Northwest Food News – May 2013

Whatever counts for summer is just around the corner – so it's time for a festival or two. First up is the Stockport Sausage Fest, which has both a winning name and an irresistible strapline: who could pass up a chance to celebrate 'hand held happiness'? Turns out they're referring to those two staples of every true Northerner's diet – beer and bangers – and will be inviting us to share a selection of ales and meaty... meats from the Northwest region. ‘Dandys and dames’/‘toffs and totty’ fancy dress (Saturday and Sunday respectively) optional. Victorian Market Hall, Stockport, 4-5 May, three sessions, £10 per session.

Just sneaking in at the end of the month is another celebration of local produce: the annual Southport Food and Drink Festival. Expect live cookery demonstrations, tastings from the best local restaurants and plenty of opportunities to sample food and drink from the region – we recommend you go on an empty stomach and take a generous bag. Victoria Park, Southport, Merseyside, 31 May-2 Jun, Free.

If you prefer to make straight for the hard liquor, then Manchester's instalment of Cocktails in the City is just the ticket. Matching cocktail demonstrations, masterclasses and tutored tastings inspired by Mad Men (of course) and Tom Cruise (well, if we must) with an impressive range of top brands, the evening is soundtracked by Crazy P and El Diablo, and food from the legendary Almost Famous will be on hand to mop up (some of) the alcohol. The Town Hall, Manchester, 2 May; tickets start at £15 for entry and two cocktails, and reach £45 if you fancy yourself a ‘connoisseur’ and want champagne on entry, dinner, three cocktails and a tutored tasting.

For those who favour hops over spirits, Liverpool Organic Brewery's next tour proffers unlimited cask beer and a buffet lunch, as well as the chance to wander the brewery and ask questions – providing a sterling opportunity to test whether organic really equals no hangover. Unit 39, Brasenose Road Industrial Estate, 18 May, £20.

Over in Manchester at the other end of the calendar, the Guerrilla Eats collective – street food traders who pop up in various locations across the city on a regular basis – will be setting up shop at an as-yet undisclosed outdoor location in the city centre on the final Saturday of the month (25 May), with traders including Fire and Salt BBQ Co. and Dirty Dogs braving the eccentricities of the early holiday climate. 25 May, keep an eye on guerrillaeats.co.uk for full details.