Another week, another great list of top Manchester scran options to tempt you with.
As we settle into September, this week welcomes the return of Manchester’s annual food and drink festival as well as heralding some new arrivals – including the opening of Bundobust’s new Oxford Road taproom and restaurant and a must-try waterside natural wine bar from the Higher Ground team.
Keep reading to discover our top food and drink picks for this week.
The team at Flawd have now moved into their own unit following a summer stint at neighbours Pollen / Flawd Image: Eatmcr
A neighbourhood natural wine bar with food from the Higher Ground team
Using fresh, organic produce grown themselves on their own 1-acre market garden in Cheshire, the team at Flawd have now moved into their own unit following a summer stint at neighbouring cafe Pollen.
With a constantly-changing seasonal menu put together by head chef Joseph Otway, there’s more to try than just charcuterie and cheese – although you’ll definitely want to eat that too. Wines and beers are also available to take away to enjoy at home or out on their terrace on the marina.
Soon to be joined next door by Pippy Eats’ Noodlehaus, it seems that the Ancoats marina is going to become quite the dining destination.
Capable of producing 20,000 pints per month. the new 150-seat taproom and restaurant will open with fresh beers on tap to try alongside its menu favourites / Image: Bundobust
A new brewery and restaurant in a former carpark
The Bundobust team has been squirrelling away at plans to open a new brewery and restaurant in the former Oxford road car park since 2019. Now, at last, they’re ready to go – and they’re planning on giving out 200 free beers this Thursday 16 to mark the occasion.
Capable of producing 20,000 pints per month. the new 150-seat taproom and restaurant will open with all of its menu favourites and six of its newly-brewed beers available on draught. Choices include a coriander lager, chai masala porter and tropical pale ale, a couple of different IPAs and a light, Kellerbier-style lager.
There are also some exciting collaborations on the horizon, including a salted lemon sour with North Brewing Co and a hoppy black lager collab with Deya.
Find it at . Bundobust’s new site opens this Thursday 16 September.
Find it at  St James’s Bldg, Bundobust Brewery, 61-69 Oxford St, Manchester M1 6EQ.
Manchester’s food and drink festival returns to the city this year, bringing with it a whole host of markets, street food pop-ups and special dinners / Image: MFDF
The return of Manchester’s annual food and drink festival
Manchester’s food and drink festival returns to the city this year, bringing with it a whole host of markets, street food pop-ups and special dinners. This week look out for the Artisan Market and MFDF Street Food hub, both at Cathedral Gardens, plus a special five-course menu over at the KAMPUS bungalow from the talented lads behind Tine.
Down at the hub you’ll find a Manchester beer bar, products from local artisans like Bread Flower, and street food delights including proper Breton crepes from Mason Briezh, and East Indian favourites from Stockport favourite Aunti Ji’s.
Find the festival hub from this Thursday 16 September at Cathedral Gardens, Corporation St, Manchester M4 3BG.
Pink grilled rump of lamb served with peas, broad beans, lamb bacon and a plump Hasselback potato / Image: Rendition
A new fine-dining restaurant in the former Tapeo and Wine unit
Serving up locally sourced dishes that champion British produce, newcomer Rendition releases new menus every month to suit the season. For September, head chef Stuart Valentine (formerly Tariff and Dale / Albert’s Chop House) is serving market-price oysters alongside dishes like beer-glazed chicken, duck, roasted rump of lamb, and homity pie.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025
Emily Sergeant
Rochdale has officially been named Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture for 2025.
Taking over the reins from Bolton – which held the title in 2024 – and following in the footsteps of Stockport before that, which held the title in 2023, and even hosted a massive ‘Town of Culture Weekender’ festival with 50+ free events to celebrate and bring its title year to a close, it’s now the turn of the north-eastern Greater Manchester borough of Rochdale.
Rochdale’s year will build on the town’s already-rich cultural history and international reputation as the home of the co-operative movement.
More than 35 arts organisations will be bringing together an ambitious programme of festivals, exhibitions, events, and performances throughout the year.
Unfamiliar with what the ‘Greater Manchester Town of Culture’ title is all about? It’s an accolade that’s handed out every year to different boroughs across the region.
Bury was the inaugural title-holder 2020 and held onto it in 2021 too due to the COVID pandemic, before being followed by Stalybridge in 2022, Stockport in 2023, and of course, Bolton in the year just gone.
The title celebrates Greater Manchester’s culture and heritage.
As well as getting a new title to shout about, it also sees the towns given a grant from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) culture fund to help develop a programme of cultural events and activities throughout the year.
Rochdale has been named Greater Manchester’s ‘Town of Culture’ for 2025 / Credit: The Manc Group | Rochdale Council
In Rochdale’s case, you can expect the ‘very best local talent’, as this year is promising to put ‘people power’ centre stage, with residents helping to plan, develop, and deliver a lineup of creative activities, alongside a number of major events.
This includes the popular free days out for families, an exciting new urban arts festival, two different food and drink festivals, a lantern parade, the Ignite Fire Festival, a Pride parade, and so much more.
You can also expect live music performances, a new people’s gallery, and even some major international collaborations that are yet to be announced.
Rochdale is taking over the reins from Bolton, which held the title in 2024 / Credit: Rochdale Council
“Rochdale is a place with a rich cultural history, so it is great to name it Greater Manchester’s town of culture as it’s town hall and town centre enter a new era,” commented Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as the borough was crowned this week.
“Rochdale submitted a fantastic bid for this which, was incredibly exciting and ambitious, while being firmly rooted in its local talent and deep history.
“We are definitely going to see the very best of what Rochdale has to offer over the next 12 months and people will come from far and wide to see it.”
Featured Image – Rochdale Council
News
The Lowry Theatre undergoes revamp following Biffa Award grant
Danny Jones
The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.
Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.
As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.
The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:
Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.
After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.
The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.
This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.
The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.
The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update:“It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.
“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.
“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.
As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”
As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.
“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”
Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.
We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.
Georgina Pellant -
13th September 2021 
