Food Festivals Calendar 2011

February

Rye Bay Scallop Week, 12 – 20 February

Scallops have long been fished in the waters of Rye Bay. Learn how to prepare, cook and eat these tasty morsels at this unique festival.
 

Marmalade Awards and Festival, Cumbria, 12 – 13 February

Brighten up the bleak midwinter with a visit to the Marmalade Festival in Cumbria. There will be a marmalade church service, lecture, tastings, workshops and the Marmalade Competition.
 

Wakefield Festival of Food, Drink and Rhubarb, 25 – 26 February

This festival celebrates the traditional links with rhubarb growing in Wakefield, while offering the finest and tastiest regional produce and showcasing the most talented local chefs.
 

March

Moretonhampstead Festival of Food, Drink and Arts, Dartmoor, Devon, 5 March

Riverford Organics, a national veg box supplier and large local employer, sponsors this fantastic festival of cookery demonstrations, art exhibitions and much more. The festival is being opened by 'Celebrity Chefs' Michael Caines.

St David’s Food and Craft Festival, 5 – 6 March

This annual festival would not be complete without the Cawl Cooking Championship of the World and Elsewhere. The contest is judged on the vote of the public who are invited to'cwm cawling' around the ten local eating establishments taking part. Commemorative cawl bowls and voting forms can be purchased from the Chamber stall in the marquee.
 

The Edible Garden Show, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, 18 – 20 March

The Edible Garden Show is the ultimate Grow Your Own event - perfect for anyone passionate about home produce or rearing livestock and poultry keeping.
 

April

Brighton and Hove Food and Drink Festival ‘Spring Harvest’, 1 – 10 April

This 10-day Spring Harvest features a champagne & Local Sparkling Wine Festival, Beer Festival, the epic Big Sussex Market, Live Food Show, Sussex Gourmet Bus Tour, the launch of the Foodie Awards 2011 and Brighton & Hove Restaurant Week.

British Asparagus Festival launch, Evesham, 23 April

Don’t miss the Great English Asparagus Run and the official launch of the British Asparagus Festival in Evesham’s market square.
 

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, 28 April – 2 May

Next to the River Spey in the Cairngorms, this festival features distillery tours, tipple tastings and even a wildlife whisky walk.
 

May

Loch Fyne Food Fair, 14 – 15 May
Come for local oysters, herrings, preserves, bumble puddings, shortbread and Fyne cakes. There’ll be live music on both days of the festival.
 

Spring Tide Food Festival, Hive Beach, Burton Bradstock, 21 - 22 May

Orgnised by the National Trust, Dorset's Jurassic Food & Drink Festival offers you the chance to meet and buy from West Dorset's hugely talented local producers who will once be on hand to show off Dorset produce at its very best, so expect to find everything on the shopping list from spring veg, fresh fish & local meat, artisan bread, cheeses and a selection of locally made wines, beers and cider.

This year they plan to extend the festival fun by celebrating the diverse local arts & craft scene with a one day arts and culture event showcasing range of arts, rural skills and music as well as celebrating all that's great about being outdoors in West Dorset. For more information contact Caroline Richards on 01297 480025 or caroline.richards@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Bath Coffee Festival, 21 – 22 May

A celebration of the world’s most popular drink, the two day festival promises an aromatic coffee-experience with exhibitors representing the best from the world of coffee, as well as a packed programme of barista demonstrations, presentations, expert sessions and family entertainment.
 

Henley Food Festival, 28 – 29 May

Henley Food Festival has teamed up with Henley International Film Festival and will be running a joint event over the May Bank Holiday weekend. The food festival will be offering its normal array of producers, suppliers, restaurants and chef demonstrations. However your joint ticket will give you access to the many screenings the Film Festival is showing on the same site.
 

English Wine Week, nationwide, 29 May – 6 June

Held in various vineyards and venues across Britain, this festival offers tours and tastings in celebration of English wine.
 

June

Artisan Cheese Fair, Melton Mowbray, 11 - 12 June

Some of the best artisan cheese producers from across the country with some of Britain's most exclusive cheeses.

Cheltenham Food and Drink Festival, 17 – 19 June

This three day wine and food extravaganza in the heart of Cheltenham celebrates fine food from all over England with food producers offering visitors the chance to taste, learn, enjoy and discover along with fine wines and spirits from around the world to tantalise your pallet. There’ll be chef masterclasses, real ale tastings and live music.
 

July

Mortimer Country Food Fair, Brampton Bryan, 9 July

Created to celebrate the diversity and quality of locally produced food in the Herefordshire borders. This year's theme is foraging and "The Wild Life" with John Lewis-Stempel plus cookery demonstrations with local, seasonal produce, food talks, book readings, stalls of regional food, drink & country crafts.

Chilli Fest, Shoreham by the Sea, 9 – 10 July

Love the hot stuff? This two-day festival will give you the chance to taste and enjoy all wonders of hot chilli products from all over the world. The event will host a variety of independent chilli traders & growers selling products including chilli plants & seeds, sauces, salsas and jellies, with tastings & eating in abundance.
 

