Levi stars as food and drink fest serves up lashings of variety
FROM the humble fish finger sandwich to artisan cheese, there was more than enough to satisfy the taste buds of picky eaters and full-on foodies at this year’s Nottingham Food and Drink Festival at Wollaton Park.
Caribbean food champion and all- round showman Levi Roots had the crowd in stitches as he larked about during his jerk wings demonstration, before shoving an orange slice in his mouth and smiling, to the delight of his fans.
“I’ve been coming many years, many year. I am one of the lucky few who comes every year and I’m so glad that the crowd are still enjoying the stuff that I do,” the 60-year-old self-made millionaire said of the Wollaton Park foodie festival, which finished yesterday.
The celebrity chef was the star of the show at the Saturday-leg of the event, which also welcomed demos from Wholefood Warrior, aka Eva Humphries, and award-winning butcher Johnny Pusztai, from JT Beedham and Sons, in Sherwood.
“It gets bigger and better each year and we’ve been blessed with the weather as well this year,” Levi told the Post after happily posing for selfies with scores of fans. “Yesterday [Friday] I was in Shrewsbury, which isn’t too far from here, and it absolutely caned down, so I’m so grateful for the weather.
Can I claim I brought the sunshine back to Nottingham?”
Levi wasn’t just there to show off his skills either, as the entertainer revealed he always does a circuit of the festival to check out what the vendors have to offer.
“I always do my walk around every year and this year I went to the Caribbean stall and got my belly full of curried goat and all that kind of stuff,” he said.
As always, there was plenty to keep the crowds fed and watered, from Thai and Asian to Greek and Vietnamese cuisine - alongside quirkier stalls selling old favourites such as fish-finger sandwiches and, to wash it all down, there was real ale, cider, wine, Pimm’s, prosecco and gin .
Stallholder Ray Shaw had a particularly good day selling Jack Daniels-marinated pulled pork out of his black mocked-up engine called The Train.
He said: “We are doing Tower Burgers but have actually sold out at the moment.
“We are getting some more on the go but seems we just can’t make them fast enough.”
As well as food, the festival hosted the likes of wine tasting, children’s pizza making, burger making and the infamous Bushtucker Challenge.
Entertainment included live jazz and folk music, a crafts corner, a children’s make-and-take stand and Pinxton Puppets.
Simon Hedderman, 30, attending the festival with fellow foodie Carleen De Armon and dog Kalee, was impressed with what the festi-
It gets bigger and better each year and we’ve been blessed with the weather as well this year, Levin Roots
val had to offer.
He said: “We have had the mac and cheese and pulled pork for lunch and some really nice milkshakes. There’s a huge line for them. We are definitely leaving feeling satisfied and the £8 ticket price is just right. It’s one of the bigger food festivals we’ve been to.”
Yesterday, celebrity chefs Paul Rankin, Cryus Todiwala and Peter Sidwell took to the stage.