Ginger, spice and virtually all things nice
THE fourth annual Ginger and Spice Festival is to be held as an online/ virtual event for 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It will take place, as usual, from Tuesday to Sunday, September 23-27, 2020, during British Food Fortnight, and will include a range of innovative and exciting online experiences for festivalgoers to explore and enjoy.
There will be an online food theatre, market place, trail, talks, as well as competitions, opportunities for supporting local producers, learning, and donating to the local Market Drayton Foodbank.
As with the previous festivals, some fringe events will be free of charge and others may carry a small charge depending on the nature of the event.
Festival organiser Julia Roberts said: “This year, due to increased risks with health and safety, unpredictability for planning and stretched resources because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, we will not be able to deliver the Ginger and Spice Festival in the same way as we have done in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
“However, while we are extremely disappointed about this, we are pleased to announce that we will be delivering an experience of sorts, albeit in a virtual capacity, and are looking forward to diversifying creatively to offer an exciting experience for our festival community in 2020.”
She added: “The festival will still aim to celebrate the culinary heritage of the town and explore historical and heritage links. We will still be showcasing local businesses, celebrating the independent food and drink businesses, chefs, cooks and other partner organisations in and around the town.’’
The festival has also recently launched a podcast called The Spice Larder Podcast which features interviews, discussions and live tastings with chefs, historians, local producers and spice experts! It can be found here: https://www.gingerandspicefest.co.uk/podcast/
An online programme of events will be released towards the end of July/ early August. For those who wish to be notified about the event programme as soon as it is live, they may sign up to the ebulletin by sending their email address to gingerandspicefest@gmail.com or visiting the website www. gingerandspicefest.co.uk and signing up there.