THE UK’S biggest touring celebrity food and music festival will be returning to Winchester this summer.
Foodies Festival, dubbed “Gastro-Glastonbury” will be back at North Walls Recreation Ground with chart-topping stars like Scouting for Girls and Sophie Ellis-Bextor among the line-up.
From July 14 to 16, festival-goers can watch live cooking demonstrations from top chefs drawn from MasterChef, Great British Bake Off and Great British Menu, as well as local Michelin-starred and award-winning cooks.
Great British Bake Off 2022 winner, Syabira Yusoff, will be making her debut. She said: “I’m looking forward to sharing my passion and cooking in front of a live audience on the Foodies Festival tour. I’ll be baking some of my favourite cakes, sharing recipe ideas and talking about my amazing experience on the Great British Bake Off."
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Throughout the three-day weekend, visitors can watch the cooking show champions and award-winning chefs in the interactive live theatres.
Hampshire representatives include Philip Bishop, head chef from 2 AA Rosette awarded The Greyhound on Test, Stockbridge, Gordon Stott, chef-patron from 2 AA Rosette awarded and Michelin recommended, The Purefoy Arms, Preston Candover, Dave Watts, chef-patron from Michelin recommended, The Crown Inn, Upton and Tim Goodwin, owner of multi-award-winning bakery The Street Bakeshop, in Old Basing.
Meanwhile, in the Kids Cookery School, Foodies SuperChefs will aim to make cooking fun, helping younger guests prepare food which they can take away with them.
Masterclasses in the Drinks Theatre include tutored Champagne, Beer, Cider, Cocktail and Wine-tasting, including presentations from BBC expert, Joe Wadsack, and ITV expert, Tom Surgey.
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The Shopping Village will also be open with local producers showcasing in the artisan market. Other attractions include the Feasting Tent, a fairground, children’s activities and family-friendly areas as well as live music.
New this year is “Cocktails, Cabaret and Cake” which will be kicking off the event on the Friday with cocktail-making sessions, mixologists and theatre shows featuring cabaret sessions, drag artists, comedy and a headline ABBA tribute band.
Saturday headliner Scouting For Girls said: "We always look forward to Foodies and it just wouldn’t be summer without it! The festivals have a great vibe and we often bring our family and friends along to enjoy the fun. We’ve all taken a liking to the Japanese Bao Buns and the Jamaican Jerk Chicken, so we’ll also be looking forward to scoffing that!
“See you soon Winchester.”
Sunday headliner Sophie Ellis-Bextor said: “It’s wonderful to be joining the Foodies Festival tour again. Warm summer weekends full of lovely food and music, and families having fun together – I can’t wait!”
For the fifth year running, the festival is supporting Musicians Against Homelessness (MAH) with tickets raising money for UK-wide homelessness charity Crisis.
MAH founder Emma Rule said: “We are thrilled to be back at Foodies with our music stage and a fantastic line-up of artists, raising much-needed funds during these challenging times.”
Day tickets cost £3 per child and £18 per adult. Weekend tickets for all three days are also available for £38. To book go to foodiesfestival.com
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