Cheshire

The stars of Manchester’s ever-evolving foodie scene were out in force last night for the <a href="https://foodanddrinkfestival.com/awards/closed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Manchester Food and Drink Awards 2026,</a> once again bringing the city’s culinary movers and shakers together under one very well-fed roof at New Century.



With 18 categories up for grabs — from Restaurant of the Year to Independent Food Producer — the awards celebrated the breadth and brilliance of Greater Manchester’s food and drink landscape. And honestly, am I right, or am I&nbsp;right, but the city’s dining scene just keeps getting better? From enduringly cool hangouts we return to time and again, to bold new openings that are genuinely changing the face of the city&#8217;s dining scene, Manchester&#8217;s culinary scene continues its ascension.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="576" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/06/skof25_4-1024x576.jpg" alt="Dishes served at Skof" class="wp-image-4043" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/06/skof25_4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/06/skof25_4-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/06/skof25_4-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/06/skof25_4.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>


Taking home the night’s top honour,<a href="https://www.skofmanchester.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Skof</a> was crowned&nbsp;Restaurant of the Year, cementing its status as one of the city’s most exciting dining destinations. Though it&#8217;s no real surprise for anyone who&#8217;s managed to bag a table. The refined yet confident restaurant, helmed by Tom Barnes, has quickly become a benchmark for modern Manchester dining — thoughtful, ambitious and effortlessly cool, without ever feeling stuffy. And yet another gong for the team who have been scooping awards ever since opening in 2024 &#8211; from landing a <a href="https://cheshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/skof-lands-a-michelin-star-less-than-a-year-after-opening/">Michelin Star </a>last year, to winning Best New Restaurant at Good Food Guide awards 2025 and bagging a place at number 8 in&nbsp;<a href="https://cheshire.muddystilettos.co.uk/eat-out/squaremeal-top-100-restaurants-cheshire-manchester/">SquareMeal’s Top 100 Restaurants</a>. 



Elsewhere,&nbsp;Newcomer of the Year&nbsp;went to <a href="https://www.stowmcr.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stow</a> &#8211; which I&#8217;m thrilled about as it&#8217;s one of my faves in Manchester. With its sharp focus on quality ingredients and considered cooking-over-coals ethos, Stow has wasted absolutely no time in earning a loyal following — and now, a shiny trophy to go with it. Generous yet refined plates all cooked over coals are its niche, so everything you do order (breads, meats, veggies) hasn’t touched an oven or a hob. But have been scorched or licked by flames for that imitable smoky flavour. A stunner of a restaurant. Oh and just make sure you order the monkfish tail, cooked in a beurre blanc sauce with mussels tossed from their shells and capers, and the pork collar.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="838" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/01/IMG_5001-1024x838.jpg" alt="Pollen Bakery" class="wp-image-7861" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/01/IMG_5001-1024x838.jpg 1024w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/01/IMG_5001-300x246.jpg 300w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/01/IMG_5001-768x629.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2025/01/IMG_5001.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Pollen Bakery</figcaption></figure>



When it came to&nbsp;Independent Food Producer of the Year, <a href="https://pollenbakery.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pollen Bakery</a> took the title — and frankly, no one was surprised. From meticulously laminated pastries to some of the best bread in the city, Pollen has long been a byword for dreamy carbs. What started as a cult favourite has grown into a cornerstone of Manchester’s food scene, without ever losing the craft, care and obsessive attention to detail that made people fall in love with it in the first place.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="877" height="1024" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/01/IMG_4999-877x1024.jpg" alt="Cantaloupe Stockport" class="wp-image-7860" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/01/IMG_4999-877x1024.jpg 877w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/01/IMG_4999-257x300.jpg 257w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/01/IMG_4999-768x896.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/cheshire/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2026/01/IMG_4999.jpg 1179w" sizes="(max-width: 877px) 100vw, 877px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Cantaloupe </figcaption></figure></div>


Rounding things off,&nbsp;Foodie Neighbourhood of the Year&nbsp;went to Stockport — a win that feels both inevitable and richly deserved. And it&#8217;s all centred largely around the Underbanks &#8211; a historic cluster of streets tucked beneath the town’s railway viaducts at the bottom of the old town. Once home to merchants, workshops and warehouses built directly into the arches, the area has undergone a quiet revival in recent years and is now anchored by destination restaurants such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wtlgi.co" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Where The Light Gets In</a>, the Green-Michelin-starred, produce-led pioneer, and&nbsp;<a href="https://yellowhammer-stockport.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yellowhammer</a>, known for its seasonal plates and natural wines, while spots like&nbsp;<a href="https://mekongcat.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Mekong Cat</a>&nbsp;serve up vibrant Southeast Asian flavours. Add in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/brukunderbank/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bruk</a>, the laid-back neighbourhood wine bar,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cantaloupedining.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cantaloupe</a>, a sceney, down-to-earth Michelin-listed bistro and wine-centric restaurant, and the ever-buzzy <a href="https://theproducehall.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Produce Hall</a>, a multi-vendor food and drink hub, and you’ve got an area humming with independent energy — particularly during&nbsp;Foodie Fridays, when pop-ups, specials and late-night openings bring the streets to life.



Here&#8217;s the full list of winners in the Manchester Food and Drink Awards 2026&#8230;



<ul>
<li>Affordable Eats Venue of the Year: <a href="https://www.pizzeriadoublezero.com/manchester" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Double Zero</a></li>



<li>Takeaway of the Year: <a href="https://www.thisandthatcafe.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">This &amp; That</a></li>



<li>Coffee Shop of the Year: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/somethingmoreproductive/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Something More Productive</a></li>



<li>Wine Offering of the Year: <a href="https://flawdwine.co" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Flawd Wine</a></li>



<li>Food Trader of the Year:&nbsp;<a href="https://racksandwiches.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rack</a></li>



<li>Foodie Neighbourhood of the Year: Stockport</li>



<li>Independent Drink Producer of the Year: <a href="https://www.trackbrewing.co/?srsltid=AfmBOoo7WI1E4Fp9JRj2geqdPL5cKc6YS6GaJwC704z6pi3ORALT0pxv" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Track Brewing Co</a></li>



<li>Independent Food Producer of the Year: <a href="https://pollenbakery.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pollen Bakery</a></li>



<li>Neighbourhood Venue of the Year: <a href="https://www.stretfordcanteen.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stretford Canteen</a> </li>



<li>Pub or Beer Bar of the Year: <a href="https://marblebeers.com/the-marble-arch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Marble Arch Inn</a></li>



<li>Great Service Award: <a href="https://maray.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maray</a></li>



<li>Low or No Offering of the Year: <a href="https://nellspizza.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nell’s Pizza</a></li>



<li>Bar of the Year: <a href="https://speakincodebar.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Speak in Code</a></li>



<li>Newcomer of the Year: <a href="https://www.stowmcr.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stow</a></li>



<li>Chef of the Year: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thepearlmcr/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Matt Bennett (The Pearl)</a></li>



<li>Restaurant of the Year: <a href="https://www.skofmanchester.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Skof</a></li>



<li>Community Food and Drink Project of the Year: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/plattfields_marketgarden/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Platt Fields Market Garden</a></li>



<li>The Howard and Ruth Award for Outstanding Achievement: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rustica_nq_ltd/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rustica</a></li>
</ul>

Revealed: all the winners from the Manchester Food and Drink Awards 2026

You may also like