Food Festivals 2010

APRIL

3-5, 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.

9-11, 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.

10-11, Lancashire Food Festival Street music and dancing will create the perfect atmosphere in which to enjoy a host of traditional Lancashire foodstuffs.

17, Bishop Auckland 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”.

MAY

2-3, The Big Apple Blossomtime, Much Marcle, Herefordshire Each year, small rural communities put together a series of tours round villages and orchards west of Ledbury, culminating in a grand cider tasting. Similar dates in October tbc.

7-10, 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, Watercress Festival, Alresford, Hampshire Watercress-orientated activity including celebrity cookery demonstrations, children’s workshops and a food market ripe with the county’s produce.

22-23, Henley Food Festival, Henley Top TV chefs will give free cookery demonstrations and oversee the head-to-head final of the “cook in” competition for amateur chefs.

22-23, Derbyshire Food & Drink Fair, Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire, S44 6PR Part of the county-wide festival, which runs 22-31, this two-day event showcases Derbyshire’s finest goods over 100 stalls, as well as work by local artists.

29-30, Bristol Eco Veggie 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.

29 May - 6 June, English Wine Week, From Cornwall to Kent Scores of English wine producers offer tastings, food matching and vineyard visits.

Dates tbc, Taste of Edinburgh Courtesy of Channel 4, taste the best that Edinburgh’s restaurants have to offer, plus indulge in a little gourmet shopping.

JUNE

10-13, Taste of Dublin Taste sample-sized portions from 20 of Dublin’s best restaurants at this four-day event, held in the beautiful surroundings of the city’s Iveagh Gardens.

12-27, 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.

16-20, 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 including the Hairy Bikers and James Martin.

17-20, Taste of London, Regent’s Park Brush shoulders with London’s finest and pick up some gourmet ingredients at the same time during this top summer festival.

17-20, 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.

18-20, Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival, Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham, GL50 1SD (01242 227 979) Features a tantalising line-up of some of the country’s top food and drink talents.

26 June - 4 July, Pembrokeshire Fish Week, (01437 776 168) This 11-year-old festival week includes 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.

JULY

1-31, Hampshire Food Festival Highlights will include celebrity food writer events, cookery demonstrations, workshops, farm walks, talks and picnics.

1-4, 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.

10, 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.

10-11, 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.

11, 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, Pontefract Liquorice Festival, Pontefract Town Centre, Yorkshire WF8 1PG (0845 601 8353) The liquorice capital of England has all things made from the black root available to sample, as well as family-themed events and a town centre parade.

16-18, Taste of Birmingham Now that Birmingham has a whole host of Michelin Stars to its name, these three days offer an opportunity to sample that which is making the city so praiseworthy.

16-18, 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.

24-30, 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.

27-28, 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 – the first is for trade, the second is open to the public.

31 July - 30 August, Pershore Plum Festival, Pershore, Worcestershire The plum festival starts at the end of July this year, runs for a whole month and ends with a bang on August Bank Holiday.

AUGUST

3, 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.

3-7, 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.

13-15, 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.

14-15, 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 - it flavours prawns, ice cream and coffee, but the festival also showcases the best of local produce.

14-15, Chilli Fest, Levens Hall, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 0PD Chilli-lovers will get the chance to try the hottest jams, jellies, chocolate, sauces, seeds and powders against the backdrop of Elizabethan Levens Hall. There will also be cookery demonstrations and salsa dancing.

14-15 The South Holland Summer Celebration of Food and Culture, Castle Playing Fields, Spalding Cooking demos and international food along with award-winning cheeses, chocolates, fudge, cakes, sausages, turkey, ice-cream, fish, beer and wines.

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 over 70 Sussex producers.

4-5, 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 fight for the spot of tastiest tomato, and everyone can learn from the tomato-growing tips and recipe demonstrations available.

4-5, The Really Wild Food and Countryside Festival, St Davids, Pembrokeshire 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.

4-19, Scottish Food Fortnight, 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.

10-12, 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.

11, Fishstock Brixham, Fish Quay, Brixham, Devon Combining seafood and music to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Britain’s dear old fish and chip supper, this fundraising event for the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea features seafood recipes cooked by expert and celebrity chefs.

11, 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.

11-12, Soil Association Organic Food Festival, Bristol Harbourside Enjoy all that’s organic at Europe’s biggest organic food jamboree, featuring a food plaza, organic food markets and gardens, plus the Soil Association marquee and café.

12 Liverpool Food & Drink Festival Sefton Park Showcasing more than 60 of the city’s bars and restaurants, plus celebrity chefs and a week of culinary events and offers.

17-26, York Festival of Food and Drink 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.

18-19, 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.

18-19 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.

18-19, Abergavenny Food Festival, Wales Feast on 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.

18 September - 3 October, British Food Fortnight, Across Britain 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.

18 September - 3 October, The Bidwells Norwich & Norfolk Food Festival A full two weeks of celebrations featuring local restaurants, produce and talent and with an emphasis on healthy eating.

24-26, 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.

24-26, Stratford Food Festival, Recreation Ground, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire Stratford-upon-Avon’s Festival of Food event returns in 2010, with representation from both local and national producers.

25-26, Mold Food & Drink Festival, Mold, Wales With Welsh, Asian, Mediterranean and vegetarian cookery demonstrations there should be something for most tastes.

25-26, 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.

25-26, Great British Cheese Festival, Cardiff Demonstrations and lessons in the fine art of cheese-making.

25-26, 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.

Dates tbc, Nantwich Food Festival Billed as “Britain’s Tastiest Festival”, this as-yet-unconfirmed festival is the largest of its kind with more than 2,000 products to taste during the three-day event. The best regionally produced food is offered out against the backdrop of the historic market town.

Dates tbc, Tavistock Food and Drink Festival An opportunity to try and buy quality food and drink from producers based in the South West.

Dates tbc, Worcester Feast A new event that includes more than 120 food and drink exhibitors from the Heart of England. There’s also 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.

OCTOBER

1-11, Manchester Food & Drink Festival Offers in hundreds of restaurants, bars and cafes as well as outdoor events across the city and region.

2-3 East Midlands Food and Drink Festival, Brooksby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 2LJ

8-10, 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’ve happened upon an unknown crop growing in your garden.

16-17, Llangollen Food Festival, Llangollen, Wales Over 100 exhibitors, a mass demonstration and a beer festival all come as standard at one of Wales’ largest festivals.

20-25, 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 more.

22-24, 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.

23-24, 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.

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. Watch this space.

NOVEMBER

12-14, MasterChef Live (formerly BBC Good Food Show London), Olympia, London A fun-filled foodie extravaganza featuring the best in food and drink, and entertainment from top chefs.

21, 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. Also watch out for traditional shanty singers and an educational exhibition from a local maritime historian.

25-28, St Nicholas Fayre, York Carol singers, mulled wine and costumed traders specialising in crafts supplement the very best in local farm produce.

27-28 Tastes of Lincolnshire Christmas Food and Drink Fair Lincolnshire Epic Centre, Grange-de-Lings, Lincoln, LN2 2NA

DECEMBER

Dates tbc, Slow Food Market, Southbank Southbank Centre Square, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank, SE1 The Slow Food Movement has yet to confirm its 2010 Christmas market, selling food from all over Europe including raw milk cheeses and biodynamic wine, artisan breads and rare breed meats.