UK: Food and drink festival calendar

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07 Mar 2015, 03:01 pm

London, Mar 7 (NITN): Britain is a nation of food lovers and festival lovers. What happens when these two passions meet? Some of the most fun, tasty and interesting weekends of the year. The following is a selection of the hundreds of annual food festivals on offer around Britain.

Foodies Festivals

There are numerous foodies festivals taking place over the summer in locations across Britain: Bristol, west England (26 - 28 May), Tatton Park, Cheshire, north-west England (17 - 19 July), London – Clapham Common (24 - 26 July), Edinburgh (7 - 9 August) and Oxford (29 - 31 August). There are numerous tasting and sampling sessions, restaurant tents, cooking for kids’ theatre, world food pagodas, produce markets and also entertainment.

England

English Wine Week (May/June TBC)

Taking place around England, this is a celebration of English wines, with vineyard visits, events, plenty of tastings and food-pairing sessions, plus chances to meet the producers of English wine, which is growing in reputation in the wine world.

Taste of London Festival, London (17 – 21 June)

Fine dining is transported to Regent's Park for four days of summer eating, drinking and entertainment. The city's best restaurants dish up their finest in an unbeatable alfresco gourmet feast, while hundreds of producers provide a bounty of the best food and beverages.

EAT NewcastleGateshead, north-east England (August, date TBC)

One of the country’s most exciting and fun food festivals, EAT! celebrates local producers, traders, talent and showcases the very best in north-east food through a diverse programme of events, including live cook-off competitions, lots of multicultural stalls, plus food in ‘historic and unusual spaces’.

Great British Beer Festival, London (11 - 15 August)

Held in Kensington Olympia, this is a must for beer lovers. Over 800 cask and bottled real ales, ciders and foreign beers to taste at ‘Britain’s Biggest Pub’. There is also plenty of food to soak it all up.

Isle of Wight Garlic Festival, south England (15 - 16 August)

A homage to the stinking rose. Not just garlic, but all sorts of edible delights feature at this undercover festival, along with quirky bands, a zoo, classic cars and ‘a few wandering celebrities’.

Jamie Oliver’s Big Feastival, Cotswolds, south-central England (28 – 30 August)

The famous chef not only brings you dozens of affordable and high-quality restaurants around Britain, he’s now putting on a party to go with it for the second year running! The Big Feastival takes place in the Cotswolds area of England, a beautiful and quintessentially British part of the countryside, at the farm of former bassist of hit band Blur, Alex James. Pop-up restaurants, family fun and live music make this a food and fun-lovers treat.

Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival, south-east England (May and September TBC)

This is one of the largest festivals of its kind, running for ten days, twice a year (the first festival runs in May this year). With local producers, growers, restaurants, bars and food retailers firmly at its heart, it’s a showcase of the fantastic food, drink and hospitality to be found in the city and the surrounding county of Sussex. It includes the Big Sussex Market, the largest free food event in the south of England, the Live Food Show, supper clubs and gala dinners.

Ludlow Food Festival, west England (11 - 13 September)

One of the most important in the calendar, the historic little town of Ludlow, near the border of Wales, has been hosting a food festival every year since 1995. It has a strong reputation as one of the best, and remains true to its original spirit of showcasing excellent local produce and suppliers. What you will find is ‘an abundance of real food and drink – from rare breeds of meat to real ale, cider and perry, produced and sold by people who really care about what they are doing.’ Great atmosphere and a haven for anyone passionate about food.

Melton Mowbray Food Festival, central England (3 - 4 October)

One of Britain's largest regional food festivals, formerly known as the East Midland Food Festival, is held in Melton Mowbray, the ‘Rural Capital of Food’, around an hour's drive from Birmingham. Besides locally produced Pork Pies and Stilton Cheese, the festival has more than 200 exhibitors featuring the best the East Midlands has to offer. Demonstrations and children’s activities make it a good fit for both foodies and families.

Scotland

The Royal Highland Show, Ingliston, Edinburgh (18 - 21 June)

The Royal Highland Show is a celebration of Scottish farming, food and rural life. Fabulous food and drink are one of the highlights of the show attracting foodies from near and far. More than 100 Scottish food and drink exhibitors will attend alongside gourmet suppliers from across Britain. There are also cookery demonstrations and produce competitions with plenty of opportunities to sample along the way.

The Scottish Real Ale Festival, Edinburgh (July TBC)

The annual celebration of Scottish ale where thousands gather to taste a wide selection of beers from approximately 30 Scottish breweries.

The Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships, Inverness-shire, north Scotland (October TBC)

A day of family filled activities celebrating Scotland's national dish with porridge enthusiasts competing to become World Porridge Making Champion.

Whisky festivals

The Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival (30 April - 4 May) is four days of whisky fun in Scotland’s whisky centre of Speyside; this year also sees World Whisky Day take place on 16 May will see whisky events run all over the world but particularly in its home Scotland.

Wales

Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells, Powys, Mid Wales (20 – 23 July)

This popular agricultural show isn’t just about cows and combine harvesters, but a showcase of locally produced food and craft stalls, live music and stunt displays.

Abergavenny Fine Food Festival, south-east Wales (September TBC)

One of the biggest events in Britain’s food calendar. The Observer said ‘Abergavenny is to food as Cannes is to film – an annual festival for spotting rising stars in Britain's artisan food firmament’, which gives some idea of the festival’s fame. The Festival takes place on five sites in the centre of town hosting more than 200 exhibitors, cookery demonstrations, a children’s Food Academy and other entertainment. Alongside this is a programme of individually ticketed masterclasses, tutored tastings, workshops, walks and talks featuring some of the best in the culinary world.

Northern Ireland

Hillsborough Oyster Festival (1 - 6 September)

Fun and entertainment for all the family, now in its 23rd year. The programme is still to be confirmed, but if it’s anything like last year’s – featuring the World Oyster Eating Championships, the Miss Oyster Pearl finals, a fashion show, a soap box derby, a golf tournament, a motoring event and a gala ball – it promises to be a fun-packed festival.

Belfast Beer and Cider Festival (November TBC)

CAMRA Northern Ireland (the Campaign for Real Ale) is passionate about good beer and championing the cause to make it more available. The association will be serving up one of the biggest bars in Ireland, selling almost 100 real ales and 20 real ciders and perries. There will be live music alongside other fun and games to provide all-round entertainment.

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