Manchester City Council

Arnd Baggen who runs Bavarian Beer Wine and Food Ltd will be coordinating the market and bringing a host of traders from Germany to set up stalls in front of the Victorian splendour of Manchester Town Hall. Stallholders hope to tempt customers with specialist food and drink, which you will be hard-pushed to find anywhere else in the city.

Bavarian cheese, which is all made in a specific region around the High Alps will be on sale. These include a Bavarian Blue, Bodensee, which is named after the lake where it is made, Zeppelin - which also takes its name after the airships made there and Mainauer.

To wash this down there will be plenty of opportunity to try German beer and wine. The beer garden will play host to the Bavarian beer house, a wine house and a beer bar for specialist beers such as a dark, malt.

The wine house will serve typical German food to accompany the wine such as cheese plates and customers can buy bottles to take away. Manchester Markets also endorse sensible drinking and alcohol-free beer; coffee and soft drinks will also be on sale.

German cooking includes big pan cuisine, where potatoes or a kind of noodles are cooked and served up with herbs or tomato sauce. There will also be chicken and pork options available.

A trip to the German market would not be complete without a Bratwurst and there will be spiced varieties, cheese ones as well as traditional.

For those with a sweet tooth try the pastries and nuts from the Bavarian Bakery. Almonds, pecans, cashews and pistachios are all freshly roasted on site. They also make apple and cherry bags, which are like cakes with fruit fillings.

There will also be chocolates, gingerbreads and sweets, including one of Germany's most famous exports - Haribo - to try.

Alongside the food will be handicrafts, including cuckoo clocks, glassware and jewellery.

Councillor Paul Murphy, executive member for markets said: "This market is a great event and very popular. Manchester's Markets are always warmly received and I am sure that people will enjoy socialising, eating and soaking up the continental atmosphere this summer. There is plenty to choose from and it makes a great way to spend your lunch or to unwind after work. We can only hope the Manchester weather shines on the market too."

Head of Manchester Markets, Krys Zasada, said: "We are always looking at ways to bring interesting and delicious food to Manchester's Markets. We support local traders and local produce as well as sourcing continental food. The German Market has proved to be very popular and I am sure it will be again this year."

The market aims to create an authentic German atmosphere, so if you don't have a ticket for the World Cup, you can make believe you are in Germany at least.

The German Food and Drink Market opens on Thursday June 1 from 11am until 9pm and will close on Sunday June 18.

• Margaret Blackburn, tel 0161 234 4014