CityLife

Food and drink news: September 10, 2010

Not sure what our working class forefathers would have made of the People’s History Museum being the venue for a wine festival, but the Left Bank venue will host Manchester Food And Drink Festival’s showcase of the best of the grape. The Big Indie Wine Fest is being held on Friday October 8 and Saturday October 9. At the event – which includes masterclasses and tutorials – are The Vineyard in Ramsbottom, Hangingditch, Smithfield Wine and Gaucho restaurant from the city centre, Reserve in Didsbury, and many more. Tickets are £10 per session, which includes all tastings for the day, and are on sale now from the Festival Box Office. To book, go to www.thebigindiewinefest.eventbrite.com.

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Tickets are on sale for the closing ceremony of the festival, where the prestigious MFDF Awards will be announced. The black tie dinner at the Hilton Manchester Deansgate begins with a champagne reception followed by a six-course banquet. Event host is TV presenter Becky Want. Tickets are £80 plus VAT, and are available either by calling 0161 839 3461, emailing alexa@foodanddrinkfestival.com or by visiting www.mfdfgaladinnerandawards.eventbrite.com.

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One of the festival’s most innovative events is Lunch In The Suburbs. It returns this year to Ramsbottom, which has become a little gastronomic gem over the past few years. One one of four sittings, you can sample a course each at three of the best dining venues in the north west, never mind within a stone’s throw of each other in Rammy. You get a starter in top-class Indian restaurant Sanmini’s, main at multi-award-winning Ramsons and dessert and a matched dessert wine at The Chocolate Cafe. Tickets at £40-a-head are available at www.lunchinthesuburbs.eventbrite.com.

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For a week from tomorrow, Selfridges stores go Malaysia crazy stocking products never seen before in the UK. The Trafford Centre has demos from Ning’s Norman Musa, chef Jennie Cook and, tomorrow, London chef Jason Atherton. For info see What’s On at www.selfridges.com.