A massive Hong Kong food festival is coming to the award-winning Bury Market

A Hong Kong food and crafts festival is coming to the award-winning Bury Market this month.

The event will feature over 30 stalls dedicated to the region’s cuisine and crafts taking place from Friday 17th – Saturday 18th March. Greater Manchester’s favourite market will host over 30 stalls serving traditional Hong Kong cuisine and handicrafts for visitors to immerse themselves in its culture. 

The two-day market – named So Hong Kong – is not only a celebration of Greater Manchester’s Hong Kong community, but an introduction to the region’s food, which includes homegrown Cantonese cooking as well as Japanese, Korean and other South Asian dishes. 

Hong Kong cuisine is characterised by rice dishes, roasted meats, soups and dim sum, amongst others — all of which will be available to sample in Bury next week. Cammie Liu, owner of Moliuliu’s Store in Bury Market and one of the organisers behind the event, said: “The main purpose of the market is to introduce Hong Kong street food to the local people, as I believe food can connect people from different cultures.

“It will make use of the empty stalls, attract more young people to explore the lovely Bury Market, and also allow Hong Kong people to have the chance to set up their businesses.”

Already confirmed for the event are contestants from Bake Off: The Professionals 2022, A Little Sweet, a Sale-based bakery and the brainchild of Jeffrey Koo Ka Chun — who made his name in the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

One of Koo’s staples is the Red Bean Bun, a popular Japanese steamed bun featuring an azuki bean paste filling, said to taste sweet and earthy. Another business joining A Little Sweet is Pan.dora Meal Box, a popular Bury restaurant bringing Hainanese chicken rice, Cantonese thin pancakes, peanuts mochi, rice balls and more to their stall next week.

Alongside these traders, there’ll also be bubble tea from Shining Rainbow Dream Tea & Snacks Hong Kong hot pots from Ardwick’s Fat Tat, traditional Asian teas from Bang Bang Brands and Yunnan rice noodles from Derek Leung.

And it’s not just taste buds that will be satisfied next week, as So Hong Kong is also inviting a number of traders offering Hong Kong arts and crafts, with everything from handmade jade stone accessories, stationary, pearl jewellery, handcrafted slippers, candles and aromatherapy products available to browse.   

The festival has been organised in collaboration with Hong Kong March and Moliuliu’s Store, a Hong Kong grocery store based in the market. It’s part of a month-long, UK-wide festival promoting, celebrating and introducing Hong Kong culture to different communities, with events taking place across 16 cities exploring everything from film and music to history, food and more.  

If successful, the organisers behind the food market are hoping to make it a permanent fixture every three months. Visitors would be able to enjoy around 30 businesses offering a taste of Hong Kong’s very best street food throughout the year, alongside craft pop-ups and Bury Market’s beloved resident traders. 

One of the North West’s most notable last standing authentic markets, with everything from butchers to fishmongers, fruit and vegetable stalls, haberdashery and DVD collectors, Bury Market has a special place in the heart of its local community.

Voted Best Market In Britain, the indoor and outdoor market hall is a destination for shoppers wanting to step back in time to the packed out markets of 1960s Britain. 

So Hong Kong will take place from 9am–4.30pm on Friday 17th March and 9am–5pm on Saturday 18th March. The event is free to attend.