MALTON FOOD LOVERS FESTIVAL, YORKSHIRE, May 26-27
If you love strolling around, listening to live music while chomping on artisan pizzas and burgers and picking up some useful cookery tips, ELLA WALKER reckons you’ll certainly want to attend a few of these tasty upcoming events
(visitmalton.com/food-festival-yorkshire) YORKSHIRE lad Tommy Banks, head chef at The Black Swan at Oldstead – voted world’s best restaurant in the 2017 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Restaurants Awards – is headlining this year’s Malton Food Festival.
See him cook live, before eating your way round stalls piled high with Yorkshire produce. Have a dance at the festival bar too, dipping in and out of the late night street food on offer.
KERB PRESENTS JAM ON RYE, PECKHAM RYE, LONDON, May 28
(kerbfood.com/jamonrye/)
KERB dominates the street-food scene in London, bringing together individual traders and launching eclectic markets across the capital – Jam On Rye is their first proper festival.
South London’s finest MCs and reggae artists will be supported by the foodie likes of Breddos Tacos (you’ll get through piles of them), Club Mexicana (for vegan fare) and Only Jerkin’ (order the tripledunked ginger beer battered nuggets).
VEGAN SUMMER FEST BRIGHTON, THE LEVEL, June 2-3
(veggies.org.uk) SOMETIMES, being vegan, it can be off-putting at festivals where slabs of meat and outdoor grilling are high on the agenda. Brighton’s vegan fest is a haven for those leading a plant-based lifestyle, with more than 100 specialist foodie stalls, world food cookery demonstrations, nutritional advice, yoga, live music and much more.
LATITUDE, HENHAM PARK, SUFFOLK, July 12-15
(latitudefestival.com) LATITUDE is scrapping fast food vans in favour of proper street food, with its Street Feast this year. Tuck into pregos (Portuguese steak sandwiches) from Growlers, Argentine meats from Up In My Grill and beef short ribs from Salt Shed. Be sure to grab a seat at a live recording of BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet with restaurant critic and MasterChef judge Jay Rayner, too.
JIMMY’S FESTIVAL, IPSWICH, July 21-22
(jimmysfestival.co.uk)
EVEN if you’re not entering the festival’s famous sausage eating competition, you can learn butchery with Jimmy Doherty’s head butcher Jonny Farrell, and catch cookery demos from vegan YouTube aficionados BOSH! and grill expert DJ BBQ.
WILDERNESS, CORNBURY PARK, OXFORDSHIRE, August 2-5
(wildernessfestival.com)
IT’S all about banqueting in style at Wilderness Festival – especially as Yotam Ottolenghi will be in the kitchen.
If you can’t nab a much-coveted seat, there are endless feasting opportunities, whether you’re a carnivore (Berber & Q, Patty & Bun) or animal-free (try a huge Homeslice pizza or Petersham Nurseries’ seasonal vegetarian menus).
PUB IN THE PARK, MARLOW (May 17-20), BATH (June 8-10), TUNBRIDGE WELLS (July 6-8), KNUTSFORD (September 7-9)
(pubintheparkuk.com)
CHEF Tom Kerridge’s festival celebrating British pubs and British grub is going on tour this year, popping up in four locations. As well as live sets from Will Young, Jamie Cullum and Mel C, you can check out ‘gastro pub pop-up’ versions of Kerridge’s Michelin-starred restaurants, and see chefs James Martin, Atul Kochhar and Jason Atherton (among others) showcasing their trade.
THE BIG FEASTIVAL, THE COTSWOLDS, August 24-26
(thebigfeastival.com)
ROLL up to Blur bassist Alex James’ farm for Craig David and Basement Jaxx, as well as a serious rosta of chef talent. Raymond Blanc, Marco Pierre White, Mark Hix and Gizzi Erskine will all be sharing their knowledge; there’s hands-on kitchen fun for the kids, and (of course) a cheese bar – James is obsessed with his cheese.
RIVER COTTAGE FESTIVAL, AXMINSTER, August 25-26
(rivercottage.net)
NOT yet got to grips with pickling? You’ll want to catch the fermentation masterclass at this year’s River Cottage Festival, if you can manage to drag yourself away from the fire pit, where goat meat pioneer James Whetlor and foodie John Gregory-Smith will be hosting cook outs. You’re sure to spot Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall bumbling around the site, too.
ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL, September 15-16
(abergavennyfoodfestival.com)
WHIP your tastebuds into shape with Abergavenny’s expert tasting sessions, take a foraging tour (then use what you’ve collected) and spot chefs including Anna Jones, and Stephen Harris from the Sportsman, performing demos.