Sustainable food
Committed to supporting the local economy , Manchester Central sources its food ingredients locally wherever possible , utilising the best of North West produce , whilst working to minimise fuel emissions and carbon footprint . From Mrs Kirkham ’ s Lancashire cheese , to Martin ’ s family run bakery ( less than four miles away ), the venues catering team personally visit and select local suppliers from within a 50-mile radius .
It doesn ’ t stop there . The in-house Urban Cultivator , or ‘ indoor garden ’, means that the team can grow micro lettuces , herbs , and edible flowers in its kitchen . This approach strives to produce the best food and the best dining experience for the venue ’ s delegates .
To support the city ’ s goal to become carbon neutral by 2038 ,
Manchester Central has launched several initiatives . This includes investing in a waste management recycling centre , donating surplus food to local charities such as Homeless Project Manchester and Open Kitchen MCR , purifying and bottling water on-site , as well as diverting all waste from landfill .
Plant-based menus
To keep up with delegate preferences , the venue is now looking forward to launching its new menus which will offer a range of plant-based alternatives , seeing an increase in plant-based options by 154 %.
“ Food is such an important part of any event and I ’ m incredibly excited to share our new menus with our clients , showcasing some of the best locally-sourced , sustainable and delicious ingredients . There ’ s no doubt that our facilities are amongst some of the best in the North West and we pride ourselves on offering our guests the ultimate dining experience . Our flexibility in menu production is unique in this industry and it ’ s thanks to our in-house catering team and innovative culture that breeds within the company ,” says Matt Hagen , executive chef , Manchester Central .
Catering packages
Manchester Central work closely with event organisers to develop the best catering packages for its visitors and delegates . Whether this is for banqueting dinners , canapes , hot fork buffets and bento and picnic boxes , or even bespoke signature dishes exclusive to a client ’ s event . The cosmetic company , Lush , was a great example of doing things differently , by developing a fully vegan street food menu for its 12,000 event visitors . The teams ’ chefs also work closely with the Co-Op , to deliver its annual dinner at the venue using Co-ops own local suppliers and integrating its own products into Manchester Central ’ s menus .
For those events requiring casual dining options , retail catering at the venue has taken inspiration from pop-up and street-food concepts ; Grab and Go , Pizza Centrale , Grand Central Grilled Cheese and Buena Vista Burrito . Exhibitors can arrange bespoke catering on their stand to include canapes and champagne receptions to create a sense of occasion , to essential refreshments and simple snacks .
With Manchester recently being voted the third best city in the world by Time Out , the only way is up for its culinary offerings , with Manchester Central right at the heart of it . CN
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