MCR Jazz Fest: Grub In The Hub

THE BEST thing about festival 'hubs' in Albert Square at the height of summer is that it really doesn't matter which festival it is.

With Jerk chicken it's important to have a good, hefty, flavourful bird to stand up to the potency of the marinade. This ticked the boxes.

They're all fantastic of course, MIF, MFDF, MJF, MDF, MDMA.

Still, if you were only ever to visit the 'hub', where the beer is wet and cold and the sun high and happy (this week anyway), then really, you'd be forgiven for thinking they were all one and the same.

This isn't to say that the Manchester Jazz Festival (18-27 July) isn't a great festival, if you're a jazz fan. Last year it attracted over 60,000 people, 70% of them from out of the city, so clearly it's a big draw.

But if you're as into jazz as you are into collecting asbestos fibres, don't be put off going along to the MJF 'hub'. It's a fairly safe bet that you like a drink, sitting in the sun and stuffing your face.

You'll barely hear a ske-bop or a do-wop. So dive in.

MJF 2014, Albert Square

We started, as you should during any lunch hour that creeps over 25°C, by a trip to the bar. The Thwaites bar tent appears to be at least seven times as big as it needs to be. Contingency planning we imagine.

There's at least fifteen beers on offer here - probably more - and a few ciders to boot, in bottles and on draught (£3.80 to £5.50). From Wainwright to Red Stripe, 13 Guns to Warsteiner. There's a nifty selection of spirits and wine too, Pimms seemed to be flying off the shelf.

We tried the Hop Sax, an easy-going 3.8% ale specially brewed for the festival that was a touch too tepid and thick for such climes. When the barman said £10 for two pints we stopped short of pouring it over his head. Come on MJF, specially brewed for the festival? At £5 a pint why bother?

This is easily the most expensive ale in the city, certainly at 3.8%

Go for the Kaltenberg Royal Lager instead, cold and light with a hint of malt and served from a massive gold sax.

Thwaites bar: roomy

Kaltenberg Royal

There's only three food vendors in the hub, but all dishing up quality tucker.

First off we tried Chaophraya, Manchester Thai stalwarts since the mid-noughties. A meal deal at £7 affords you a starter and a main.

The Thai fishcake starter I'd avoid like a tuktuk driver on acid. 'Orrible, like a Squirrel's training discus. Go for the trusty spring rolls, good 'ole spring rolls.

The Prawn Penang curry on the otherhand was smashing. You could even smell how smashing it was from ten paces. Handsome too. Well balanced and not overly spicy, the prawns were juicy and near-perfectly cooked - quite a feat when the food has to be kept hot outside in large trays - buoyed by a hefty helping of rice and some fresh basil dropped on top. Lovely.

Penang prawn curry

Squirrel discus

Next we pottered over to Al's BBQ Shack, where the temperature sat somewhere between Death Valley and a belch from Smaug.

'So who's Al?' We ask.

"Al's not here," comes the reply from a happy bald fella behind the counter.

"Where is he?" We enquire.

"Al's not a person, more of an ideology," says the fella.

"What's his philosophy?" We ask.

"To eat BBQ every single day," he says.

Ambitious. But we like Al, we like his BBQ Jerk chicken (£5) even more. Sat on a colour-splashed veg mound of tomato, onion, carrot and jalapenos, we were given three weighty portions of Jerk chicken on top.

With Jerk it's important to have a good, hefty, flavourful bird to stand up to the potency of the marinade. This ticked the boxes. Plentiful and wonderfully juicy on the inside, the skin was sweet and barbecue crisp with a spicy kick to it that'd have your tongue running for the extinguisher given another helping.

You couldn't eat another helping, mind. Your tongue thanks you.

Big Al's

BBQ Jerk chicken on veg (£5)

Ready to blow and only one vendor left.

V Fresh STREET FOOD, if you didn't get that, they do STREET FOOD (it's this new thing, it may take off) keep things simple. You can have Street Wrap or Pot, Street Burger or Beef Street Special (£5 to £6).

To be frank, full to the ears, the only reason we tried V Fresh was to complete the MJF hat-trick. But thank Frank we did. The halloumi and falafel wrap served with salad, homemade hummus, sweet chilli sauce and a yoghurt dressing was beautiful. Perhaps the pick of the bunch.

V Fresh

V Fresh wrap (£6)

Pillows of chunky, salty, squeaky halloumi amongst fluffy-on-the-inside hot-and-crunchy-on-the-outside falafel, the heat offset by a cool crunchy salad. And oh the sauces, what a combination. I'll leave it at that. Get some hummus, yoghurt and sweet chilli and put it on something now, right now.

Finish the job with one of Matilda's homemade natural ice creams from £2.50 and you'll be happier than a Beat Poet at a Bob Kaufman gig, or something. What festival is this?

Info and tickets for Manchester Jazz Festival here.

Chaophraya

Chaophraya

Thwaites

MJF hub

MJF hub

Matilda, we think