It's that time of year again where up and down the country food festivals start to take place showcasing chefs skills, the latest produce and a chance to celebrate all things food and drink.
Here is our look at what is happening during April:
- Where: Pierremont Hall Gardens, Broadstairs
- When: 4th – 6th April 2015
Going into its seventh year, the Broadstairs Food Festival combines energy and enthusiasm for Kent produce with a passion for providing East Kent with a truly independent community festival.
Held annually in the picturesque seaside town this Spring fair is the baby sister to the October Festival - bringing in the new season with a smile. Over 20,000 visitors enjoy sampling and buying from local and Kent traders in the park - with local ale house 'Four Candles' supplying a good brew.
There will be artisan beers and ciders, Kent cheeses, organic and sourdough breads, stacks of preserves and chutneys and a host of hot food stalls: curries to crepes; pork to pasties. A great reason to make Broadstairs your Easter destination!
The Festival celebrates and showcases Kent’s food heritage: highlighting its diversity from sea to shore, field to fork - and is a great fun family friendly weekend and is leading the way in driving East Kent as a progressive and exciting food destination.
Bring the younger family members along to enjoy the free children’s workshop mornings with a variety of activities planned including bread and pizza classes.
Keep in touch via
@broadiefoodfest or the
website to find out more.
- Where: Chester Racecourse
- When: 4th – 6th April 2015
Why not spend your Easter weekend in the beautiful city of Chester? Chester Food, Drink and Lifestyle festival has a whole host of activities for you and all the members of your family.
The festival has celebrity chef demonstrations from the likes of Sunday Brunch star Simon Rimmer and many more yet to be announced, as well as kids rides and free cooking classes to turn your little ones in to mini master chefs.
Every year the festival welcomes people from right across the UK and abroad to their very special blend of fun, flavours and tastes. People tend to love the chef demonstrations, the kids cooking classes and the vast array of foods offered.
If you like competition and sausages, you might be interested in the quest to find Cheshire’s best
sausage. For the last seven years, as part of the Chester Food Drink & Lifestyle Festival, butchers have been competing to provide the perfect banger and this year the competition will be even hotter.
Will four timer winner Dave Joinson from Chester Market scoop the pool again, how about Cheerbrook farm who go to the final last year or will it be the young pretender from across the border, Mike Ford from Pen-y-Lan who takes the title off the Chester lads for the first time?
Not only that but the festival has 150 great quality food and drink producers for you to browse and buy. Find out more over on their Twitter
here.
Taste Chocolate
Where: Brunel Square and Great Eastern Hall, Great Western Dockyard, Bristol- When: 4th – 5th April 2015
The South West’s best chocolate producers and artisans take centre stage in Bristol’s biggest festival of chocolate this Easter weekend.
Taste Chocolate will take over Brunel Square and the Great Eastern Hall on Bristol’s harbourside right next to the ss Great Britain with a free two day family friendly event, featuring 40 stalls, chocolate demonstrations, prosecco bar, live music, children’s activities, competitions and much more.
Immerse yourself in all things chocolate by devouring some of the finest chocolates made locally, learn about Bristol’s rich chocolate history and watch talented producers and chefs while they work their magic in the Taste Chocolate Cookery Theatre, including Romy Gill from Romy’s Restaurant who will appread on the Sunday creating her Spicy Chilli Chocolate Cake.
Visitors can expect a wide range of local chocolatiers and artisans showcasing indulgent, beautifully crafted chocolates, cakes, pastries, fudge, churros, wine, beer, liqueurs, hot chocolate and of course, chocolate Easter eggs!
For further information please visit the Taste Chocolate website
www.tastechocolate.co.uk or follow any updates Twitter
@TasteChocUK
- Where: Stonyhurst College, Hurst Green Clitheroe, Lancashire
- When: 10th – 12th April 2015
The perfect recipe for a fun day out for the whole family is the Great British Food Festival. Over 80 top local producers, a big serving of stunning hot food, real ale and wine bars, craft and gift stalls, lots of activities and rides for the kids, top chef demos from the likes of GBBO finalist Luis Troyano, competition and the popular Men V’s Food, with excellent live music. All mixed together to make a lovely foodie family day out.
The main chef demo area inside the college hosts great local and regional chefs, all demos are free (as part of your admission ticket) to enter, so everyone can pick up top foodie tips.
There are also regular Artisan Foodie talks and the popular Great British Cake off and Men V’s Food for you to get involved with! The Great British Food Festival has attracted lots of producers showcasing the best in local and seasonal foods and drinks. It’s a great opportunity to get a real taste of the best of Lancashire and Great British produce - sample, enjoy and buy.
With Great Britain’s amazing mix of cultures and cuisines, the festival organizers thought it would be a shame to overlook some more exotic elements - so you can try Thai dishes, Ostrich burgers, or burittos as well as pulled pork, prime steak, and the best local burgers and sausages, for those with more traditional tastes!
