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Whether you like crabs’ claws, chillis, craft beer or cheese, we’ve found a foodie festival to suit you. Now, where are my wellies?
Green Man Courtyard Welsh Beer and Cider Festival 25-29 May King’s Cross, London As the publicity says, “Courtyard is all about Beer, Music and Wales” – the best of Welsh craft beer and cider, a fine line-up of Welsh – and international – bands including. courtyard2017.com/artists
Blenheim Palace Food Festival
27-29 May
Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
Regional food and drink from 120 stallholders: artisan bakers, craft brewers, gourmet burgers, international cuisine in the grounds of the splendid 18th-century palace built for the Duke of Marlborough to celebrate his victory over the French at the battle of Blenheim. blenheimpalace.com
London Evening Standard Food Month Month of June Events take place throughout June across the capital — from breakfast to late-night supper clubs. London’s daily newspaper (now edited by ex-chancellor George Osborne) aims to reflect “exotic gastronomic traditions from around the world now represented on the streets of London”. https://londonfoodmonth.co.uklondonfoodmonth.co.uk
London Evening Standard Food Month: Night markets 7-18 June Perks Field, Kensington, London An eclectic array of stalls are open till 11.30pm: Mama’s Jerk, Patty & Bun, The Cheese Truck, Vinn Goute, Le Bao and Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen. Cocktails, summer whisky serves, bloody mary masterclasses, late-night espresso martinis, open-air cinema, Michelin-starred restaurants https://londonfoodmonth.co.uk/night-market/
Taste of London
14 – 17 June
Regent’s Park, London
London’s major food festival, with top chefs (Nathan Outlaw, Vivek Singh, José Pizarro) showing off their signature dishes, cooking and cocktail classes, hundreds of artisan stalls. Sharp elbows and deep pockets an advantage – VIP tickets (fast entry, free glass of Champagne and chance to “meet the maker”) start at £52.
london.tastefestivals.com
Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival 8-9 July Weymouth, Dorset Succulent festival of seafood (sponsored by Pommery Champagne) in the wonderful old harbour at Weymouth. Starry chefs (Rick Stein, the seafood king of the southwest, presides), celebrity writers, masterclasses – along with the obligatory Kids’ Zone. dorsetseafood.co.uk
Great Dorset Chilli Festival
5-6 August
Wimbourne St Giles, Dorset
They don’t call it “Dorset’s hottest festival” for nothing. All things chilli, from pepper plants to cayenne condiments, cooking demos, tips on growing, food stalls, music (of course), artisan beers and wines. Chill. http://www.greatdorsetchillifestival.co.uk
London Craft Beer Festival 4-6 August Shoreditch Electric Light Station, Hoxton Square Enormo-beards, tattoos and extravagantly-named beers (the Church of the Apocalyptic Lawnmower, anyone?) on parade in London’s painfully hip Shoreditch. Weird Beard Brew Company (the Lawnmower’s theirs), Beavertown, Estonia’s Pohjala, Del Ducato from Italy as well as behemoths like Brewdog and Sierra Nevada; grub from Hoxton’s Radio Alice pizza, Indian kitchen Gunpowder and a dozen more, music from indie supergroup Foals and clutch of DJs and locals. londoncraftbeerfestival.co.uk
Maldon Smoke and Fire Festival 19-20 August Maldon, Essex A red-blooded family celebration of fire and smoke – with added chillis and music. A must for dedicated grillers, with international barbecue chefs, plus chilli eating competitions and chilli cook-offs. Approved by the International Barbecue Network and the Scoville Food Institute. smokeandfirefestival.com
River Cottage Festival 26-27 August River Cottage, Axminster Devon Fun on the farm at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Devon HQ. Foraging, music, dancing, pig roasts, kids’ activities. One of the original down-on-the-farm festivals, now with luxury camping, gig nights and VIP parking. rivercottage.net
Big Feastival
25-27 August
Kingham, Oxfordshire
Rock ‘n’ roll and roquefort from the Blur bassist-turned-cheesemaker Alex James. Much like the Buckingham Palace garden party, you’ve got as much chance of seeing James and his celebrity pals (former pm David Cameron for one) as you have of shaking hands with the Queen. Starry line up of chefs from Mark Hix and Antonio Carluccio to Gizzi Erskine and Romy Gill. Music from Olly Murs, Madness and De La Soul, among others. The Feastival now has an international arm in Canada.
uk.thebigfeastival.com/
Meatopia 1-3 September Tobacco Dock, London “Meatopia is a call to arms for all you judicious lovers of meat…” Live bands, butchery demos, informal workshops, art installations, street theatre and live performances. International line-up of chefs and butchers, from Yottam Ottolenghi to Nathan Outlaw, Estanislao Carenzo of Casa Bonay in Barcelona, Ash Heeger of Capetown’s Ash and Nathan Green of Rhoda in Hong Kong. https://www.meatopia.co.uk/manifesto/
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