fun Village, which will feature sponsor activations, games zones, and family-friendly areas, creating a safe space for fans of all ages to enjoy the tournament.
And 4TheFans and Freight Island will deliver hand-picked and exclusive bar and food traders from around the world.
We Are Football Festival will welcome a special 4TheFans host plus Sky Sports presenters, and will even have genuine England football legends for quality match analysis at each screening.
Since launching, 4TheFans has welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans, and camera crews from BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky News, Sky Sports, England TV, and Match of the Day, to fan parks across the UK.
It’s now chosen Depot Mayfield for its World Cup fan park, where they can fill the huge space at Freight Island first before scaling into the rest of the Depot as the fan community grows and the Three Lions march on.
4TheFans is the UK’s original and biggest fan park brand, and it’s working with Freight Island and Broadwick to deliver this game-changing We Are Football Festival – the biggest and best fan park in Europe.
5,000 early bird tickets are available from just £4.50 per person and are on sale HERE.
4TheFans presents We Are Football Festival will run at Depot Mayfield from 11 June until 19 July 2026.
General admission tickets include
4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
Football legend in attendance
Guaranteed entry to the event
The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
VIP table tickets include
VIP table section with the best view of the giant screens and the event
Meet and greet with a football legend
4TheFans interactive show with on-stage banter from a Sky Sports presenter
Guaranteed entry to the event
The most enormous anti-glare screens in the UK and a monster sound system
Special effects, lighting, DJ sets and music from doors till close
Access to Footy Fun Village with games, activations and family areas
Food from around the world and an exclusive bar traders
Danny Jones -
15th August 2024 