After you’ve done your foodie shopping, sit out enjoying tasty hot food, a refreshing drink (or two), with great live music in the stunning surroundings of Stonyhurst College.
- Where: Framlingham College
- When: 11th – 12th April 2015
Featuring country pursuits, food, drink and music, the festival is a truly homespun celebration and is inviting the people of Suffolk and beyond to indulge in all things locally sourced and produced.
The show promises to be an exhibition of some of the best the region has to offer, as well as demonstration rings showcasing everything from dog agility to falconry and even geese herding.
The event will feature the best of Suffolk's food and drink and will have live cookery demonstrations all day on both days from top local chefs, butchers and bakers. Meet and chat to local producers and find out where your food comes from.
The festival will also have up to eight bands playing daily with the very best of local upcoming talent. Come along and sample locally made food and drink, be entertained by live music, attractions and a great many countryside pursuits.
Find out more over on their Twitter page
here.
- Where: Exeter Castle and Northernhay Gardens
- When: 24th – 26th April 2015
The three-day and three-night festival celebrates the rich variety of high quality food and drink made in the South West and will feature more than one hundred producers from the region as well as top chefs, workshops and food-themed activities for adults and children alike to enjoy.
Each year, visitors can look forward to the inspirational demos from top chefs and make the most of the free workshops and activities as well as the opportunity to stock up on some of the finest food in the South West. It’s the perfect opportunity to get a real taste of the region, to meet and speak to the people behind the produce, and to enjoy a foodie weekend in beautiful surroundings, just a stone’s throw from the very heart of the city centre of Exeter.
Championed and hosted by two-Michelin starred chef, Michael Caines MBE, the Festival Cookery Theatre draws in hundreds of home cooks, chefs and food enthusiasts every year to see an all-star line-up of some of the best South West professional chefs offering cooking demonstrations, cook-offs and master-classes throughout the weekend.
The ever popular Food is Fun teepees, sponsored by Darts Farm, returns to host an inspiring line up of artisan food producers, culinary experts and chefs, sharing their skills in a series of workshops and activities for all the family. Young food fans are also catered for in the Little Cookies area with fun and educational activities including storytelling and the festivals own miniature farm with lambs, piglets and chicks.
Michael Caines, Exeter Festival Co-Founder says “It is very exciting to welcome another Festival of South West Food & Drink to Exeter in 2015. With so much to offer those of us interested in great food and drink, the festival is the event to attend to celebrate and support our local producers as well as enjoy 3 days and evenings of activities and fun.”
More over on their Twitter
here.
- Where: Bakewell Town Center
- When: 25th – 26th April 2015
Bakewell’s food festival is here once again to tempt your tastebuds! This weekend dedicated to all that is great about British Food is a must for foodies and people who are interested in food and where and how it is produced.
The Historic town of Bakewell, Derbyshire is hosting its fourth Food Festival. There will be over 50 delicious food related stalls, not to mention road shows and cookery demonstrations at the School of Food in the Rutland Mill.
You can discover several tasty food samples with discounts around the town. If you prefer to tempt your tastebuds with pudding, this festival is the place to be - famous for the Bakewell Pudding where better to hold a celebration of local and artisan produce that this beautiful gem of a town, surrounded by all that the Peak District has to offer. If you are curious about the history of Bakewell, you can pop into the Old House Museum during your visit.
As a special event, Bakewell Old House Museum will be hosting a Classical Bakewell Tea for the afternoon of Saturday 25 April from 2-4pm. They will offer home baked Bakewell Tarts along with tea and coffee, served on vintage crockery and crisp white tablecloths. And for choir music lovers, the spring concert at The All Saints Parish Church featuring The Bakewell Silver Band, will offer you some melodies to relax to.
- Where: The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane
- When: 30th April – 3rd May 2015
For all you caffeine lovers out there, with or without jitters, The London Coffee Festival is the place to be.
The London Coffee Festival celebrates London’s bustling and vibrant coffee scene. With over 22,500 visitors expected, The London Coffee Festival promises to be an unmissable event for discerning coffee lovers and those working in the coffee scene.
The festival will feature over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls, tastings and demonstrations from world-class baristas, interactive workshops, street food, coffee-based cocktails, live music, DJs, art exhibitions and much more.
This year the audience will also witness, for the first time, the launch of a new fast-paced, multi-disciplinary barista competition called the Coffee Masters. This exciting new event will see top baristas from across the globe competing head-to-head for the prestigious Coffee Master title.
Visitors will also gain access to Milk & Sugar, a feature showcasing some of London’s most inspirational brands spanning from fashion to design and food. The London Coffee Festival is also proud to be the official launch event of UK Coffee Week™.
By Henna Holtinkoski
