The thing about food is that we all need to eat. Some people like vegan food, others only eat fish whilst some would definitely describe themselves as ‘carnivores’. Regardless of the bracket that you fit in, the chances are that you if you’re reading this then you enjoy your food and are keen to explore your options on the culinary front. For those who live in or near Guildford, or who just like to go places, the Foodies Festival is an opportunity to get involved in one of the best food festivals in the country, celebrating the local area.
You Might Have Heard of Foodies Festival
In 2006, Edinburgh saw the launch of the first Foodies Festival. It was a roaring success, meaning that the people behind it decided to have a couple more Foodies Festivals elsewhere in the United Kingdom. It grew and grew to the point that there are now 14 different Foodies Festivals taking place around the UK, giving visitors a chance to celebrate the food in the local area that the Festival is based. Not only that, but artisanal producers and local makers of food and drink get to participate, giving it a genuinely local flavour.
The heart of each of the Festivals are the ‘theatres’, which is where you can go to see the likes of top chefs showing off the skills, local bakers working alongside Bake Off winners and drinks experts running tutorials every hour. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be much of a food-lover, there is a music stage that welcomes some big names, usually working to raise money to help the fight against homelessness. In other words, there is something for everyone at the Foodies Festival, regardless of what it is that you’re into.
What the Guildford Festival Has to Offer
It is all well and good getting a vague sense of what a Foodies Festival might entail, but what most people will want to know is what they can expect to experience in Guildford. Obviously the exact details change from year-to-year, but the overall theme remains the same. Alongside a great chance to learn about food and drink and to eat and drink some food and drink, there is also the opportunity to watch some live music. It is worth taking a look at past festivals to give you a sense of what you can expect to enjoy.
Live Music
In terms of music, there are big acts across the weekend, with Symphonic Ibiza performing on the Friday, Boyzlife headlining on the Saturday and Blue taking to the stage on the Sunday.
Food Demonstrations
For those that are keen to see some top-chefs at work, the La Española Chefs Theatre will be the place to go. There you can see some Michelin Star-winning chefs, celebrity names and local food wizards cooking up a storm, with the following being some of the names involved:
- Dipna Anand
- Atul Kochhar
- Matty Edgell
- Christiaan de Vries
- Jeff Galvin
- Long Ng
- Dean Banks
- Lee Parsons
- Alex Payne
- Ian Brown
Away from the Main Theatre
Whilst the main theatre is where you will want to go for masterclasses from some master chefs, the whole point of the Foodies Festival is that it is about food in general. As a result, you can get along to the likes of the Cake & Bake Theatre to be hosted by Channel 4’s Extreme Cake Makers’ Eloise Durrant, or pop into the Drinks Theatre in order to see the likes of the Summer Fizz discussion with Tom Surgey, or the Summer Reds conversation with Joe Wadsack. In the Nigel Brown International Cook School, Radhika Howarth hosts a series of cooking classes.
If you are willing to pay a small supplement on top of the Foodies Festival ticket price then you can get to the Tasting Theatre for a chance to take part in the Fabulous Food Finds experience, which includes the likes of Cheese and Perfect Pairings, Top Food Trends and Indulgent Sweet Treats. On top of all of that is the Great Taste Market, run in association with Great Taste, where you can ‘celebrate the art of good food’. From the likes of street food from around the world through to artisanal products, there is plenty on offer here.