61 Food courses in Manchester

Authentic Art workshops led by a local artist.

Authentic Art workshops led by a local artist.

‘Both of these wines are [Grape X] from [Country Y] – so why is this one twice the price?’ It’s a question that we’re often asked, so for summer 2024, we’re putting on a trio of tastings to show what happens when you fork out some extra money. Each week, we’ll try four pairs of popular styles of wine, one bottle of we’ve bought for under £10, while the other has cost at least twice as much. And we’ll be trying each pair ‘blind’ – you’ll know what the wines are, but not which is in Glass 1 and which in Glass 2… We’ll have a chat about what it is in each case that makes one of the wines more expensive, then we’ll see which you prefer before revealing which is which. Do you have expensive tastes, or are you more at home with the cheap and cheerful? It’s a great opportunity to find out – and to taste some lovely wines!  The line-up for each week will be: Week 1 WHITES: New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Italian Pinot Grigio REDS: Australian Shiraz, Red Bordeaux Week 2 WHITES: Loire Sauvignon Blanc, South African Chenin Blanc REDS: Rioja, New Zealand Pinot Noir Week 3 WHITES: White Burgundy, German Dry Riesling REDS: Red Rhône, Argentine Malbec Each week’s tasting will include 8 wines, and there’ll be some tasty cheese as accompaniment. The cost for each tasting is £37.50, but if you book for all three sessions, the price will be just £100, saving £12.50.

World Malbec Day is April 17th, although for some reason it’s actually called Malbec World Day. Meanwhile, May 6th is International Sauvignon Blanc Day. So how about a very special event between the two to celebrate these very special grapes? It’s a great opportunity to see how the “Old World” originals such as Sancerre and Cahors stack up against their “New World” counterparts such as New Zealand Sauvignon and Argentine Malbec. But it’s also a chance to see the success that winemakers are having with the two grapes in other parts of the world. Expect to see a range of styles too – in previous years, we’ve kicked off the day with a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, and finished with a fortified Malbec, for example. And we’ll have a dig through our cellars to see if we can find some rare older examples of both grapes We’ll taste 12 wines on the day (yes 6 of each!) with a break in the middle for a tasty two-course lunch. This is usually one of our most popular tastings, so do book soon to avoid disappointment

For many people we know, the first rule of wine is that it should be sparkling. If you fall into that bracket, or you know someone who does, allow us to introduce our Prestige Champagne and Sparkling Wine Masterclass.  There are two main ways in which this event stands out over our regular and very popular sparkling wine tastings. Firstly, we’ll be featuring eight wines rather than the usual six. Secondly, we’ll be focussing on more expensive bottles, with the line-up including a Prestige Cuvée from a well-known Champagne producer. What else can you expect? At least another couple of Champagnes as well as sparkling wines from other parts of Europe (England included) and a selection of the best of the New World. And with that amount of wine, we’ll have a couple of specially-selected cheeses on hand to mop up the bubbles and to show just how well fizz and cheese can go together. If you had to buy a bottle of each of these wines, it would cost over £300, which makes our price per ticket of just £55 look very appealing. We’re expecting this tasting to prove very popular, both for sparkling wine enthusiasts and also for those looking to buy a present for the fizz fans in their life. So if you’d like to book a place, we’d advise you to move quickly before they’ve all gone.

Spain’s most famous wine region could arguably stake a claim to being the world’s most popular one too – it’s a rare wine drinker who hasn’t been wooed by the charms of Rioja. And while we’re big fans of the good everyday bottles – what we think of as Wednesday night, sausage-and-mash gluggers – we thought it was time for another tasting to show what happens when the producers pull all the stops out. Because this is a place with a magnificent heritage, a magnificent terroir – or to be more accurate several magnificent terroirs – and a magnificent array of grape varieties. So join us as we explore the higher reaches of Rioja, and look at the many expressions of its wines. There’ll be traditional wines, there’ll be modern ones. There’ll be wines made from a variety of grapes, there’ll be ones made from just one. There’ll be young wines, there’ll be older wines. There'll be blends from across the region, but there'll also be examples of the recently-introduced 'Viñedo Singular' - single vineyard wines. And in among the delicious reds, there’ll be at least one of the undersung white wines. We’ll be trying at least eight wines with an average price of over £25 – and there’ll be some Manchego to nibble on the side. It’s a great opportunity to see what makes a great wine region great, and we look forward to sharing these treasures with you.

There are lots of people who think that the first task of any wine is to be red. We meet you at our events, and while you’re (usually) very polite about the white wines, your eyes light up when we say, ‘And now let's move on to the reds…’ So we’re putting on a tasting just for you, in which we’ll focus on rich red wines, seven of them, with some rather tasty cheese on the side. To show that red wine can be full-flavoured without being full-bodied, we’ll begin with reds that are refreshing and fragrant, probably from Italy and France. Then we’ll move on to wine that are draughts of the warm south, most likely from countries close to the Mediterranean. Spain. And we’ll finish with gutsy Malbec or Australian Shiraz (aka Blood-and-Thunder from Down Under). Or possible both. Whatever the line-up, you can be assured of an excellent, belly-warming and tooth-staining evening.

The French make arguably the best sparkling wine in the world, Champagne, but how does it stack up against other fantastic Sparkling Wines from around the world? In total we will taste 6 wonderful, sparkling wines from Champagne, Egnland, Italy and further afield. It's a fantastic opportunity to do some comparing and contrasting. Will you be able to taste the difference - and which will you prefer? Great value at £35 with 6 wines to taste and some cheese to nibble on inbetween!

Are you struggling with the 'creeping kilograms?' Many of us find that not only has our weight increased over the last few years but the diets either no longer work or become harder and harder to commit to. This session will help you re-evaluate your approach to losing weight and give you the foundations for creating a plan that makes it easy for you to reach and maintain a weight that feels right for you. Take away a tool that will enable you to assess your eating type, whether you are a protein or carbohydrate based eater, and eating style, whether you prefer to be a grazer or three meals a day, and develop an eating plan that works for you. You will have the opportunity to: Explore the myths and reality of losing weight Examine self-defeating eating habits and how to replace them with energy enhancing food Learn about one change you can make today that will not only help you lose weight but improve your ability to think and manage your emotions more constructively

You'll be amazed by how much you can learn in just one evening! If you know what you like but want to understand why - then this evening is for you. We will taste six wines from around the world and provide many pointers that will enhance your appreciation of wine. No previous experience necessary! This course is for people who want to have fun learning a little more about it in a friendly and relaxed way. We will cover how to taste wine like a professional and look at all the major wine regions of the world. We will guide you through how to make better wine choices and will start you on your journey of wine discovery. COURSE OUTLINE Introduction to the World’s major wine regions Why wines taste different How to taste wines – aroma, taste, describing wines Recognising elements of wine - tannin, acidity, oak Tasting notes, presentation and some cheese included.