SEPTEMBER
1-30 Brighton & Hove
Food & Drink Festival The food market showcases the best food
and drink in East Sussex, with more than 50 of Brighton's restaurants, bars
and venues and 70 plus Sussex producers.
4-6 Worcester Feast is a
new event that runs from today until Sunday in the cathedral grounds. As
well as more than 120 food and drink exhibitors from the Heart of England,
there’s a pie hunt and ale trail, a champagne garden and a Slow Food taste
adventure for children. In the “Taste of Worcester” zone visitors can sample
the signature dishes of some of the finest regional restaurants, while in
the food theatre cookery writer Rustie Lee will be conjuring up Caribbean
food using seasonal produce.
5-6, Totally Tomato Show, West
Dean Gardens, West Dean, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 0QZ (01243 818 210)
More than 150 varieties of tomato will be on display in West Dean’s walled
kitchen garden. Competitors will compete for the spot of tastiest tomato,
and everyone can learn from the tomato-growing tips and tomato recipe
demonstrations available.
5-6 The Really Wild Food and
Countryside Festival in St Davids, Pembrokeshire, is a celebration
of Welsh country fare aimed at encouraging families to forage for food, from
nuts and berries to edible mushrooms. Visit the website to sign up for
Britain’s first Really Wild Dining Club (reallywildfestival.co.uk).
5-20, Scottish Food
Fortnight, Where: Across Scotland
A harvest-time celebration of all that is delicious about Scottish food and
drink, with shops, hotels, restaurants, schools and farmers' markets taking
part in the national celebration.
11-13, Ludlow Food Festival,
Ludlow, Shropshire
One of the best food festivals on the calendar, this annual event features
more than 130 small producers from the Marches, with demonstrations, talks
and much more.
12, Fishstock Brixham,
Fish Quay, Brixham, Devon
Combining seafood and music, and coinciding with National
Seafood Fortnight, this is a fundraising event for the Royal National
Mission to Deep Sea with seafood recipes cooked by expert and celebrity
chefs.
12, Feast
on the Bridge, Southwark Bridge, London, as part of the Thames
Festival the bridge will be transformed by scores of food stalls and harvest
produce, including a sacred mayonnaise ritual and treading of the grapes, as
well as music and dance.
12-13, Soil Association Organic
Food Festival, Bristol Harbourside
Enjoy all that's organic at the food plaza, organic food markets and gardens,
plus the Soil Association marquee and café at Europe's biggest organic food
jamboree.
18-27, York Festival of
Food and Drink, York
Highlights include a Yorkshire produce market, with foodie treats ranging from
rare-breed meats to local clotted cream, as well as beer and whisky
festivals. Celebrity chefs will give cookery demonstrations and there will
be a young chefs’ competition.
12-13 Tavistock Food and
Drink Festival An opportunity to try and buy quality food and drink
from producers based in the South West.
19-20 Abergavenny Food
Festival, Wales
Feast the senses with produce by artisan food-makers from Wales, The Marches
and further afield. Special events will include masterclasses, tutored
tastings, children's events, walks and talks.
19-20, Mold Food & Drink
Festival, Mold, Wales
With Welsh, Asian, Mediterranean and vegetarian cookery demonstrations there
should be something for most tastes.
19-20 Hastings Seafood & Wine
Festival, The Stade Fishing Beach, Old Town, Hastings, East Sussex
The festival hosts a range of food and wine themed activities with live music
and street entertainment.
19 - 4 October, British
Food Fortnight
Thousands of events are taking place around the country in celebration of
British food. There are also initiatives for chefs to give cooking
demonstrations in schools.
25-27 Nantwich Food Festival
Billed as "Britain's Tastiest Festival", it is the largest festival
of its kind with more than 2,000 products to taste during the three-day
event, offering the chance to sample the best regionally produced food
against the backdrop of the historic market town.
25-27, Cornwall Food &
Drink Festival,Truro, Cornwall
This annual event highlights the best food producers in the county, and has an
extensive programme of events, including cookery demonstrations and
children’s events.
25-27, Stratford Food
Festival, Recreation Ground, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
Stratford-upon-Avon's Festival of Food event returns in 2009, with
representation from both local and national producers.
26-27, Aldeburgh Food and
Drink Festival, Snape Maltings, near Aldeburgh, Suffolk
The festival warms up a week earlier with tastings in farm shops and
delicatessens, farm walks, local food dinners and mushroom foraging. The
two-day event showcases more than 65 local food producers from East Suffolk,
and has cookery demonstrations and discussion forums.
