The 15 best UK food festivals

Fans of food festivals have an abundance of tempting events to choose from throughout the UK each year. The UK is home to some of the best chefs, restaurants, dishes and produce in the world. To tantalise your taste buds, we’ve selected our 10 best UK food festivals that will leave even the most ardent foodies more than satiated.

Ludlow Food Festival

The prestigious Ludlow Food Festival takes place each year around the middle of September. Visitors can expect cooking demonstrations and talks from Michelin starred chefs, as well as a variety of tasting sessions and workshops such as cookery workshops and knife skills courses. In addition, many independent producers host exhibits at the festival and there are plenty of family-friendly entertainments to amuse visitors of all ages.

Isle of Wight Garlic Festival

Anyone who goes gaga for garlic should definitely make their way to the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival. The festival takes place near Newchurch in mid-August and offers an array of mouth-watering attractions such as cooking demonstrations and plenty of produce to try. However, there is more than just food on offer. The likes of archery, a fun fair, live music and a beer tent ensures that adults and children alike will have no shortage of entertainment.

Abergavenny Food Festival

The annual Abergavenny Food Festival won the 2013 National Tourism Award for Best Event in Wales and attracts thousands of visitors each year. The festival takes place in September and hosts hundreds of exhibitors, cooking demonstrations and workshops, food talks, tutored tasting sessions and a children’s Food Academy amongst its many attractions.

The Big Feastival

Fabulous food and excellent music combine to form the Big Feastival presented by Jamie Oliver and Alex James. The festival takes place at the end of August at Alex James’s farm near Kingham in the Cotswolds. Pop-up restaurants, a variety of live music acts, child-friendly animal interactions courtesy of the Cotswold Farm Park, chef demonstrations, talks and tastings are all served up for visitors to enjoy.

Nantwich Food & Drink Festival

With its abundance of historic architecture, Nantwich town centre provides an enticing place to host the Nantwich Food and Drink Festival. Street food stalls, local and international producers, as well as chef demonstrations are just some of the attractions that visitors can look forward to during the festival which takes place in early September.

Great Dorset Chilli Festival

Foodies who can handle the heat will be right at home in the Great Dorset Chilli Festival. The festival takes place at Wimborne St Giles in August and offers street food, stalls, cooking demonstrations, live music, talks and kids’ entertainment. Visitors who aren’t partial to having flaming mouths don’t need to worry though as not all of the food on offer is chilli-related, so everyone can find something to their taste at the festival.

Clitheroe Food Festival

Each year in early August the town of Clitheroe in Lancashire treats foodies to the annual Clitheroe Food Festival. Visitors to the festival will be greeted with the likes of chef master class demonstrations, informative expert talks on a range of topics from chocolate to coffee and game, as well as tasting opportunities.

Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival

The Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival is the south of England’s biggest food festival and takes place twice a year at Easter and September. The festival incorporates numerous stalls showcasing local and international produce, as well as master classes, tutored tastings and much more for visitors to get their teeth into.

Feast

Feast in London is a meeting place for top chefs from some of the capital’s most talked about eateries. Praised for offering seriously delicious and innovative food at very affordable prices, this event is progressive and high concept. The bill in includes master classes, street food stalls, markets and numerous pop-up restaurants filled with top cuisine.

Dorset Seafood Festival

There’s nothing fishy about the Dorset Seafood Festival, it’s just a great place for seafood lovers to have a whale of a time. The festival occurs in the middle of July at Weymouth Harbour and provides a whole range of entertainments such as chef demonstrations, food classes, fresh fish auctions, expert food and drink talks and over 100 food stalls for picking up a tasty treat or two.

Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival

Enjoying a picturesque location on the shore of Loch Lomond, the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival offers a mixed program of events and attractions. Visitors can view cooking demonstrations, sample a variety of foods, interact with animals and partake of some refreshments in the beer tent during this September festival.

Taste of London

Taste of London is one of the premier food festivals in the UK. Every year in June, thousands of foodies flock to Regent’s Park in the heart of the capital to enjoy a full day’s entertainment in the open air. More than 40 top restaurants take part with more than 200 food stalls set up shop during the four spectacular. Participating chefs have included Michel Roux Junior, Gary Rhodes and Raymond Blanc.

Cromer and Sheringham Crab and Lobster Festival

The rival seaside towns of Cromer and Sheringham unite each May to celebrate the area’s culinary past and present in this fairly new food festival. The three day charity event always has a real sense of community and a lovely family-friendly feel. The free festival is a great day out for all ages with all sorts of interesting seaside and seafood related events, including the World Pier Crabbing Championships.

Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival

Held in Cheltenham’s beautiful Montpellier Gardens every June, the Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival is a sophisticated weekend which showcases the best local and national food producers. Highlights of the festival include cooking demonstrations, wine tasting sessions and live music performances with plenty of local ales and produce to sample.

Grillstock

Love BBQ’s? Love meat? Love music? For something a bit less highbrow, head to Grillstock. This fun event has a cool, street festival vibe where people can simply walk in and enjoy some good music and meat. There are 2 festivals each year in June, one in Bristol and one in Manchester. Highlights included a chilli eating contest, a 32-seat communal table for a true barbeque dining experience and some big name bands like the Fun Loving Criminals.

Delicious delights for diverse tastes

Whether you are a fully-fledged foodie or simply wanting a great day out, a trip to a food festival is a top choice for any holidaymaker. So the only thing left to do is mark the calendar dates, loosen the belts in preparation and get ready to tuck in!