The summer incarnation of Beat Street Manchester's #FridayFoodFight, Up in Your Grill is being held…read moreevery Friday and Saturday at Brownsfield Mill, just by Go Outdoors and Aldi on the edge of the Northern Quarter. Entry is free before 7pm, then £3 afterwards.
The space itself is clever; the Mill is, as you would expect, huge. The largest room inside is left empty, we presume for emergency seating/standing if the Manchester weather stays true to form. Last night though was beautiful, so we could make the most of the outside area and last hours of the sunny weather we've been having.
You'll only find 4/5 vendors at these events, and they all serve from the same area - a large shipping container-esque contraption, with the djs sat aloft of this, accessing their decks via a ladder I personally wouldn't trust. Last night saw Mash Up, Honest Crust, Viet Shack, the Hip Hop Chippy, Nkona and Diamond Dogs serving up their meals.
We only had space for one due to some poorly timed meals earlier in the day, and it just had to be the Hip Hop Chippy. We went for their special and some onion blings, as they'd always run out by the time we visited at #FridayFoodFight. Deep fried potato scallops, chunks of ham, crispy shallots and mushy peas - wow. Heart attack waiting to happen, but at least you'd go happy.
Bar service was much smoother than previous events, with beer, cider, and a great selection of cocktails flying out. I had the bourbon based Hilly Billy Smash and a gin based Starburst Collins, both of which were nicely mixed, fruity but just alcoholic enough!
It's dog and child friendly, so there's a nice atmosphere - everyone's there to eat some great food and enjoy their weekend.