It was a case of ‘survival of the fittest’ at the Festival of Food and Drink at Clumber Park. Only the strong and hungry survived the Food Exhibitors tent as an unexpected heat wave bought visitors flocking to this years event.
Caveman instincts were unleashed due to the fact that many of the exhibitors were offering free tasting samples. I had a small sliver of spiced sausage practically snatched from my hand at one point. The £7 entrance fee possibly proved too much for some, as one hunter gatherer was overheard giving instructions to ‘Eat as much as you can in ere’ which was a shame because whilst it worked on the one hand (I purchased several items as a result of tasting) some stall holders potentially missed out on trade because there were several stalls I wanted to look at, but being jostled and pushed around isn’t my idea of a relaxing Sunday. That said there were some fantastic stalls with over120 exhibitors selling everything from cupcakes to Penguin pie! Its just a shame I couldn’t get to some of them.
Thankfully the Cookery Theatre was a more relaxed affair. Here we were lucky enough to catch demos by celebrity chefs Stacie Stewart, Mark Loyd and John Burton Race as well as a question and answer session with the celeb chefs tackling kitchen conundrums from the perfect Yorkshire to nut allergies.
As well as live musical entertainment and delicious produce there was also a fantastic selection of hot food available to tuck in to ranging from Hog Roast, Thai Curry, Pizza and Pancakes to Ostrich burger, all which you could wash down with a cold beer or, if you preferred, a cocktail, wine, rum or gin.
For those wanting to be a little more hands on ‘The School of Artisan Food’ held make and taste classes for toddlers to teenagers covering pizza, ice cream, cake and bread making whilst budding bakers of all ages battled it out as they created stunning home made cakes and pies in order to win the title of ‘Clumber’s Best Baker’.
For anyone just wanting to learn a little more there was the Producers Theatre showcasing regional produce as well as tastings throughout the day, hosted by Guild of Fine Foods John Farrand and Radio 2 Food and Drink presenter Nigel Bardon.
The popular event which ran for two days over 21st and 22nd September was a must for all foodies who’ll also be happy to know that the next Festival of Food and Drink event is already planned for the 7th and 8th December at Donington Park. Featuring appearances by the silver fox of the Great British Bake Off – Mr Paul Hollywood and The Fabulous Baker Brothers. All just in time to stock up on some delicious Christmas treats.
For more information visit http://www.festivaloffoodanddrink.co.uk/
Tanya Raybould
