If you’re looking to get stuck into something a little different to kick off October Half Term, then this cookery school in Didsbury has got you covered.
Food Sorcery is hosting its “foodiest weekend ever” this Saturday and Sunday.
If you’re unfamiliar with what Food Sorcery is all about, then down at the school, they host a range of classes – run by a team of professional chefs, all with their own specialist areas of expertise – to give you the opportunity to learn how to create your own restaurant-quality food from scratch at home.
Under the guidance of Food Sorcery’s professionals, you can try your hand at a whole host of cuisines, with everything from Japanese and Sri Lankan, to Thai, Italian and French on the menu.
All classes there are designed to be just as fun as they are informative.
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But what exactly makes this Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 October the cookery school’s “foodiest weekend ever” then? Well, that’s because its playing host to Food Sorcery’s most diverse set of classes yet, with the broadest range of ingredients than ever before.
If you were to travel to all the destinations from around the world that are on this weekend’s cooking agenda, then it would tally up to being over 25,000 miles – not bad for two days in the kitchen, right?
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The jam-packed culinary weekend starts on Saturday in Korea, then visiting Peru with Japanese influences, before going onto a proper Gastropub Sunday lunch in the UK and finally finishing off in the Gujarati region of India to close the weekend.
All you’ll need to do is pick your favourite and join in.
Fancy it then? Here’s just taster of the classes you can stick your name down for.
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Korean Cookery Class
Saturday 23 October
1pm – 4pm | £85
Korean food is some of the healthiest on earth, with an emphasis on vegetables, meats cooked simply and without much oil. It looks beautiful and and is perfect for tasty suppers, so this class offers a mixture of demonstration and hands-on cookery to help you prepare a selection of authentic dishes.
Did you know that Peru has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan itself? This has lead to a fusion of Japanese traditions and Peruvian ingredients, known as Nikkei cuisine – a delicious combination which has influenced chefs everywhere.
This cookery class led by chef Jan Cron brings many of the special cooking techniques to your plate, an explosion of delicate flavours to create something wonderful.
If you love Japanese food and would like to try something new, then this is the class for you.
A gastropub is a hybrid pub, bar, and restaurant, and during this cookery class, you’ll not only take advantage of the chef’s skills showing you how to make pub classics, but also Food Sorcery’s extensive bar and fantastic wine list.
‘Cooking Together’ evenings are the perfect blend of meal out and cookery class – “sociable foodie fun”.
Gujarati vegetarian cuisine originates from Western India and is typically served as a thali – which literally means ‘full plate of food’ – so the dishes cooked during this class are all vegetarian, and simultaneously and distinctively sweet, salty, and spicy.
Chef Nina will introduce curries that many will not have tried before, as well as variations of the firm favourites like dhals and chapatis – be prepared to try something different.
GastroPub Cooking Together & Indian Gujariti / Credit: Food Sorcery
If you’re keen to keep on going, then the fun doesn’t just stop at the weekend as there’s a handful of other classes carrying on throughout half term week too.
Here’s just a few more to get stuck into.
Tastes of Thailand Cookery Class
Thursday 28 October
7pm – 10pm | £85
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Thai cuisine is one of the tastiest foods on the planet, if you ask us – It’s fresh, healthy and potentially mind-blowingly spicy.
At this cookery class – which is a combination of hands-on cooking and demonstration – authentic ingredients are readily available, and the professional chef will explain where and how to source them as you explore the amazing flavours that can be achieved using traditional techniques.
Middle Eastern cuisine is quite-rightly now getting the adoration it deserves, so at this class, you can be inspired with the history and flavours of wonderful dishes, from fabulous falafel that can be used as part of a mezze platter, a light lunch, or a starter to perfect pillowy pilaf that can be the centre piece of a feast and varied with different flavours throughout the year.
‘Cooking Together’ evenings are the perfect blend of meal out and cookery class – “sociable foodie fun”.
Taking over a Sunday in mid March, the day-long event is set to treat hungry Mancs to food from six of GRUB’s favourite street food vendors, including some newbies too, who will all be serving up delights directly from the east of Asia.
This means that, from noon right through until early evening, you can feast on Taiwanese fried chicken and Japanese Tonkatsu buns from All Fired Up, and South Korean wonders from the aptly-named Korean Grub Club.
How about some fresh noodles with a choice of toppings and drizzles? Served up from Mala resident, Wok Bros, who will be coming to GRUB for the first time.
Manchester’s popular East Asian street food fair is returning next month / Credit: GRUB
Not only that, but for those with a sweet tooth, there’ll also be an array of desserts and treats courtesy of the popular Mary’s Cakery Makery too.
GRUB says the East Asian Food Fair is by far one of its best-attended annual events each year, and also a personal favourite to host for foodie fans as well.
The East Asian Food Fair is happening on Sunday 15 March from 12-6pm, and you can find out more on the GRUB website here.
Featured Image – GRUB
What's On
The Great Manchester Run is back for 2025
Danny Jones
Get your trainers at the ready, 0161, because the Great Manchester Run is back once again this year and you’ll be glad to hear nothing’s changed: it’s still one of the best days on the sporting calendar.
Taking place in its usual spring slot on Sunday, 18 May, the 2025 Great Manchester Run will once again see thousands of locals and people from all over take on two terrific distances, not to mention thousands raised for charity in what remains a day which shows us Mancs in our best light.
With more than 30,000 runners set to take part and more than 100k spectators expected to line the streets with their signs – and hopefully, some sugary sweets to keep the energy high – we can’t wait to see the crowds gathering throughout the city.
Starting on the long stretch of Portland Street for the half-marathon route and running past both Manchester City and Man United’s home grounds, passing through the likes of Trafford and near Salford Quays, it’s a route many regular racers will be familiar with.
Better still, if you’re running Manchester’s 10k course Great Run, you get to avoid the long incline over and Mancunian Way and back (thank the lord), although the entire race is largely considered to be fantastically flat compared to many others in the UK.
One thing that both the HM and 10k runs have in common, though, is the grandstand finish towards Deansgate and if you’ve never soaked in the glory and non-stop cheering in that moment before, it should be more than enough to convince you that this is your time.
Set to be televised on the BBC as it is every year, as well as music zones to keep the tunes and blood pumping throughout the day; multiple designated cheer squads along the route
You only have to take it from those who ran last year to hear how special a day it is:
It’s also a brilliant way to raise money for important causes — read more HERE.
Junior and Mini MCR Runs
But it doesn’t stop there…
Even more excitingly for the young ones who want to lace up their fastest pair of shoes, children can also get involved with this year’s Great Manchester Run as kids aged three and upwards can take part.
Offering both the mini 1.6km dash for 3 to 8-year-olds and a 2.5k supercharged sprint race available for the juniors (8-15), the 2025 event really is a weekend for everyone. Taking place on Saturday 17th May, the day before the main event, it’s the kids’ chance to take centre stage!
If the crowd cheering their names isn’t incentive enough, a shiny new medal and finishers t-shirt should do the trick.
With the main event on Sunday, 18 May 2025 and with runners getting started from as early as 8:20am, it’s going to be an action-packed day and one you won’t forget. There are eventraining plans to help get you up to speed for race day.
Now into its 22nd year – with the likes of Eilish McColgan and Sir Mo Farah having taken part in the momentous 20th anniversary back in 2023 – the pedigree, support and all-round vibes surrounding this event only get bigger and better each time it returns.
We tend to find that many who come along watch from the sidelines inevitably get swept up in the spirit of it all and end up entering themselves the following year, so you might as well just take the plunge and join us this year.
You can sign up for the 2025 Great Manchester Run HERE – see you at the start line!
Emily Sergeant -
21st October 2021 