26-27, Great British Cheese Festival,
Cardiff
Cheese-making demonstrations and lessons in the art of cheese-making.
26-27 The Isle of Man Food &
Drink Festival
A celebration of the best of Manx produce including live cookery
demonstrations by celebrity chefs, exhibitions and a farmers’ market.
Every weekend in September Highland
Feast Various venues across the Highlands will offer a series of
unique culinary events with a range of celebrity chefs and masterclasses.
OCTOBER
2-11 The Bidwells Norwich &
Norfolk Food Festival
A full week of celebrations this year, featuring local restaurants, produce,
and talent and with an emphasis on healthy eating.
10-11, Waterperry Apple Weekend,
Waterperry Gardens, Wheatley, Oxfordshire
Orchard tours and growing advice form part of the weekend’s agenda, as well as
offering the opportunity to get mystery apples identified if you have an
unknown crop growing in your garden.
21-25 Dartmouth Food
Festival, Market Square, Dartmouth, Devon TQ6 9QE
The historic Market Square plays host to a series of cooking demonstrations, a
farmers’ market, wine tastings and much more, showcasing local produce and
culinary skills.
30 - 1 Nov, BBC Good Food
Show Scotland, Glasgow
Celebrity chefs and wine connoisseurs will make sure you make the most of the
food, fine wines, beers and spirits on offer.
October - dates tbc, Manchester
Food & Drink Festival
Offers in hundreds of restaurants, bars and cafes as well as outdoor events
across the City and region.
October - dates tbc, Llangollen
Food Festival, Llangollen, Wales
One of the leading food festivals in Wales, the festival features over 100
exhibitors, a large demonstration and a beer festival.
October - dates tbc Aberfoyle
International Mushroom Festival, The Trossachs, Scotland
The annual mushroom festival in Aberfoyle features mushroom walks, as well as
wine tastings and cookery demonstrations.
October - dates tbc, The Big Apple,
around Much Marcle, Herefordshire
Each year small rural communities put together a series of tours round
villages west of Ledbury, to enable visitors to participate in cider
tastings, apple trails and orchard walks.
October - dates tbc, Wimborne
Food Festival, Wimborne Minster Green and The Cornmarket,
Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 1HT
This Dorset festival hosts more than 50 events, including tastings, a local
food market and farm tours.
NOVEMBER
13 - 15, BBC Good Food Show
London, Olympia, London
A fun-filled foodie extravaganza featuring the best in food and drink, and
entertainment from top chefs.
15, Clovelly Herring Festival,
Bideford, North Devon
Aiming to help safeguard the livelihood of fishermen by highlighting neglected
but tasty herrings, the festival will offer herring dishes, freshly-smoked
kippers and bloaters, local cider and wine, as well as entertainment from
traditional shanty singers and an educational exhibition from a local
maritime historian
26 - 29, St Nicholas Fayre,
York Carol singers, mulled wine and costumed traders specialising in crafts,
and the very best in local farm produce.
DECEMBER
December - dates tbc, Slow Food
Market, at Southbank Southbank Centre Square, Royal Festival Hall,
Southbank, SE1
The Slow Food Movement runs a Christmas market, selling food from all over
Europe, including raw milk cheeses and biodynamic wine, artisan breads and
rare breed meats.
Festivals held earlier in the year:
FEBRUARY
15, The World's Original
Marmalade Day, Dalemain House & Gardens, Dalemain, Penrith,
Cumbria CA11 0HB
A marmalade competition, workshops and tastings are part of this citrus-themed
day out.
20-28, Rye Bay Scallop Festival,
Rye, East Sussex
Learn how to cut a scallop at this festival of in-season shellfish, as well as
tasting and cookery demonstrations.
27-28, Wakefield Festival of
Food, Drink and Rhubarb, Yorkshire
Lots of local Yorkshire produce and a chance visit the magical rhubarb-forcing
sheds and hear about the heritage of this wonderful vegetable.
MARCH
March - dates tbc, Saundersfoot
St David Food and Craft Festival, Pembrokeshire
Events such as the Cawl Cooking Trail and the Biggest Leek Competition attract
crowds from miles around, who can also enjoy products from Pembrokeshire and
Wales.
