A new food and drink festival will take place across four weekends at a Liverpool rooftop venue this autumn. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool rooftop bar and social space The Roof Project will host a food and drink festival over four weekends this autumn.
Part of the PINS Social Club, The Roof Project is three storeys up in the city’s Ropewalks district. It overlooks Wolstenholme Square and is accessed from Gradwell Street. It opened in spring this year.
Held in association with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Tailgate Food and Drink Festival runs across four weekends, from Thursday, September 21, until Sunday, October, 15. It features take-overs by North West’s bars, restaurants and craft breweries.
Kicking off the inaugural event on the first weekend of September 21 to 24 are Liverpool’s Buyers Club, the Hardman Street eatery known for its exceptional pasta.
From the Baltic Triangle, they’ll be joined by Hot Mess Pizza Company and their trademark Detroit-style pizzas, while Northern Monk Brewery heads over to Liverpool from Leeds, with a selection of beers.
On the weekend of September 28 to October 1, The Roof Project will welcome Indian street food and craft beer fans Bundobust.
With locations in Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and Birmingham, alongside its own brewery, the team will be serving spicy bites and cold beers. They include Vada Pav (a spiced potato patty burger), Bundo Chaat and Panner Tikka.
Sandwich and coffee deli Derek’s joins Tailgate on the following weekend October 5 to 8. Well-known for its Brooklyn-inspired subs, Derek’s also brings its giant sub challenge to the event.
It is joined by Liverpool craft brewers (and keen DJs) Carnival, who produce a wide range of beer styles from IPAs to Pilsners & Stouts including Carmen, Urban Shaker and On The Trail.
Tailgate closes on the weekend of October 12 to 15 with Baltic’s two Baltic ventures. Polpetta is an Italian-inspired kitchen and deli founded by chef Joel McCarthy and UFC champion Molly McCann. It launched in the summer.
They will be joined by Black Lodge Brewery who also brew The Roof Projects own-label craft ale ‘Up on the Roof’.
These four weekend takeovers each start with a ticketed Supperclub event on the Thursday evenings. Each event partner will cook their best-loved dishes, accompanied by a beer flight, talks and live music.
The remaining weekend days, Friday to Sunday are free entry and open to table bookings and walk-ups, with DJs and live music, rounding off with a Barrel Drain party on each of the Sunday nights.
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PINS and The Roof Project co-founder Dan Gillbanks said: “We’re very excited to launch this brand new concept – a food festival three floors up in the heart of Liverpool.
“It has been great to partner with some of the region’s most popular food and drink operators and producers, and welcome them to The Roof later this month.”