EatGoodWest UK’s Asian Food Night Market: The Lowdown

If you've ever travelled to Asia, you'll know that night markets are pretty popular. As the sun goes down and the heat lessens, you’ll find urban spaces come alive with food stalls, the smell of sizzling BBQs and a buzz as people gather.

Communal and lively, night markets have roots across East and Southeast Asia, from Taiwan's famous Shilin market to the street food hubs of Bangkok and Seoul, and every second Friday of the month you’ll find one here in Stockport.

The EatGoodWestUK Asian Food Night Market is hosted on the grounds of the historic St Mary's Church in the centre of town. The 700-year-old church opens up its doors with tables set up under the arches, a bar on site and live music playing throughout the evening.

The smell of the BBQ drifting through the air is enough to draw you across the marketplace and discover the full spread of street food traders, serving authentic cuisine from across Asia. You can choose from Korean corn dogs, Thai bites, Japanese BBQ skewers, dumplings, bubble waffles, specialist hot sauces, cakes and more…I would thoroughly recommend doing a full lap before you make any commitments. I went for the Thai bites, Japanese skewers (the meat was beautifully tender and melted in your mouth), before finishing with a worth-the-wait Biscoff bubble waffle, which sent me into a mild and pleasant food coma.

If the sun’s behaving you can choose to picnic on the grass, or head inside the church where there's a licensed bar and seating area, grab a drink and a table and enjoy the live music while you eat. I’m told the cafe inside is soon to become a more permanent lunch time noodle bar… more news to come on this!

Hinry, one of the organisers and performers, helped start the market around two years ago. Orginally from Hong Kong, he'd moved to the area not long after lockdown and felt a real need to build a sense of community and meet new people as a newcomer. And what better way to bring people together than great food? The EatGoodWestUK team found a home in the churchyard of St Mary's, and the markets have been growing in popularity ever since.

Feels like they have nailed the formula as you enter the church, you can see visitors sharing tables, swapping food recommendations and seemingly settling in for the evening. Not to mention the queues outside. The Asian Food Night Market is a brilliant addition to Stockport's social calendar; relaxed and family-friendly, and the dumplings are definitely at the top of my list to try next time.

The next Night Market takes place Friday 9th May, 5–10pm, St Mary's Church in the Market Place, Stockport SK1 1YG. Free entry.