Are these Greater Manchester’s best restaurants and bars? Have your say

The Manchester Food and Drink Festival has today announced the shortlists for its 2022 Awards.

There are 113 nominees shortlisted across 16 award categories, including the brand new Great Service Award.

2022’s shortlist reflects another extraordinary year for the city’s thriving hospitality industry.

As the city continues its post-COVID recovery, the awards showcasing Manchester’s dining and drinking scene are back and bigger than ever for Manchester Food and Drink Festival’s 25th anniversary.

As always, the awards intend to highlight as many excellent food and drink businesses and talented hospitality professionals as possible. 

This year, the winners will be decided by both the public and a judging panel of Manchester hospitality experts.

For the public awards, the city’s food and drinks fans can vote for their hospitality heroes via the MFDF website.

Some of the categories will be decided entirely by public vote this year, with some made up from the public votes alongside a mystery shopping visit from one of the judging panel.

The Independent Drinks Producer of the Year and the Independent Food Producer of the Year Awards will also be judged by a panel taste test.

All the shortlists have been compiled by the MFDF judging panel, consisting of the region’s leading food and drink critics, writers and experts. 

Businesses were able to self-nominate for their chance to gain a spot on the shortlist and the categories have been carefully considered and curated with an absolute passion for the city’s industry at their heart.

Voting for the awards is now open and the winners will be announced at the MFDF Gala Dinner and Awards sponsored by Bruntwood and taking place at Escape to Freight Island on 26th September. 

“This is an incredible list of brilliant businesses that we are proud to celebrate,” said Alexa Stratton-Powell, director of MFDF.

“As we look forward to our 25th year it’s all about the talent that has shaped this last quarter century and made the city’s food scene the world-class destination that it is today.

“Please get involved, vote for your favourites and visit the amazing venues on the shortlist for yourselves!”

The shortlist

Plant based offering of the year 

Four Side Pizza, Chorlton

Herbivorous, Hatch

Otto Vegan Empire, Bramhall

Ruyi, Chorlton

Sanskruti, Manchester

The Walled Garden, Whalley Range

Wholesome Junkies, Manchester

Independent drinks producer of the year

Bundobust Brewery, Manchester

Cloudwater, Manchester

Hip Pop, Altrincham

Into the Gathering Dusk

Stockport Gin

Steep Soda, Manchester

Track Brewing, Manchester

Independent food producer of the year

Dormouse Chocolates, Deansgate Mews

Great North Pie Co, Altrincham

Holy Grain, Great Northern 

La Choquette, Didsbury

Long Boi’s Bakehous, Manchester

Polyspore

Yellowhammer, Stockport

Foodie neighbourhood of the year

Ancoats

Chapel Street, Salford 

Monton

Prestwich

Ramsbottom

Sale

Stockport

Coffee shop of the year

Cafe Sanjuan, Stockport

Factory Coffee, Manchester

Grind and Tamp, Ramsbottom

Grapefruit, Sale

Just Between Friends, Manchester

Station South, Stockport Road

Pollen, Cotton Field Wharf

Food trader of the year

Burgerism, Salford

House of Habesha, Stretford Foodhall

The Little Sri Lankan, Reddish

Lovingly Artisan, Altrincham

Mira, Ancoats General Store

New Wave Ramen, Mackie Mayor

Pico’s Tacos, Mackie Mayor

Affordable eats venue of the year

Aunty Ji’s, Stockport Road

Bahn Mi Co Ba, Oxford Street

Cafe Sanjuan, Stockport

Levenshulme Bakery

Go Falafel, Newton Street

Mama Flo’s, Stockport

Salt & Pepper MCR, Black Dog Ballroom

Pop-up or project of the year

Platt Fields Market Garden, Fallowfield, Manchester

Sao Paulo, Ancoats

Suppher

Eat Well Spring Festival, Platt Fields Park

Bungalow at Kampus, Manchester 

Heart and Parcel

Foodie Friday, Stockport

Pub or beer bar of the year

Bridge Beers, Staylbridge

Heaton Hops, Stockport

House of Hops, Swinton

The Kings Arms, Salford

Nordie, Stockport Road

Track Taproom, Piccadilly Trading Estate

Station Hop,  Levenshulme Road

Bar of the year

Blinker Bar, Spring Gardens

Flawd, Manchester

Henry C, Chorlton

Ramona, Manchester

Schofield’s Bar, Manchester

Speak in Code, Manchester

10 Tib Lane, Manchester

Neighbourhood venue of the year

Baratuxi Bar, Ramsbottom

Bar San Juan, Chorlton

The Easy Fish Co, Heaton Moor

Nilas Burmese Kitchen, Stretford

Ornellas Kitchen, Denton

Osma, Prestwich

The Perfect Match, Sale

Food and drink retailer of the year

Ad Hoc, Manchester

Chorlton Cheesemongers

Hello Oriental, Manchester

Coopers Lets Fress Deli, Prestwich

Le Social, Pollard Yard

Out of the Blue, Chorlton

Wandering Palate, Monton Road

Great service award

Bull & Bear, Manchester

Dishoom, Manchester

Hawksmoor, Manchester

Flawd, Manchester

Schofield’s Bar, Manchester

Speak in Code, Manchester

10 Tib Lane, Manchester

Newcomer of the year

Another Hand, Deansgate Mews

The Alan, Manchester

The Black Friar, Salford

Bundobust, Oxford Street

Flawd, Manchester

Yellowhammer, Stockport

10 Tib Lane, Manchester

Chef of the year

Caroline Martins, Sao Paulo Project, Blossom Street Social

Eddie Shepherd, The Walled Garden, Whalley Range

Joseph Otway, Flawd, Manchester

Sam Buckley, Where the Light Gets In, Stockport

Patrick Withington, Erst, Ancoats

Adam Reid, The French, The Midland Hotel

Julian Pizer, Another Hand, Deansgate Mews

Restaurant of the year

10 Tib Lane, Manchester

Erst, Ancoats

The Sparrows, Red Bank

Another Hand, Deansgate Mews

Mana, Ancoats

Where the Light Gets In, Stockport 

The Firehouse, Ancoats

The closing date for votes is 16th September 2022. Vote for the Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards here.