Manchester Food and Drink Festival Awards: The biggest winners

Awarded a ‘green’ Michelin star and described in The Guardian as ‘a procession of brilliance’ amidst a tsunami of critical adoration during its five years of service, Restaurant of the Year Where the Light Gets In has spent five years captivating diners in an intimate 30-person space with an innovative, revelatory menu which ‘bends slightly day to day with weather patterns, sea conditions and the earth’s response’.

Having only opened in March of this year, Newcomer of the Year Another Hand cruises to its first major award following six months of sumptuous, locally sourced casual dining on Deansgate Mews. Created by the team behind the beloved 3 Hands pop-up deli, Another Hand continues to deliver the best in refined relaxation, with original hand-crafted cocktails, rare breed pork chops, polyspore mushrooms and much more.

Cosy and creative, Speak in Code picks up Bar of the Year with with a hazy, warming atmosphere and an ambitious cocktail menu offering a range of ‘Tracks’, which each list an irresistible alchemy of unconventional ingredients.

Serving a captivating 12-course tasting menu in The Walled Gardens, a restaurant situated on the ground floor of his own South Manchester townhouse, Chef of the Year Eddie Shepherd picks up the gong after years of developing a revolutionary approach to plant-based food, including the adoption of an ‘ultrasonic homogenizer’. Seating only eight people, The Walled Gardens experience costs £75 per person with spaces releasing five months in advance.

Part-real ale house and part-award-winning theatre, The King’s Arms overcomes fierce regional competition to deservedly win Pub of the Year, having spent a decade emphasising its artistic ethos and community focus alongside an exhaustive list of beers, smash burgers from Bloomburger Street and resident cat, Charlie.

Recognised as best in the city for a ‘high value, quick and simple dining experience’, Black Dog Ballroom’s Salt & Pepper has become a beloved Northern Quarter street food hub following a popular stint in the Arndale. Featuring a range of takeaway starter classics with single-figure prices across the menu, Salt & Pepper win Affordable Eats Venue of the Year as a reflection of their reputation among both local residents and famished revellers.

Bright, airy and minimal, the Ancoats viennoiserie, sourdough specialists and bean masters grab Coffee Shop of the Year with a peerless espresso made from produce by Hasbeans. Offering a range of coffees, pastries and light bites, Pollen now have a second site at Kampus.