APRIL
4-5, Lancashire Food
Festival, Street music and dancing will create the perfect
atmosphere in which to enjoy a host of traditional Lancashire foodstuffs.
11-13, Chester Food &
Drink Festival (01244 350233)
The festival at the racecourse will include a large producers' market,
showcasing the district's impressive variety of top quality produce, and
will host events such as wine, beer, champagne and cheese tastings, cookery
demonstrations and competitions.
17-19, Exeter
Festival of South West England Food and Drink, Devon
The first big one of the year. As well as a vast array of food producers the
festival will have a range of healthy eating activities to inspire young
food lovers.
18, Wear Valley Food Festival,
Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland, Co. Durham
There will be more than 40 food stalls selling locally-produced goods at this
festival, held in the historic grounds of Auckland Castle.
23 April – 21 June, British
Asparagus Festival, Vale of Evesham, Worcestershire
This two-month festival takes place at various venues around the Vale of
Evesham, making the most of the asparagus season with asparagus tours,
auctions and "The Great Asparagus Run".
25-26, Mid Wales
Mouthful Food Festival, Powys
The Royal Welsh showground hosts more than 50 stalls of local and sustainable
produce, featuring artisan and speciality food and drink from Powys, as well
as celebrity and local chef demonstrations.
MAY
2-17, Eat! Newcastle &
Gateshead Food & Drink Festival
A celebration of the finest food in the North-East, this event includes a
pop-up secret restaurant for five days only, and dining in the dark to
increase sensory awareness and help understanding of certain disabilities.
8-10, Real Food Festival,
Earls Court, London
The event will have the principles of slow food at its core and showcase
carefully selected food and drink that is good, clean and fairly sourced.
16-17, Henley Food Festival,
Henley
Antony Worrall Thompson and Theo Randall will give free cookery demonstrations
and the head-to-head final of the "cook in" competition for
amateur chefs.
17, Watercress Festival,
Alresford, Hampshire
Watercress-orientated activity including celebrity cookery demonstrations,
children's workshops and a food market ripe with the county's produce.
17-18, Derbyshire Food &
Drink Fair, Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire, S44 6PR
Celebrity chef Brian Turner will be on hand to demonstrate his skills at this
two-day event, showcasing the best of local produce.
17-25, Festival of Food and Wine,
Jesmond Dene House Hotel, Newcastle
A smart festival championing the North East’s produce, with Michelin-starred
guest chefs, and tutored wine tastings.
23-31, English Wine Week,
From Cornwall to Kent
Scores of English wine producers offer tastings, food matching and vineyard
visits.
30-31, Bristol Vegan Fayre,
The Amphitheatre and Waterfront Square, Bristol BS1 5LL
Vegan food demonstrations, nutrition talks and more than 160 stalls form part
of the world’s largest vegan event, with music and entertainment for all the
family
May - dates tbc, Ryedale Food
Festival, Castle Howard, York, YO60 7DA
Held in the grounds of the historic house, events include a cookery theatre,
tours of the ornamental vegetable garden and the chance to buy from more
than 60 local producers.
29-31 Taste
of Edinburgh, Taste the best that Edinburgh's restaurants have to
offer, plus gourmet shopping in the first of this year's taste festivals.
1-31 May Loch Lomond Food & Drink
Festival, Loch Lomond, Balloch, Scotland
Billed as a celebration of great Scottish cooking and produce, the festival is
in a stunning location on the shores of Loch Lomond. There will be cookery
demonstrations from some of the area's best chefs and cookery workshops for
kids as well as a real ale and whisky tent.
JUNE
10-14, BBC Good Food Summer
Show, The NEC, Birmingham NEC
A fun-filled foodie extravaganza featuring the best in food and drink, and
entertainment from top chefs.
11-14 Taste
of Dublin, Taste sample-sized portions from 20 of Dublin's best
restaurants, plus gourmet shopping in the beautiful surroundings of Dublin's
Iveagh Gardens.
18-21 Taste of London,
Regent's Park
Taste the best that London's restaurants have to offer, plus gourmet shopping.
19-21, Cheltenham Food and Drink
Festival, Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, GL50 1SD (01242 227 979)
Features a line-up of the most tantalising food and beverage producers in the
county.
25-28 Flavour of Shetland,
Lerwick (01595 744 944)
A major event showcasing the best of Shetland’s crafts and culture, where
local purveyors demonstrate the versatility of
Britain’s northernmost produce.
