Guerrilla Eats

I really wanted to love Guerrilla Eats but it just didn’t quite meet my expectations.
Situated inside a The Wonder Inn, a pub on Shudehill, it’s pretty odd when you walk in. Downstairs an empty room, with a sign leading you upstairs. Once upstairs you start to hear the buzz of people and some loud music and turning right into the room there’s a few street food vendors who’ve set up shop and a bar area at the back. They do get some really good traders here, fabulous burger boys are one that I saw when I was there.
It’s saving grace was The Chefs Table. An area in the next room with a separate kitchen dedicated to selling out an event and cooking for those who attend. On my visit, it was Bangers and Bacon (now of The Kitchens) and still one of the best meals I’ve eaten.
With other street food fests around, mainly Friday Food Fight and the many iterations of it, I don’t know if Guerrilla Eats cuts it.

As an avid fan and follower of Guerrilla Eats since its original inception, I was looking forward to visiting them in their newest establishment. With the parents coming to visit, I wanted to take them on a bit of an adventure, and that was perfectly dropped in my lap with the option of the Bangers & Bacon chef’s table.
The Wonder Inn is easy to find — easier than their last warehouse across Ancoats, at least — and gives little away from the outside. We were greeted by two friendly bouncers who pointed out where to go and, unique to this week’s event, the rules of BYOB. At first, the idea of BYOB was a bit of a pain, but ultimately it avoided any queuing at the bar and allowed us to get stuck right in!
Arriving about 30 minutes prior to the 8pm sitting, we grabbed ourselves the end of a table for a chat and to listen to the great music — basically as though someone had taken my dad’s iPod and stuck it on for him… well done DJ, well done.
For the chef’s table, we had a little introduction then the food started to flow; a selection of nibbles (treacle cured bacon pâté, bacon jam, and a lovely little slice of sausage roll), pork noodle broth, ‘red & black’ (strawberries and black pudding, a surprisingly successful flavour combination), a pork wellington, and then a bacon trifle.
Everything went down without complaint, other than the bacon trifle; admittedly an experiment from them, the texture was indescribable, and not in the good way. However, I said we were looking for an experience and this is definitely what we got!
Looking forward to revisiting in a few weeks to try the whole Guerrilla Eats experience, though I will have to make a conscious effort to remember to visit the downstairs traders as they layout doesn’t quite lend itself to staying in one place for the whole evening.
A relaxed street food experience with a nice family oriented vibe and amazing soundtrack.

I really had the highest of expectations for Guerrilla Eats, given what I’d heard from friends and Unilocalers from previous incarnations elsewhere in Manchester.
Their latest location, inside The Wonder Inn (formerly a warehouse) in Shudehill, will be there for three months. It’s free entry and they’ll have a range of street food stalls that’ll change weekly. Some of the usual suspects will be in operation, with a few newbies also on the line-​up.
You can also buy tickets online for a five-​course menu at the ‘Chef’s Table’ by meat enthusiasts Bangers & Bacon — these are £20, available for each week’s event but sell out quickly.
Personally, I don’t think the venue works very well for them. The building looks empty when you enter, but there’s a set of stairs at the back leading you up to the first level where the bar, two street food stalls and DJ booth are. The Chef’s Table area is tucked away on the left at the top of the staircase.
There’s lots of large picnic bench-​type seating here to sit and enjoy the food and tunes. Unless you have shed loads of cash you won’t enjoy the drinks here as they are ridiculously expensive for what you get. My advice would be to drink elsewhere.
I’d also suggest to more thoroughly explore the downstairs near to where you enter as there’s a door which leads you through to another room where a few other street food stalls are. Sitting upstairs, we could see on arriving people’s faces «Is this it?!»
Friday Food Fight in the Great Northern Warehouse has everything in one large space and a truly bustling atmosphere. This was a bit lacklustre unfortunately and too disjointed — you felt a bit sorry for the vendors on the ground floor seemingly forgotten about. They could do with convincing some of the (far too many) traders from Urban Food Fest to up sticks and join them here.
Nonetheless, the huge burger I ordered from Barnhouse Bistro and ‘Chorlton Crack’ ice cream from Ginger’s Comfort Emporium were both absolutely spot on — the food offerings are the saving grace.
I’d make a return visit, but probably only to grab a bite on the way to somewhere else.
Tip: Guerrilla Eats are there every Saturday night from 17:00 to midnight until June 2015. The Wonder Inn is an organic café and wellness centre (yoga etc.) during the week.