Kentish Express Ashford & District
SHAUN’S LEADING THE WAY
Three brand new events coming to Kent that you’ll want to add to your summer calendar…
SAUSAGE AND CIDER FESTIVAL
A touring food, drink and music festival is making its debut at two Kent venues this summer.
The Sausage and Cider Festival, which visits towns all over the UK throughout the summer months, is bringing pop-rock group Scouting For Girls along for the ride.
The band, known for singles such as She’s So Lovely and Heartbeat, will be joined by Queen, Abba and The Killers tribute acts.
There will be more than 30 flavours of cider and 20 types of sausages, including gluten-free and vegan options.
Alongside the live music, there will also be a host of activities such as eating competitions, face painting, a children’s disco and a silent disco. Details: The Sausage and Cider Festival will be at Dunorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells on Saturday, June 14 and Quex Park in Birchingtonon-Sea on Saturday, July 27.
HEART OF KENT TRAIL WITH SHAUN THE SHEEP
An art trail celebrating one of Britain’s most beloved cartoon
characters is popping up all
over a town centre this summer.
More than 50 colourful Shaun the Sheep sculptures will be appearing around Maidstone with visitors being able to follow the trail using the map or free mobile app. The event has been organised by Wild in Art, the Heart of Kent Hospice and Aardman, the award-winning Bristol-based studio where the cartoon was born.
At the end of the event, the sculptures will be auctioned off to help raise money for the hospice.
Each sculpture has been individually designed by local and international artists, with unique patterns, illustrations, graffiti and colour schemes across all 50 statues.
The trail also includes 54 miniature
Shaun the Sheep sculptures, each designed and painted by schools, community organisations, charities and care homes across Kent.
Ann-Marie Kelly from the Heart of Kent Hospice said: “This is no ordinary trail – Shaun the Sheep will be helping us to raise awareness and funds for our charity, which opened 33 years ago to provide specialist advice, support and outstanding care for people living with a terminal illness.
“We want as many people as possible to enjoy this free and fully accessible trail and to enjoy making happy memories while exploring Maidstone together.”
Details: The free trail opens on Saturday, June 29 and will be there until Friday, August 30.
SCRUMPTIOUS BLUEWATER FOOD FESTIVAL
Bluewater shopping centre is hosting its first food and drink festival this year and, with a space of around 12,000 sq ft, it’s set to be one of the biggest in Kent.
The three-day festival already has a huge bill of celebrity chefs lined up for its debut, including Rosemary Shrager, who has appeared on shows such as Soapstar Superchef and Rosemary Shrager’s School for Cooks.
Rosemary will be joined by Kent’s own Great British Bake Off 2020 finalist Laura Adlington, from Gravesend.
GBBO fan-favourite Saku Chandrasekara, Lorraine’s ‘Cake
Club Queen’ Suzy Pelta, cookbook author and YouTuber Chetna Makan of Thanet and GBBO 2021 finalist Chigs Parmar and semi-finalist Jurgen Krauss will also be at the festival.
There will be cookery demonstrations, recipe book signings and a chance for visitors to sample delicious street food from artisan stalls, including the Tipsy Bakery where each cake is inspired by cocktails and Posh Shakes, offering dessert-style ice cream milkshakes.
You can also enjoy chicken waffles from Waffle+Co which has served customers at Harry Styles’ Wembley Stadium gig, Battersea Power Station and Warner Bros studios.
Details: The festival takes place at Bluewater, between Gravesend and Dartford, from Saturday, May 25 to Monday, May 27 in a large outdoor marquee.