The best food festivals to visit in 2022
English Wine and Food Festival
The English Wine and Food Festival is a gem. We discovered it last year at Brightwell Vineyard in Oxfordshire. Although the location changes each year, with this year’s event hosted at Cobb’s Farm in Hungerford, the ethos and experience is the same. The ticket price includes six tastings from different wine producers across the Thames Valley and Chilterns. Meeting with the wine makers is a joy, and because your ticket price includes tastings which the producer is paid for, you don’t feel an obligation to buy each time which means you can genuinely engage the maker with questions and conversation. Look out for Harrow & Hope (excellent fizz) and All Angels who we’ve been hearing good things about. There’s also live music as well as a delicious line up of artisan food and drink from local producers. Our verdict - a low key, easy access day, or two-day event that’s well organised and enables you to taste different varieties and styles of English Wine whilst meeting the wine makers. Do note, queues for the more popular producers can sometimes be long but if you have something in hand and the sun is shining it’s really not a chore.
Details
Date: 25th & 26th June 2022, 11am – 5pm
Price: Tickets from £15 per adult
Address: Cobbs Farm, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0SP
Website: www.englishwineandfoodfestival.co.uk
Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival
A celebration of Suffolk’s thriving food and drink scene with over 100 artisan food and drink producers - Aldeburgh is not to be missed. This fantastic event is all about supporting Suffolk’s farmers, producers and independents. And it’s not just about eating and drinking but is packed with masterclasses, live cooking demos, talks, debates and interactive experiences for children and families. If you’re not from this part of the country then make a weekend of it with a free shuttle from Aldeburgh and a fantastic range of accommodation on the Suffolk coast. But book well in advance as this is one of Suffolk’s most popular festivals and people travel from all over the country to enjoy it. Some of our favourite producers to look out for are Fen Farm Dairy, Pump Steet Chocolates and Fishers Gin. While you’re in the area, drop by Pinney’s of Orford who are just down the coast, to discover their delicious range of smoked fish and seafood.
Details
Date: 24 – 25 September 2022
Price: Tickets from £10 per adult
Address: Snape Maltings, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, Snape, Suffolk IP17 1SP
Website: www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk
Stroud Festival of Food and Drink
We’ve long enjoyed Stroud’s award-winning Saturday Farmers market (9am – 2pm) with its wide range of artisan producers, many from Stroud and the surrounding area. Discover everything from baked goods, meat & charcuterie, cheeses, locally brewed drinks, fruit and flowers to pottery and crafts. With such a great range of producers and products, you’ll always find excellent quality at Stroud, which is why we were so excited to hear about this year’s food and drink festival. The action-packed three-day festival comes to town this May with chefs and guest speakers, bars and food trucks, pop-ups, a vegan area and dedicated children’s area. What’s more, the usual Saturday farmers market will be open on Sunday 22nd May to coincide with the festival. The Saturday night is expected to get lively with local bands and a cider bar. Also look out for Stroud Brewery - one of our favourite organic breweries. See you there!
Details
Date: 20 – 22nd May 2022
Price: Many of the events are free and some ticketed. Visit The Sub Rooms for tickets and prices
Address: Events spread in and around Stroud’s town centre
Website: https://www.stroudfoodanddrink.com
The Dorset Seafood Festival: SEAFEAST
A visit to SEAFEAST on the Weymouth Peninsula offers a fantastic opportunity to taste a wide range of seafood along with local beers and wines, whilst learning more about responsibly sourced seafood. The event moved from the Harbour side to Weymouth Peninsula last year, allowing better access and more features. The new location has been positively received by visitors so is back in the same place again. There’s lots happening this year from top chefs to delicious seafood, industry experts, live music and ‘Sea’s – a zone to learn about Ocean health. Need any more reasons to attend? SEAFEAST has helped raise over £90,000 for the Fisherman’s Mission – a charity that provides emergency and practical support to fishermen and their families.
If you’re in the area, we strongly recommend a visit to Langham Wine Estate. Langham is one of our favourite UK producers and offers tours and tastings during the summer months. There are three options to choose from – self-guided tours, guided tours or a private tour. Advance booking is recommended before you make the journey to this rural location (around 35 – 40 minutes from Weymouth). Langham Wine Estate, Crawthorne, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 7NG.
Details
Date: 10th & 11th September 2022
Price: From £10 per adult
Address: Weymouth Peninsula (behind Weymouth Pavilion), Weymouth, DT4 8ED
Website: www.dorsetseafood.co.uk
The Big Feastival
One of the more mainstream events that we feature is The Big Feastival – a three day, family-friendly weekend which returns to Alex James’ farm in August with world-class music acts, highly acclaimed chefs, excellent street food and an abundance of family activities. If you enjoy good music and good food and don’t have plans this August bank holiday weekend, grab your tickets now. 2022 headliners include The Human League, Stereophonics and Sugababes. And there’s a fantastic chef line-up too. Throw in sunshine and this could be your best weekend of 2022. Book tickets/camping in good time as prior events have sold-out.
Details
Date: 26 – 28 August 2022
Price: Day tickets from £92.50 per adult
Address: Alex James’ Farm, Kingham, Chipping Norton, OX7 6UJ
Website: www.thebigfeastival.com
Ludlow Food Festival
Back in the mid 1990’s, Ludlow Chamber of Commerce came up with ideas to boost Ludlow’s image and attract more visitors. The idea of a food festival was an instant success that has seen the event grow in popularity year-on-year while Ludlow itself began to attract more chefs and excellent restaurants. Today, this is an original and much-loved food festival with 100+ exhibitors mostly from Ludlow and the Welsh borders. Much of the event is set within the castle walls and visitors can expect three days brimming with talks, chef demonstrations, food and drink tastings, feasts and masterclasses. Not to mention the array of bakers, makers, brewers and winemakers. Is three days really enough?
Date: 9th, 10th & 11th September 2022
Price: From £13.50 per adult
Address: Ludlow, Shropshire
Website: www.foodfestival.co.uk
Abergavenny Food Festival
Crossing Offa’s Dyke has never been so exciting than with the prospect of attending Abergavenny Food Festival. Consisting of six accessible venues across the town, there are over 150 exhibitors and producers, along with talks, chef demos and debates. Plus there’s a children’s cookery school and family entertainment. A foodies dream? We think so. The Saturday night party at the castle (ticketed separately) is great fun and in the most romantic setting - the castle ruins. All tickets for Abergavenny are pre-sold and you can’t just turn up so please don’t wait to book. If in the area, we recommend a visit to Tintern Abbey; just around 30 minutes from Abergavenny and a glorious spot for a picnic on the banks of the River Wye. The Abbey is beautiful but is in ruins so this is an outdoor experience and only recommended in fine weather! This is Wales (just) so we recommend checking the weather in advance!
Date: 17th & 18th September 2022
Price: Day Stroller Wristband from £12 + individually ticketed events
Address: Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Website: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com
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by Dan, Barbury Hill Founder