Leigh Food Festival and Classic Car Display, Sherborne, 16 July

Tasting and buying of the best food from local producers, including Alweston Jam and Chutney Empire, Bridfish, Brokewood Farm, Dorset Blue Cheese and Soup Company, and many many more. Entertainment includes children’s activities, cookery demonstrations and live music.

Flavour of Shetland, 21 – 24 July

Over four days, crews, locals and visitors will have the opportunity to sample the best of Shetland’s culture within the intimate setting of Lerwick harbour. Sample Shetland’s bannocks (unleavened dough cakes) fudge, ice cream and fresh seafood.

Pylewell Park Food and Drink Festival, Lymington, 23 – 24 July

Set in the stunning grounds of Pylewell Park in the New Forest, there will be a Food Lovers area, an International Food-to-go arena, cookery demonstrations and theatre from celebrity chefs, horticultural and garden displays and a varied production of performing arts, both contemporary and classical.

Whitstable Oyster Festival, 23 – 29 July

The festival is all about Whitstable, old and new. It’s a whole week of festivity celebrating Whitstable’s fascinating history and unique heritage alongside its contemporary talent and enthusiasm for fun. Learn how to prepare and eat their local delicacy.
 

The Big Cheese, Caerphilly, 29 – 31 July

The town of Caerphilly comes to life as people of all ages come to The Big Cheese - an extravaganza of street entertainers, living history encampments, music, dance, traditional funfair, folk dancing, falconry, fire eating, minstrels, troubadours and much more.
 

August

Great British Beer Festival, London, 2 – 6 August

The Great British Beer Festival at Earls Court, Britain's biggest beer festival, once again brings together a wide range of real ales, ciders, perries and international beers. There'll be plenty to occupy you at the festival, you can play on some traditional pub games, enjoy live music, sample some food, including good traditional pub snacks, and also attend tutored beer tastings.

Isle of Wight Garlick Festival,20 - 21 August

Garlic is of course, at the heart of this event – in all shapes and forms, some of them traditional, some surprising. But the festival also features a wide range of other local produce and that has won them the accolade of being described in both The Times and Telegraph as one of Britain’s best food festivals.

September

Ludlow Food Festival, 9 – 11 September

This year's festival will feature more than 130 top quality small independent food and drink producers from the Marches, the England-Wales border country, inside Ludlow Castle.

Conwy Honey Fair, 13 September

This 700-year old street fair brings together local beekeepers who sell about a ton of honey by lunchtime, plus crafts, plants and local produce stalls.

Feast of Dorset, 17 – 18 September

Winner of Independent Magazine’s Best UK Food Festival 2009, Feast of Dorset is a celebration of West Country produce and entertainment in an enchanted secret garden. The event will include 50 exhibitors, artisans, demonstrations, cookery theatre, restaurant marquees, camping, music, dancing and a children’s creche.

Alnwick Food Festival, 17 – 18 September

A festival of North East England's food producers, with cookery demonstrations, talks, food and drinks trails, special recipes, street entertainment, workshops and a Young Chef of the Year competition.

Nantwich Food and Drink Festival, 23 - 25 September

Take part in cooking demonstrations, featuring the best local chefs from Cheshire's restaurants, hotels and gastro pubs. Attend workshops teaching you how to bake the perfect loaf.

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival, 24 – 25 September (Fringe events: 24 September – 8 October)
A two-week celebration of the abundance of good local food and drink to be found in East Suffolk. The main festival weekend is always an impressive two day programme of talks, workshops and cookery demonstrations from top chefs including, in previous years Matthew Fort, Galton Blackiston, Valentine Warner, Sheila Dillon, Rose Prince, Tommi Miers, Ruth Watson and Simon Wadham as well as many of the finest local Suffolk chefs.

Abergavenny Food Festival, 17 – 18 September

Offering the best of Welsh local produce, this festival features some of the most knowledgeable and engaging stars of the food world who will come to Abergavenny to talk, cook, demonstrate and debate.

October

East Midlands Food and Drink Festival, Melton Mowbray, 1 - 2 October

One of the largest regional food festivals with up to 200 exhibitors, of course Stilton Cheese and Melton Mowbray Pork Pies will be there but a whole lot more besides. Demonstration theatre, tastings, food clinic and children's food festival area.

Trossachs Mushroom Festival, dates unconfirmed

December

St Nicholas Fayre, York, dates unconfirmed

The Fayre offers a range of markets specialising in gifts, crafts, and the very best in local farm produce. The magnificent medieval townhouse, Barley Hall, presents a special medieval market with live crafting, mulled wine and costumed traders and St William's College houses an arts and crafts market for fine hand-made items not to be found in the shops. Carol singers and buskers flock to the city to perform over the weekend to thousands of festive shoppers.

Abergavenny Christmas Food and Drink Fair, 11 December

Whatever your culinary tastes - rare, exotic, innovative, traditional - there's something for everyone, including inspirational masterclasses, tutored tastings and demonstrations. Firm up your menus, liven up your culinary plans and avoid the sad supermarket dash.

Do you know of any other food festivals happening this year? Email abigailwhyte@bbcmagazines.com to let us know, and we'll update this page.