What's on North: Food and Drink Survey winners

Each week The Skinny team hand-pick a selection of the best events from the North's cultural calendar to provide you with this 'ere top ten guide to the most exciting goings-on for the week ahead. From gigs, plays and exhibitions to spoken word, pop-up foodie events and one-off film screenings, we give you the insider's guide to things to do in Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds every Thursday morning.

The Skinny Food and Drink Survey: The Winners! 

Happy New Year! And what a ruddy good start we have for it, kicking things off on a high with the results of the almighty Skinny Food and Drink Survey.

You've all been busy casting your votes for your favourite newcomers, breweries, pubs, cafes, restaurants, shops and on-the-go spots, and among some returning favourites there have also been some deserving newcomers, together showcasing that food and drink culture is very much alive and well here in the North.

Have a gander at the results, before scrolling down to find out more about some of your brilliant winners, the trends we've spotted and even tips on making award-winning pizza at home.

Best Pubs

Some of your votes in the Best Pub category yielded controversial results, so we took it upon ourselves to consider what actually constitutes a pub these days?

Best Cafes

We thought we'd recommend some key items on the menu at your Best Cafe winners, including the Pastrami and House Pickle Melt at Koffee Pot (pictured). You're welcome.

Best Breweries

We're biased, of course, but we reckon the North's got the best breweries around, as proven by the sterling work of your favourites, Marble, Mad Hatter, Northern Monk, Runaway and Blackjack.

Best Restaurants

We weren't surprised to see Manchester's Rudy's Pizza among your votes for Best Restaurant. Now you can recreate the magic at home with some pizza making tips from Rudy's own Jim Morgan.

Best Food & Drink Shops

We asked Leeds' Tall Boys Beer Market, a welcome newcomer in your votes for Best Food & Drink Shop, to pick out some of their favourite local spots, from pubs and breweries to cafes and shops.

Best Newcomers

The Allotment in Stockport and Stories in Leeds reflect two notable trends: the rise of vegan-only eateries and an enduring love for a Scandi aesthetic. Find out the other newbies you're loving here. Illustration: Luis Pinto

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January Restaurant Deals

Strapped for cash after Christmas but still think you deserve a nice meal? Course you do! Get in on the January food deals in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, with 50% off at The Alchemist, Busaba, Chaophraya, Evelyn's (pictured), Cane and Grain, Refuge, and much more. Who said January had to be drab when there are half price ribs, tapas and curries at your fingertips?

Do not miss:

Hull City of Culture 2017
Various venues, Hull. All year

A 365-day programme of cultural events and creativity 'inspired by the city and told to the world', Hull City of Culture 2017 has been in the offing since 2013 when it became the first city in England to be awarded the title (and only the second city ever). Click here to find out what we're most looking forward to this year. Photo: Octovision Media

North: Identity, Photography, Fashion
Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool. Fri 6 Jan-Sun 19 Mar (launches Thu 5 Jan, 6pm)

This year marks Open Eye Gallery's 40th birthday, which means we can look forward to a fabulous 12 months of special programming, kicking off with North: Identity, Photography, Fashion, an exhibition exploring the influence the North has had on national and international visual culture and fashion.

Crime Scene: David McLean & Phil Carney
Islington Mill, Salford. Until Sat 14 Jan (live performance and exhibition 14 Jan, 7pm)

Musician/composer and Tombed Visions bossman David McLean will be teaming up with pulp fiction writer Phil Carney to collaborate over the course of ten days to produce a new suite of compositions exploring the inseparable relationship between the iconography of film noir and jazz. The work will then be performed by a large ensemble of local Manchester musicians and actors at the Mill on 14 Jan.

Read more news from across the Northwest cultural scene at theskinny.co.uk/news
Find out how you could win some lovely prizes at theskinny.co.uk/competitions