Where to find… food festivals

Great Dorset Chilli Festival, on the Earl of Shaftesbury’s estate, celebrates “all things hot”. Take your pick from chilli-eating competitions, talks on growing chillies, and spicy street-food stalls (5-6 August; www.greatdorsetchillifestival.co.uk). Maldon Smoke & Fire Festival, in Essex, is dedicated to “low and slow” barbecue cooking. You’ll get to learn how to build a barbecue drum and watch international teams “battle it out over hot coals” (19-20 August; www.smokeandfirefestival.com). Abergavenny Food Festival, the largest in Wales, is “an unmissable event for any hardened foodie”. Expect feasts, forages, demos and markets (16-17 September; www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com). Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival hosts 90 of Suffolk’s finest producers, selling everything from raw milk to sourdough. There will also be classes and demos with local and visiting chefs (23-24 September; www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk).