Events

Oxford's Foodie's Festival

 

Following the unprecedented success of Oxford’s first Foodies Festival in 2010, the food and drink event of the summer returns to South Parks. Celebrating the finest food, drink and culinary talent on the August Bank Holiday weekend. Highlights Include:

  • Chefs Theatre: The regions Michelin star and top chefs will cook their favourite signature dishes live, passing on hints and tips.
Including:
    • Gary Jones, executive head chef of Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Raymond Blanc’s two Michelin star restaurant
    • Michelin Starred Michael North of The Nut Tree
    • Oxford favourites Carson Hill of the Charwell Boathouse and Max Mason of The Big Bang.
    • Full timetable can be found here: http://www.foodiesfestival.com/oxford-chefs-theatre/

  • Pop-up Cook School: Visitors will enjoy hands-on cooking and tasting sessions, with guidance from top chefs and food experts.
Including:


  • Speciality and local exhibitors: Visitors can sample and buy exclusive ingredients from over 100 food and drink producers. More information available on request.

  • NEW Great Taste Market: Featuring stallholders whose products have won a prestigious Great Taste Award in the last three years

  • Restaurant Village: Visitors can indulge in dishes from around the world

  • Bar Pagoda Tents: Visitors can enjoy a glass of bubbly or seasonal cocktail made by expert mixologists. 
 Foodies Director Sue Hitchen commented: “Foodies Festivals have proved to be an incredible success. We have a fantastic opportunity to bring Foodies Festivals to areas that have a wealth of fantastic producers and a great line up of chefs to showcase. It is a great opportunity to bring these features to people who love food and want to celebrate it."

Royal Leamington Spa Food & Drink Festival


September sees the return of the highly popular Royal Leamington Spa Food & Drink Festival which takes place on Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th in the Royal Pump Room Gardens. With demonstrations by Celebrity Chef ‘Rustie Lee’ and ‘James McIntosh’ on the AGA Rangemaster Live Kitchen, live music, an International Food Market, competitions and featuring over 100 exhibitors, the Festival is set to be a fabulous, fun filled weekend!

As part of the activities, visitors can take part in the ever popular ‘Taste Trail’. For just £1, visitors can eat at one of fourteen different and diverse local restaurants including Ask, Café Rouge, Gallu’s, Murphy’s Bar, Pizza Express, Sabai Sabai, Sozzled Sausage, Strada, The Benjamin Satchwell, The Clarendon, The Fox & Vivian, The Newbold, The Shakespeare and Zizzi. Visitors can purchase a Taste Trail ticket for the restaurant they would like to visit, and sample their specialities. 

By rating the experience and completing an entry form, visitors will be entered into a prize draw to win dinner for two at the winning restaurant. Taste Trail tickets will be sold from the information tent at the Festival or at the Royal Priors Shopping Centre on the 27th/28th August & 3rd/4th September from 10am – 4pm. By visiting the website at www.leamingtonfoodfestival.co.uk, visitors can also enter their details to be in with a chance of winning a £250 hamper!

Stephanie Kerr, Executive Director of BID Leamington, stated “The Taste Trail is simple, easy and great fun to take part in! It’s a fantastic opportunity for restaurants to show off their culinary delights and also encourage visitors to eat at places that they might not have been to before”.

During the Festival, as well as seeing celebrity Chefs on stage, visitors can enjoy an array of delicious free Mexican food from Discovery. Bread and Co Catering will be running the popular Café and visitors can come along to the ‘Tasting Zone’ for Oxford Landing Estates Mini-Masterclasses where they can learn a little, laugh a little and taste some fantastic wines!
 
Another highlight of the Festival will be the live music performed by a number of talented bands including the Sheila Fawkes Jazz Band, Lament, Discovery Jalisco and local talent Gebby Eaton. Visitors can also use their Little Book of Offers featuring over 100 fantastic and exclusive discounts, promotions and free give-aways across a wide range of products and services in the town.

The Festival is organised by BID Leamington and funded by local businesses. Further information about the Festival can be found by visiting www.leamingtonfoodfestival.co.uk.

 Food Fayre at Royal County of Berkshire Show


Next month’s Royal County of Berkshire Show (17 and 18 September) will feature the popular Food Fayre and Craft Tent alone will boast more than 40 top producers and whether it’s for a toy car, a real car or a combine harvester, a beautiful cupcake or a cloche; the Show is the only place to go!

The Food Fayre will be packed full of tasty delights over the weekend, both to fuel the shopping experience and to take home. New to the Food Fayre this year is The Kennet House Cake Company from Kintbury, who make exquisite, delicious one-of-a kind cakes using local produce. There will also be plenty of old favourites back in the Food Fayre again: Cresson Creative who make watercress inspired food, and local producer, Chilli Queen Ltd whose products include chilli jelly, chilli sauce, chilli ketchup and much more…

For the first time this year, a dedicated ‘Eco Village’ will be home to a large number of sustainable producers, and this will be the destination for anyone who wants to know about improving their living environment and living in a more eco-friendly way. Sustainable fuel logs, home solar power systems, gadgets that say goodbye to leaving electrical items on ‘standby’ and green and fairtrade products for the home are just some of the things on offer. Above all the Eco Village will have a wealth of knowledgeable exhibitors on hand to answer any questions about sustainable living.

It really is possible to buy almost anything at the Royal County of Berkshire Show and lining the many avenues at the Show will be household names like Land Rover as well as one off local producers.
New this year, Land Rover will be launching their new Range Rover Evoque at the Show. Their stand will also feature Jaguar’s new XF 2.2, which is also on sale from September.

Barbecue Lodges sell beautiful unique garden buildings with a central fire, internal seating and lift out beds. Of course there is also a huge agricultural element to the show with all the big names and local companies.

Tickets to the show include the Food Fayre, Craft Tent and ALL that shopping. Tickets are on sale now and there are some attractive discounts on those bought in advance. Tickets can be purchased online at www.berkshireshow.co.uk or by telephone from the Newbury & District Agricultural Society on 01635 247155. Other local outlets in and around Newbury are also selling tickets – details of which can be found at www.berkshireshow.co.uk

 

Carluccio's Bicester Mushroom Festival 2011

Banish those post summer blues with Carluccio’s month long festival in honour of the magnificent mushroom taking place in Bicester from September 10 to 10 October 10. To celebrate the great flavour and versatility of mushrooms, the restaurant will be offering hungry shoppers a chance to try a tempting selection of weekly changing seasonal mushroom specials alongside a selection of lesser-known regional specialities that focus on different varieties of mushroom.
In addition, the deli and food shop will be filled with a selection of delicious mushroom and truffle goodies to inspire budding chefs to create an Italian feast at home or head off on a foraging adventure of their own. Standout products include:
  • Pate al Tartufo – Chicken and rabbit liver pâté with black truffle, best on delicious crostini or linguette al tartufo
  • Tartufo Nero D’Estate – these truffles are fantastic grated over pasta, risotto or eggs
  • Truffle flavoured flatbread –a great alternative to bread. Why not serve with cheese and salami or soup?
  • Risotto Con Tartufi e Porcini – the perfect package to recreate this classic Italian dish at home
  • Barolo wine – a powerful, rich wine from the Piedmont region which is famous for its mushrooms and truffles
  • Mushroom kit – contains Antonio Carluccio’s Complete Mushroom book and mushroom knife - a must have for any mushroom hunt!
MUSHROOM COMPETITION
Carluccio’s is on the hunt for the UK’s best mushroom recipe. A month long facebook competition will launch on www.facebook.com/carluccioscaffe from 10th September. Do you know your button mushroom from your shitake? Is your mushroom soup a sensation? If you think your mushroom meal is up there with the best of them, upload your recipe and an image on Carluccio’s facebook page to enter the competition.
Veteran mushroom expert Antonio Carluccio together with a top food journalist and a Carluccio’s chef will be judging all entries.
The winner will have their dish celebrated on the special boards at Carluccio’s across the UK and will win the chance to cook their recipe together with Antonio in the chef’s London kitchen.

For more information visit the website: www.carluccios.com

Foodies Festival returns to South Parks

Following the unprecedented success of Oxford’s first Foodies Festival in 2010, the food and drink event of the summer returns to South Parks for a secon year. Celebrating the finest food, drink and culinary talent on the Bank Holiday weekend, August 27, 28, 29 Festival director Sue Hitchen said: “Foodies Festivals dhave proved to be an incredible success. We have a fantastic opportunity to bring Foodies Festivals to areas that have a wealth of fantastic producers and a great line up of chefs to showcase. It is a great opportunity to bring these features to people who love food and want to celebrate it." For more information visit the website: www.foodiesfestival.com

Top chefs put their skills on show

Michelin starred British chefs including Mike Robinson and Chris Horridge will be demonstrating their skills at the Royal County of Berkshire Show’s Cookery Theatre next month (September 17-18). Always a highlight of the Show, this year won’t disappoint, as six top chefs entertain and inspire the watching crowds.

Appearing this year for the first time, The Fine Dining Academy’s Chris Horridge, who has competed on the BBC’s Great British Menu, has carved a niche reputation for himself by producing the highest quality healthy dishes suitable for specific diets, such as gluten-free and diabetics. He has developed techniques to preserve the nutritional benefits of food, easily able to sit in the roster of Michelin starred restaurants, but without the fat and sugar content often associated with this level of cooking. He will be taking to the stage at 1pm on Sunday, September 18 with his demonstration ‘Naughty but nutritious - Truffles and other healthy treats!’.

Chris said: “Naturally I’m passionate about food and my way of cooking it. It’s great to get the chance to interact with cooking enthusiasts at a show like the Royal County of Berkshire, and I’m looking forward to my first appearance there.“

Mike Robinson runs the renowned Pot Kiln in Frilsham, West Berkshire and owns London’s only Michelin-starred pub, The Harwood Arms. Star of ITV’s ‘Countrywise Kitchen’ on Monday evenings, Mike’s knowledge of local producers and rural foods knows no bounds and together with Alan Hayward, of Vicars Game in Ashampstead he will be demonstrating Roe Deer preparation and sausage making.

Graham White (The Plough at Eastbury; winner 2009 and 2010 Chef’s Challenge; Craft Guild of Chefs Pub Chef of the Year 2011 (runner up)) will be appearing on both days with a demo called ‘Smoking can be good for you’. Naturally the kind of smoking he’s talking about involves home-smoking meats!

Justin Brown of the Sun Inn (Dummer, Basingstoke) is yet another chef with a dazzling CV, appearing at the Royal County of Berkshire Show. Holder of an AA Rosette and pub chef of the year winner 2009/2010/2011 Justin will be presenting home curing on Saturday and a selection of summer desserts on Sunday.

Finally, newcomer Jean-Marc Bidegain of The Compton Swan will be demonstrating ‘sustainable seafood’ whilst Alicia Gilbert, a winner from the local schools cookery competition will take to the stage with Graham White to demo ‘cooking for pleasure’.

Anyone with a ticket to the show will be able to enjoy the Cookery Theatre, tickets are on sale now and there are some attractive discounts on those bought in advance, plus fast track entrance into the Show. Tickets can be purchased online at www.berkshireshow.co.uk or by telephone from the Newbury & District Agricultural Society on 01635 247155. Other local outlets in and around Newbury are also selling tickets – details of which can be found at www.berkshireshow.co.uk 
Preview


Oxford Castle Food & Wine Festival

Good things to eat, new things to try and lots to do and see are the key ingredients for the second annual Oxford Castle Food & Wine Festiva on September 17-18. Throughout the weekend the whole of the Oxford Castle site will be filled with stalls, talks and kitchen demonstrations of all things local, seasonal and tasty, plus a few surprises in the Guest Producers area.

Highlights include wine writer and broadcaster Susy Atkins, who will be presenting a tasting session trying out great wines for under a tenner. Originally from Oxford, the star of BBC1’s ‘Saturday Kitchen‘ will be showing how easy it is to enjoy wine on a budget with wines that can all be bought locally.

More stallholders and participants than ever are expected this year, with some returning, such as Fat Man Chilli, Old Chapel Fudge Co, and Fabulous Vodka plus a host of new arrivals. Among them is Tom Ellis, the Oxford-based 22-year old owner of Champagne supplier First Class Products, who will be bringing a selection of personal favourites, including a 2004 Grand Cru Vintage and Leroux-Mineau Grand Cru Champagne. Oxford’s youngest biscuit maker from The Good Biscuit Company will be offering the perfect accompaniment to a hot brew with a mouth-watering selection of home-made biscuits, all using local ingredients.

Fiona Sciolti is bringing her delicious selection of handmade botanical chocolates. Using English fruit and flowers and always delicious, Sciolti Chocolates have flavours to excite the palate, such as Strawberry and Balsamic Vinegar, Green Tea with Cherry Infusion to Simply Blueberry.

Charitable organisations involved include Oxfam’s Grow campaign, where visitors can sign up to help fix faults in the global food system, and global relief charity Shelter will be showing how they help feed, clothe and shelter people in distress situations. Cancer relief centre Maggie’s will be bringing a pop-up kitchen, serving up venison burgers and sausages to support its new centre in Oxford.
 

Oxford Castle Food & Wine Festival runs from 10am unttil 5pm on both days. Entry FREE.

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