There are few foods that seem as indulgent as cheese. Sure, you could look to something like caviar if you really wanted to, but that doesn’t have the same sense of variety as cheese. Then there’s the chilli, with the small-form fruit being something that can add flavour to your dish whilst also presenting you with a wealth of spice. Perhaps it is little surprise, therefore, that the Guildford Cheese & Chilli Festival has looked to put these two amazing things together in one location, adding a wealth of fun activities to boot.
Putting Cheese & Chilli Front & Centre
As you might imagine, with a name like the ‘Guildford Cheese & Chilli Festival’, it is the food that takes the centre stage here. If you are the sort of person that loves cheese then you’re going to be in your element, getting to try a wealth of different cheese options that have been handpicked for the event. The range can be considered both delicious and diverse, which means that you’re unlikely to see the same cheese at every stall. The best flavours have been chosen for the occasion, with quality being seen as more important than quantity.
Then there is the chilli, which is on offer in a more…competitive manner. There is, for example, a chilli eating competition every day at 4pm, asking participants to eat increasingly hot chillies in order to be the last person standing. There is also a Chilli Challenge, which is where participants battle it out in order to eat a ‘super-hot meal’ that has been prepared by the Festival’s two legendary chefs. That requires those taking part to clear their plate in order to be crowned the victor, which is definitely not as easy as it sounds.
If you like your food then you will want to get along to the Cooking Theatre, where Chilli Olly and Chilli Dace present a fantastic lineup of speakers who will be offering insight and cooking demonstrations throughout the day. You can expect expert tips and bites filled with flavour, alongside words of passion and experience from local producers of both cheese and chillies. You could learn how to make a chilli and halloumi salad, for example, or create some fiery nachos, whilst those who like a healthier meal might wish to look at the spicy sweet potato cheddar frittata.
An All-Encompassing Festival
Whilst cheese and chilli are definitely put at the forefront of what’s going on at the aptly named Guildford Cheese & Chilli Festival, it isn’t the only thing that you can spend your time enjoying whilst you’re there. There is some professional wrestling taking place, for example, with one wrestler representing the cheese corner and the other the chilli. There is some live music on offer over the course of the Festival, with talented musicians from across the region bringing the stage to life with everything from rock classics to smooth jazz.
This is a family-friendly Festival, albeit you will probably want to avoid your little ones getting involved in the fieriest of the chillies. The result of that, though, is that there is plenty of children’s entertainment on offer, from Punch & Judy Shows to treasure hunts and magicians, plus storytelling sessions and roving musicians. There are also some things that you can pay to enjoy, like mini fun fair rides, axe-throwing, face painting and inflatables that your young ones can go on. There is also Kerry the Koala, who stands and three-metres tall and is the Festival mascot.
What Else You Need to Know
Having read all of that, you might well be keen to get along and enjoy the Guildford Cheese & Chilli Festival. If that’s the case then there are some other things that you might want to know. Hosted at numerous locations on top of just Guildford, such as Christchurch and Winchester, you can get tickets on the door and there is free parking for the Guildford Festival.
Dogs are welcome, as long as they remain on leads throughout, whilst children up to the age of 15 go for free. There are bars on-site selling some top-notch beverage options, with each one promising its own menu. If you don’t have a car, making the free parking an irrelevance, you can at least get a bus to the area. The 53 runs from close to Guildford Train Station to Shalford Park, where the event is taking place.