WINCHESTER Foodies Festival is underway with a variety of food and drink to try and buy.
The popular festival opened to the public at 12pm on Friday, July 15 for three days of food, drink and chart-topping music stars.
Foodies Festival nicknamed ‘Gastro-Glasto’ is the biggest touring gourmet food festival in the UK, featuring MasterChef champions, stars of Great British Bake-Off and Michelin starred chefs.
Friday’s line up is also bringing nineties nostalgia with N-Trance, 911 and Rozalla performing on the mainstage.
A wide selection of food and drink stalls are available for people to sample and buy from. As well as live theatres, where professional and TV chefs will take part in demonstrations.
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The festival, situated in North Walls Recreation ground, is hosting the BBQ Roadshow for their last stop within National BBQ Week. This year the BBQ Roadshow has gone completely vegan, providing free samples from the Birdseye Green Cuisine range at Winchester Foodies Festival.
Brian George, president of national BBQ week said: “It’s taken three years to get National BBQ Week to become vegan. The products are based off a pea protein, and they taste like the real thing. A lot of people try it and go wow yeah, I like that.”
“We do all the foodies festival. We were in Winchester last year and it’s really good, really busy and a great city.”
Stallholders are expecting the festival to get busier in the evening and across the weekend once kids are off school and the mainstage comes to life.
Rebekah Taylor, from Andover said: “I’m here with my family today and we love it. We saw it on Facebook any my whole family are foodies, so we decided to come along. They’re here for the food but I’m here for the drink.
Kevin Watkins, from Winchester said: “We came last year and really enjoyed it. This time the music sold it- proper nineties. It’s good food and good music.”
The Chefs’ Theatre, Cake & Bake Theatre, Drinks Theatre are hosting live demonstrations with a host celebrity professionals. With day one of Winchester Foodies Festival featuring Joe Wadsack- drinks expert from the BBC’s Food and Drink series and Andy Oakley- author of Sustainable Chef.
New for this year is “Ready Steady Chef!” which kicked off events in the chefs’ live theatre. Here, TV chefs are presented with a bag of surprising ingredients chosen by their competitors in a race against the clock to create the best dish and win over the audience.
With over 150 exhibitors, a large variety of both local and international cuisine and drinks are on offer across the shopping village and street food avenue. For many stallholders, the festival provides a chance to make their brand known and broaden its appeal.
Bradley Hyd from UK meal kit service Green Chef (sister company of Hello Fresh) said: “I’m looking forward to the atmosphere and honestly we’re hoping to gain a lot of commission, but it tends to pick up at the weekend.”
Maya Wander from All in One Marketing representing the Mateus Rosé campaign: “It’s personally my first time here in Winchester today and we’re hoping to educate the younger generation on the wine their grandparents were enjoying. The wine is affordable to most people.”
UK singles chart-topper Gabrielle will headline on Saturday whilst Lee Ryan and Simon Webbe from Blue are taking to the stage to close the festival on Sunday.
Winchester Foodies Festival is open at the earlier of time of 11am over the weekend starting July 16.
Click through the gallery at the top of the page to see what’s there.
To find out more visit: foodiesfestival.com/events/winchester/.
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