Taking place this July, Macclesfield’s bluedot festival – the UK’s most intergalactic festival which combines music, arts and culture – is welcoming back local food collective Eat Well MCR to curate the menus in its VIP Village and raise vital funds across the event.
Bringing together some of Manchester’s most reputable indies, including Isca Wines, Kiosk, Dishoom, and Honest Crust, each business will bust hangovers across the weekend through slabs of sourdough pizza, modern Indian dishes, and locally sourced small plates.
Co-founded by chef Mary Ellen McTague, Eat Well MCR is a community-minded venture that comprises local chefs who provide meals to people affected by poverty across the region. To celebrate the announcement of its addition to bluedot once again this year, the collective has launched a fundraising raffle to kickstart the countdown to the festival.
From a pair of weekend tickets to the festival to an intimate meal for two at Stockport’s green Michelin starred restaurant, Where The Light Gets In, some of the North’s most exciting establishments are involved with the giveaway.
Entrants can win a voucher for Brazilian chef and Great British Menu star Caroline Martin’s latest Sampa project at Blossom Street Social, as well as a breakfast for two with cocktails at modern Indian restaurant Dishoom. Natural wine bar Isca has also donated a £75 voucher to the raffle, and an additional prize will see one lucky winner take home a pizza workshop voucher to be used at Honest Crust Pizza.
Other prizes include a whole month’s worth of coffee from the Kiosk on Lapwing Lane in Didsbury, a £100 voucher for a meal at the Jay Rayner approved Erst and £100 to spend on lunch or dinner at Another Hand’s chef’s table.
Alongside the permanent pop-ups from Isca, Honest Crust, Dishoom and Kiosk, bluedot will welcome chefs for open fire cooking takeovers, including Caroline Martins, Julian Pizer from Another Hand and Sam Buckley from Where The Light Gets In.
Buckley said: “We’re really happy to be working with Eat Well again this year at bluedot, it’s such a great organisation. I really think the city has a great resource in Eat Well. Everyone who comes across it should get behind it.”
McTague acknowledged the strong connection between the music and hospitality sectors, making the partnership between bluedot and Eat Well MCR a great fit. “We’re thrilled to be curating the food in the VIP area at bluedot for the second year running. It’s such an amazing opportunity to raise awareness of Eat Well MCR and what we do, and to raise vital funds, all whilst creating an exciting offer for festival goers.
“We’re hugely grateful to bluedot festival, and all the chefs, bars and traders involved for getting behind our Meals for Manchester fundraising campaign. This raffle is a big part of the fundraising effort, and a great way to get involved even if you aren’t coming to the festival.”
Tickets for the Eat Well MCR raffle are on sale now for £10 per person with all money from ticket sales going towards distributing chef-made meals across Manchester.
The full list of prizes include:
- Two VIP weekend festival tickets at bluedot
- A meal for two with wine pairings from Where the Light Gets In
- A £100 voucher to be spent at Caroline Martins’ latest project, Sampa at Blossom Street Social
- Breakfast for two with cocktails at Dishoom Manchester
- A £75 voucher for a meal at Isca Wines
- Vouchers for a pizza workshop and a couple of free pizzas from Honest Crust Pizza
- One month’s worth of coffees from Kiosk on Lapwing Lane in Didsbury
- £100 voucher for a meal at award-winning Ancoats restaurant Erst
- £100 voucher for a lunch or dinner at the chef’s table from award winning chef Julian Pfizer at Another Hand
Festival director Ben Robinson concluded: “We are delighted to welcome Eat Well MCR back to bluedot for a second year. The team work tirelessly to provide meals for those in need across Greater Manchester and we are in awe of their impact and their plans for the future.
[…] we look forward to welcoming you all to experience some of the region’s finest chefs, serving incredible food, to raise money for a fantastic cause.”
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