CityLife

Good food, shame about the weather

Festival warmer: typi log fire

AS ever, the word 'festival' makes good weather vanish faster than Posh Spice cornered with a pudding trolley.  It's a good thing that up here in Manchester we're used to it.  And - talking of pudding trolleys - we're almost halfway through the 11th annual Food and Drink Festival (that's the sun gone for another week then).

Nothing's more likely to cast a dampener on a Tuesday afternoon than nasty drizzling rain.  But there's no better way to cheer up soaking wet passers-by than with free samples and the 'best value lunch in town'. 

The latter came from the Co-op's 'Good with Food' Roadshow, where cups of bean cassoulet and chicken noodle soup were on offer for less than a bus fare.  With five pieces of fruit for £1, and a 'smoothie bike' to mash them up with, they've got our five-a-day firmly under control.

In the Taste, Dine and Learn Pavilion, three of Manchester's best restaurants were on site serving their signature dishes for less than a fiver. 

Chaophraya and Tampopo were dishing up fragrant Asian curries, while the guys from Livebait were giving out hunks of bread and smoked salmon pate for free.

Big slice of cake

CUP Cafe had a tent all to themselves, where a big slice of cake and a pot of Mr Scruff's 'Make a Brew' tea came in at about £3.50.  And the best thing about it? The log fire in the Taste Tipi - bang on for a rainy day.

Guest chef Ravi Bajaj from Altrincham-based restaurant Dilli showed us a couple of his favourite recipes, but unfortunately was running so late that only a handful of people turned up - still, you can't beat a private cookery show. 

The Manchester Food and Drink Festival is at Spinningfields until October 13.