Food And Drink Festivals Near You

The UK offers a wealth of food and drink festivals, so you are likely to come across one during your caravanning or camping trip. Here is a selection of food and drink festivals that you can explore during your travels.

Wakefields Festival of Food, Drink and Rhubarb

Wakefields festival of food, drink and rhubarb takes place in Westfield Cathedral, in February, marking one of the UKs first food and drinks festivals of the year. The festival celebrates traditional rhubarb growing in Wakefield, as well as other local regional produce. Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb is one of Europes protected foods, along with Parma ham and champagne. The festival offers a selection of street entertainment, along with tours of rhubarb growers and food demonstrations with tastings.

Chester Food, Drinks and Lifestyle Festival

The Chester Food, Drinks and Lifestyle Festival takes place in various locations in Chester in April. One of the highlights of the festival is the Taste and Lifestyle Festival, which is held at Chester Racecourse. This where the best farmers, producers, craft makers and chefs from Chester gather for demonstrations, tastings and sales of food for three days.

Produce consists of a wide range of delicious food such as fudge, chocolate, ice cream, fish, bread, cheese and more adventurous options such as ostrich meat and wild board salami.

Exeter Festival of South West England Food and Drink

This festival takes place in Exeter Castle Courtyard and Northernhay Gardens in April. The three-day event offers the chance to see celebrity and professional chefs and demonstrations. Live music is also offered. A Festival Cookery Theatre is located at the Castle Courtyard and is the place for visitors to see national and local chefs and be provided with cookery tips. Local producers gather at the pavilions in Northernhay Gardens to sell food.

The festival is ideal for family as there is plenty of entertainment, including a Food is Fun Tee-Pee, which offers activities for younger visitors.

Watercress Festival

The Watercress Festival takes place in Alresford in May. It is an annual event that attracts around 12,000 people and consists of demonstrations and tastings from local chefs and producers. There is plenty of entertainment, including Charlie the carthorse, Morris dancers and schoolchildren marching through the town. Newly harvested watercress is distributed by the Watercress King and Queen.

A park and ride service is offered, which enables visitors to reach the festival from the nearby town of Ropely via the Watercress Line Railway, which was used to transport watercress from Alresford to Covent Garden in Victorian times.

Many activities are offered at the festival, including face painting, live music, a tour of a watercress farm and the Watercress Eating Championships. A selection of local produce is sold at stalls from the Hampshire Farmers Market.

Pembrokeshire Fish Week

This event takes place at various venues in June and celebrates seafood. The Festival offers 200 events that are ideal for families, which take place at a number of venues. The event begins with a day at Milford Haven Marina, where families and food lovers can enjoy food demonstrations, tastings and browse stalls.

Other enjoyable activities at the festival include kayaking, seashore rambles, a photography competition, an art display, river cruises, and a seafood masterclass with celebrity chefs, which takes place mid week.

Pontefract Liquorice Festival

The Pontefract Liquorice Festival, which takes place in Pontefract town centre in July, offers the chance to taste variations of food and drink that use liquorice as a key ingredient as well as other local produce. Visitors can also listen to fascinating talks that recount the history of the famous Middle Eastern plant and how it was transformed from a medicine into a sweet.

Nantwich International Cheese Show

This festival takes place in Dorfold Park in July and enables visitors to explore over three thousand cheeses from 24 countries. The cheeses are put on display, sold and sampled in a marquee, with new flavours such as chocolate chip and marmalade being introduced.

The cheese festival is part of the Nantwich Show, which is an agricultural event that offers a cattle show, gundogs, falconry, pigeon and poultry pavilions, a home, floral, garden and art pavilion, an arcade and much more.

The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival

The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival takes place in Sandown in August. It is a two-day event that is held to celebrate Isle of Wights role as a provider of garlic. The festival attracts around 25,000 visitors and over 300 stallholders offer products infused with garlic, such as ice cream, beer and seafood. Local and veteran British bands provide music and there is also a climbing wall and a funfair.

The Lakes Chilli Fest

Held in Levens Hall in Cumbria in August, the Lakes Chilli Fest offers over fifty stalls filled with chilli-related products such as breads, jams, chocolates, sweets, sauces, ice-creams, plants, seeds, chutneys oils and even clothing.

Entertainment at the festival is provided by fire eaters and jugglers and visitors can also explore the gardens of Levens Hall.

Ludlow Food Festival

One of the UKs oldest festivals, the Ludlow Food festival takes place in various venues across Ludlow in September. Over 140 local food and drink producers gather to offer talks and food demonstrations. The festival also offers activities such as the famous Sausage Trail and visitors can explore Ludlow Castle and town centre.

Aberfoyle International Mushroom Festival

This festival takes place in various locations in Aberfoyle in October. Visitors can learn about the varieties of mushrooms and participate in activities such as painting fungi in watercolours. A mushroom buffet is also offered.

Clovelly Herring Festival

The Clovelly Herring Festival takes place in November and is held to celebrate the towns former role as a major centre for herring fishing. Visitors can enjoy beer, herring specialities and cider as well as a wide range of entertainment, local stalls and net making demonstrations.

Manchester Christmas Market

Held in Albert Square in December, this festival enables visitors to sample food from all over Europe. Food is served in wooden chalets, which are located beneath Manchester Town Halls giant inflatable Santa. Spanish Paella, Dutch mini pancakes, curry, spicy chilli and Hungarian goulash are just a few of the delicacies on offer. European crafts, artwork and clothes are also on offer, making it an ideal event for those looking for great presents other than food and wine.