Do you love festivals? Do you love food? Well, you are in for a tasty treat. We have sniffed around the UK and discovered the best delicious, drool-worthy festivals for you to get your teeth into. Be prepared for tummy rumbles as you feast your eyes on the best (and tastiest) UK food festivals.
Food festivals outside of London
Smoked and Uncut
Location: Bath, Devon
Date: 15th July – 28th July
Price: £39.50
Website: http://www.smokedanduncut.com
A fantastic mix of musicians, home-made street food, local ales and cocktails. Famous for its large family-style pop-up restaurant feasts, Smoked and Uncut invites some of the UK’s best chefs to create a phenomenal spread for communal tables. With four locations to choose from you can expect to listen to the musical delights of Razorlight and the Noisettes while indulging in the culinary talents of Angela Hartnett and Mark Hix. This glamorous festival has already hit two of its four locations for the year so be sure to get your tickets asap.
Feastival
Location: Cotswolds
Date: 24-26th August
Price: £64 day ticket
Website: https://thebigfeastival.com
Now this food festival really does have it all! Epic line up of world class chefs, cookery classes, table sessions and of course the Alex James cheese hub – Who doesn’t love a whole area dedicated to cheese! Perhaps the most exciting feature is new to this year’s festival; The ‘Innovation Kitchen’ will allow festival goers to enjoy culinary mash ups with some of the most innovative names on the street food scene. You can book on site and places will be given on a first come, first serve basis with four sittings per day. If that wasn’t enough to get your teeth into, Craig David and Paloma Faith are just a couple of the acts who will be gracing the stage over the weekend. Don’t miss out on this one!
Aldeburgh Food festival, Suffolk
Location: Suffolk
Date: 28-29th September
Price: £8 day entry
Website: https://www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk/
Described as a festival for the real food lovers, Aldeburgh is a celebration of the quality and variety of food produce in Suffolk. The setting in itself is worth the visit with breath-taking scenery of the River Alde and Suffolk coast. With more than 100 stalls of food and drink from across the region, the festival will be celebrating its 13th year as a culinary destination. Celebrity chefs include Thomasina Miers, Melissa Hemsley and Tim Anderson to name a few.
North East Chilli Festival
Location: Blythe, Northumberland
Date: 13 – 15th July
Price: £30 weekend pass
Website: https://www.chillifest-ne.co.uk/
Need a little spice in your life? Head to the North East Chilli festival for your spicy fix this summer. From addictive chutneys, smoked salts and chilli chocolate, this festival is perfect to restock your spice cupboard and pick up some great ideas to add some zing to your home cooking! Based on the seafront – you can enjoy great live bands, chilli eating competitions and stand-up comedy all for £30 for the whole weekend. So, the real question is how much spice can you handle?
Pommery Seafood Festival
Location: Dorset
Date: 14-15th July
Price: Free
Website: http://www.dorsetseafood.co.uk/
If you’re idea of heaven is fresh seafood on the coast in the sunshine, then look no further. This event is the largest free seafood festival in the UK and a perfect way to explore Weymouth’s historic harbour. Not only will you gain a better understanding of the seafood available but also experience new and exciting ways to feast on these tasty morsels of the sea. No boring salmon here! Whether you’re just happy to wander, sampling and enjoying great food and local produce, sipping Pommery (the festival’s champagne sponsor) watching the boats go by or listening to seafood experts debate the future of our seas, there is something for everyone.
The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival
Location: NewChurch, Isle of Wight
Date: 18-19th August
Price: Weekend – £20
Website: http://garlicfestival.co.uk/
Mmmm garlic! If you’re not ashamed to admit that you love putting garlic on just about anything then a trip to the Isle of Wight is definitely on the cards. From the best chicken Kiev ever to black garlic brownies, this festival takes the humble garlic clove and transforms it into the focal point of each and every dish. Attended by over 25,000 people and set in the rolling hills of New Church, this could be a delightful little get away… just don’t forget to pack some extra strong mints!
Food festivals in London
Love Natural, Love Organic
Location: Olympia, Kensington
Date: 6-8th July
Price: £10
Website: http://www.lnlo.co.uk/
This festival is more than just about delicious organic food. The aim is teach you how to look and feel your best. With so many organic and natural food products on the market these days this is a great way of sampling a variety of different products. You can often try before you buy, which is the key to a great food festival! In keeping with the love yourself theme, why not try your hand at some yoga sessions. Last but not least, indulge in some organic beauty products on your way to becoming a healthier, happier you!
Carnaby Street Eat
Location: Carnaby Street
Date: 11th August
Price: Free Entry
Website: https://www.carnaby.co.uk/news-and-events/carnaby-street-eat-food-festival/
This is your perfect summer’s day out in London. Carnaby Street has become a hub of global cuisine recently and this festival is an opportunity to taste some scrumptious grub at a fraction of its normal price! From Spanish tapas favourite Brindisa, to the irresistible crab restaurant Claw, the line-up of food stalls is mouth-watering. Get your friends together and fill up the al fresco communal dining tables and taste your way around the world!
Meatopia
Date: 31st August – 3RD September
Location: Tobacco Docks, London
Price: £23-£37
Website: https://meatopia.co.uk/
No surprises here, this food festival is all about meat and only the meat. Based in the old Tobacco Dock and filled with BBQ coals roasting prime cuts of top quality joints and cuts. Meatopia also offers great butchery demos, live bands and even some live theatre to keep you entertained. The bars are stocked with a great selection of ales, wines and spirits and now in its sixth year, this festival is a meat lover’s dream! Prepare yourself for some serious meat sweats after this one.
Vegfest
Location: Olympia, London
Date: 27-28th October
Price: announced in August
Website: https://www.vegfest.co.uk/
This festival is a veggie-extravaganza. Forget mushroom risotto, Veg fest opens your eyes to a new way of cooking all things vegetarian. Explore the vegan food village, listen to talks from vegan vloggers and comedians and don’t miss out on the living raw zone for some very handy tips. If you’re a meat eater and considering veganism then this festival could definitely persuade you. Inspiring and eclectic, Vegfest is brilliantly different and informative.
Drooling yet? Whatever you preference is (#MeatTheWorld or #VeggieTheWorld) treat your taste buds and enjoy the festivities.
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About the author:
Sophie Watkiss is normally found travelling places where food is a top priority. Sophie is at her most content living out of a backpack and waking up in new places. She’s always looking to escape London and find somewhere off the beaten track.
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