27th June - 5th July, Pembrokeshire
Fish Week, (01437 776 168)
The 10th anniversary of this festival week, events include gourmet seafood
evenings, fresh mackerel barbecues, lobster lunches and even the chance to
cook your own catch.
29 June - 5 July The Isle of Man
Queenie Festival
An annual event held to celebrate the Island’s Queen scallops, or Queenies, as
they are more commonly known on the Isle of Man.
JULY
1-31, Hampshire Food
Festival, Highlights will include celebrity food writer events,
cookery demonstrations, workshops, farm walks, talks and picnics.
2-5 Leeds Loves Food
Celebrates the range and quality of the food and drink available in the
city’s restaurants, including events and promotions. A launch event in
Millennium Square will host live action from the Leeds Loves Food kitchen.
7-10, The Royal Show,
Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
The Royal Show is an agricultural fair, so expect a farmers’ market, and a
Food and Drink Hall packed with British specialities such as meat, ice
cream, and conserves as well as traditional British ciders and beers.
9-12 July Taste
of Birmingham, Taste the best that Birmingham's restaurants have to
offer, now that the city has three Michelin stars, plus gourmet shopping.
11 July Black Cherry Fair, Abbey
Field, Staines Lane, Chertsey, Surrey KT16
First held in the 15th Century, this is a popular local event with cherry
pies, food stalls, music and traditional entertainment.
11, Mortimer Country Food Fair,
Manor Farm Barn, Brampton Bryan, Shropshire SY7 0DH
Celebrate the best of Hereford and Shropshire’s local produce by buying
British cherries by the basketful or visiting the local food stalls.
11-12, Dorset Seafood Festival,
Hope Square, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8TR (01305 785 747)
Catch a piece of the action with cookery demonstrations, filleting
demonstrations, wine-matching, a fresh fish auction and tasting
opportunities for a large range of local fish.
17-19, Cherry and Soft Fruit Show,
The County Agricultural Showground, Maidstone, Kent
Held in conjunction with the Kent County Agricultural Show - some of the best
homegrown fruit in the country comes from this area, including rare heritage
varieties.
18-26, Annual
Whitstable Oyster Fair, Whitstable
Highlights of the festival will include the Landing of the Oyster ceremony
and the oyster parade, as well as walks and talks around Old Whitstable and
the harbour.
25-27 Nantwich International Cheese
Show, Dorfold Hall Park, Nantwich CW5 8LD
This show has been running for more than 100 years and is now the biggest
cheese show in the world, with exhibitors from all over the world. Make sure
you choose the correct day to visit – one is for trade, one is open to the
public.
July - dates tbc, Pontefract
Liquorice Festival, Pontefract Town Centre, Yorkshire WF8 1PG (0845
601 8353)
The liquorice capital of England with all things made from the black root
available to sample, as well as family-themed events and a town centre
parade.
AUGUST
4, The Egton Bridge
Gooseberry Show, Yorkshire (01947 810 332)
First established in 1800, this is one of the few remaining gooseberry shows.
Growers from all over the country compete for the honour of growing the
heaviest gooseberry over four categories. Open to the public from 2pm.
4-8, Great British Beer Festival,
Earls Court, London
A showcase for well-known brands as well as a chance for small, local brewers
to promote their beer. The Champion Beer of Britain competition will also be
judged.
15-16, The Isle of Wight Garlic
Festival, The Fighting Cocks Crossroad, Isle of Wight, PO30 3AR
The island’s garlic is at the heart of this event, flavouring prawns, ice
cream and coffee, but the festival also showcases the best of local produce,
with Dunsbury Lamb making its debut in 2009.
15-16, Chilli Fest, Levens
Hall, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 0PD
Chilli-lovers will get the chance to try the hottest jams, jellies, chocolate,
sauces, seeds, powders, against the backdrop of Elizabethan Levens Hall.
There will also be cookery demonstrations and salsa dancing.
1-31, Pershore Plum
Festival, Pershore, Worcestershire
The Pershore Plum Fair runs throughout the whole of the month of August,
culminating in a grand finale on August Bank Holiday.
August - dates tbc, Foodies at the
Festival, The Sheraton Hotel and Festival Square, Edinburgh EH3 9SR
Adding a foodie dimension to the Edinburgh Festival, this is an opportunity
for out-of-towners to sample the best of Scottish food and drink.
