The best food festivals in Britain this year

Food in Britain is big business — but it’s also fun. Food festivals take place all around the nation, celebrating local produce, from garlic to cheese, and oysters to cake — cake, that is, constructed in the shape of Great Britain, complete with famous monuments like the Angel of the North.
The best way to find out about British food is by visiting a farmer’s market or food festival, presenting the diverse range of what’s on offer in one place. There are markets all over Britain; one of the best is Bath, where you’ll find seasonal produce and award-winning cheeses; Bristol’s St. Nicholas Market was voted in the top 10 markets in the UK, and the city has a monthly Slow Food market with some of the best sausages in the country. Borough Market in London had special Olympic opening hours, which extended to seven days a week, allowing gourmands to spend more time at one of the capital’s most popular spots.
Food festivals give Brits and visitors the chance to celebrate eating, and there are hundreds throughout the year. Right now there are a couple being held for the month of August and September. Make sure to pass by and enjoy the good food and festival atmosphere.

Flavor Fortnight, throughout Dumfries & Galloway (Aug. 25 — Sept. 9)
Flavor Fortnight is returning for a third year and is one of the more unique and enjoyable food-meets-culture events in Britain. Events take place across Dumfries & Galloway, from Langholm in the east to Portpatrick in the west. Some of the events visitors can expect include a wild food forage around an art gallery, a jazz themed celebration of jam, a Greek mezze made with local food, an opportunity to enjoy the first tilapia harvest from Scotland’s first aquaponics project, a menu showcasing Robert Burns’ favorite meals, an opportunity to meet majestic Highland cattle, and full-day butchery demonstrations. A “Flavor Taster” bite-size version of the event takes place in May.

Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival (April 7-16 and Sept. 7-16)
Now in its eighth year, this is the largest festival of its kind, running for 10 days twice a year. With local producers, growers, restaurants, bars and food retailers firmly at its heart, it’s a showcase of the fantastic food, drink and hospitality to be found in the city and surrounding Sussex. Described as “a shopping experience without parallel” in the Guardian last year, it includes the Big Sussex Market, the largest free food event in the south of England, the Live Food Show, supper clubs, gala dinners and two international Chef Exchange Dinners.

Hillsborough Oyster Festival (Sept. 6-9)
Fun and entertainment for all the family, now in its 20th year. The World Oyster Eating Championships, the Miss Oyster Pearl finals, a fashion show, a soap box derby, a golf tournament, a motoring event and a gala ball – this year Titanic themed – are among the varied activities on offer.

Ludlow Food Festival (Sept. 7-9)
The historic little town of Ludlow has been throwing a food festival – one of the most important in the calendar – every year since 1995. It has a strong reputation as one of the best, and remains true to its original spirit of showcasing excellent local produce and suppliers. What you will find is “an abundance of REAL food and drink – from rare breeds of meat to real ale, cider and perry, produced and sold by people who really care about what they are doing.” Great atmosphere and a haven for anyone passionate about food.

Abergavenny Fine Food Festival (Sept. 15-16)
Tickle your taste buds at one of the biggest events in the UK’s food calendar. There are five market venues in the center of the historic market town. A stroller ticket gives access to over 200 stalls featuring the best producers from Wales and further afield. There’s also a rolling program of chef demonstrations presenting the region’s finest, a children’s food academy in the grounds of the town’s ancient castle, and live music and entertainment. The festival also has a complementary program of individually ticketed master classes, tutored tastings, talks and debates, this year with Claudia Roden, Pierre Koffmann, Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. The Observer wrote, “Abergavenny is to Food as Cannes is to Film – an annual festival for spotting rising stars in Britain’s artisan food firmament”, which gives some idea of the festival’s importance on the British food calendar.

Great British Cheese Festival (Sept. 22-23)
Cardiff Castle is the dramatic setting for this festival celebrating fabulous food with Britain’s biggest cheese market plus an array of artisan wine, cider, perry and beer. Cheese lovers are obviously well catered for, and Wales’s reputation as the home of excellent British cheese is celebrated, although there are plenty of offerings from all over Britain and Ireland at Britain’s biggest cheese market. The British Cheese Awards winners are announced the night before the festival. There’s also a Best of British Market, a Taste of Wales Market, and lots of live entertainment and family fun.

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