The UK's best food festivals: what to book in 2023

Enjoy delicious seasonal local produce and a lively atmosphere at a food festival this summer and autumn. We've gathered our pick of the best food festivals in the UK.

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Published: June 21, 2023 at 9:38 am

From chef's talks and demonstrations to kids cookery workshops and independent producers, food shows is one thing the UK does very, very well. Whether you fancy oyster shucking along Scotland’s east coast or a trip to the Isle of Wight’s aromatic Garlic Farm, Britain's diverse regional produce is something to be explored, tasted and celebrated.

Here are the UK food festivals we will be booking tickets for this year.

Best food festivals in the UK – by season

April – May

June – August

September – October

Dalemain Marmalade Festival, Cumbria

22 April 2023

Marmalade recipe (Photo by: Martin Poole via Getty Images)
Marmalade./Credit: Martin Poole/Getty Images.

Jane Hasell-McCosh, chatelaine of Dalemain Mansion in Cumbria, dreamt up the World Marmalade Awards in 2005 to attract tourists to the region after the Foot & Mouth outbreak. A huge success, the accompanying festival now boasts everything from orange-dyed sheep to a visit from Paddington Bear, of course. NG

dalemain.com

Alresford Watercress Festival, Hampshire

21 May 2023

A smiling girl and boy (age 6) are the King and Queen of Alresford Watercress Festival pictured wearing green and yellow wreaths and throwing bundles of cress to the crowd in front
At the 13th annual Alresford Watercress Festival, the Watercress King and Queen (both age 6) throw the season's first watercress harvest to the crowds, Alresford. Credit: Paul Doyle / Alamy Stock Photo

Every year, the pretty Hampshire town of Alresford plays host to a festival celebrating all things watercress. The highlight is a parade where the watercress king and queen distribute the first of the season’s harvest. There's also a watercress-eating championship (now in the Guinness Book of Records), cookery demonstrations, a street market, Morris dancers and Punch and Judy shows, all in honour of this nutritious leaf. NG

watercressfestival.org

Pub in the Park, Surrey and UK-wide locations

23-25 June

Hosted by Tom Kerridge, this touring food show brings together top chefs, award-winning restaurants, live music and Michelin-starred food for a three-day bonanza of all things culinary.

pubintheparkuk.com/reigate

The show will also feature at Leamington Spa in the Midlands (30 June – 2 July), Tunbridge Wells in Kent (7 – 9 July), Brighton in Sussex (14 – 16 July), Chiswick in Greater London (1 – 3 September) and St Albans in Hertfordshire (8–10 September).

Shrewsbury Food Festival

24 – 25 June 2023

Love food sign at a food festival with stalls in the background
Enjoy seasonal delights at the Shrewsbury Food festival /Credit: Shrewsbury Food Festival

A two-day celebration of local, independent food producers in the picturesque medieval town of Shrewsbury. 200 food and drink producers are joined by street food vendors, top chefs, local brewers, and distillers, serving up the finest food and drink. With a live music stage, an educational Field to Fork area, home and garden stalls, and free kids activities - it's a fun day out for the whole family.

shrewsburyfoodfestival.co.uk

Yorkshire Dales Food and Drink Festival

21 – 23 July 2023

Stone barns and fields in Littondale, Yorkshire Dales national park, England, UK. (Photo by: Geography Photos/UIG via Getty Images)
Yorkshire Dales National Park. /Credit: Geography Photos/UIG via Getty Images.

Funkirk Farm in Skipton is the venue for this two-day extravaganza offering live celebrity demos by the likes of James Martin and The Hairy Bikers, alongside workshops, masterclasses and hundreds of foodie exhibitors.

yorkshiredalesfoodanddrinkfestival.com

Great British Food Festival, Hertfordshire

15-16 July

This travelling roadshow of all things foodie offers a packed line-up of live music, chef demonstrations and talks, artisan food stalls, kids' cookery workshops plus tractor rides, treasure hunts and craft stalls! Learn how to master the grill at the BBQ stage, enter a cake in the Cake Off competition (don't forget to get your free slice after judging has passed) or just kick back and enjoy the music.

greatbritishfoodfestival.com/knebworth

The show will also feature at Hardwicke Hall in Derbyshire (28-30 July), Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire (19-20 August), Margham Park in South Wales (2-3 September), Borde Hill in West Sussex (9-10 September), and Arley Hall in Cheshire (23-24 September).

Isle of Wight Garlic Festival

19 – 20 August 2023

IOW-Garlic-Festival
Isle of Wight Garlic Festival. Credit: Jeff Gilbert / Alamy.

A heady mix of country fair, pop festival and a vampire’s worst nightmare, this festival offers everything from garlic beer and ice cream to fudge, with much of the raw ingredients grown just minutes away at the island’s multi-award winning garlic farm.

garlicfestival.co.uk

The Big Feastival, Cotswolds

25 – 27 August

The Big Feastival, held at former Blur guitarist Alex James' Farm in the Cotswolds, pitches itself as equal parts music and food. Taking care of the latter will be headliners Sigrid, Tom Grennan and Blossoms, while the impressive roll call of decorated chefs includes Asma Khan, Nathan Outlaw, Anna Haugh and Ching-He Huang MBE. And there's plenty there for kids, too.

thebigfeastival.com/

Meatopia On Fire, London

31 August – 3 September 2023

Steaks being grilled on a barbecue.
Meatopia is a celebration of all things grilled./Credit: Getty

Top chefs from around the world assemble for this visceral celebration of meat and fire at Tobacco Dock in East London. It’s a party with principles though – the festival’s manifesto insists on ethically produced and sustainable ingredients and extols the benefits of nose-to-tail eating.

meatopia.co.uk

North Norfolk Food & Drink Festival

2nd–3rd September 2023

Cookery theatre demonstration at North Norfolk Food Festival
Learn new recipes and skills in the North Norfolk Food Festival's Cookery Theatre.

In the spectacular setting of the Walled Garden at historic Holkham Hall, this year's North Norfolk Food & Drink Festival is set to be the biggest yet with more than 70 stalls featuring the best of local produce. Stallholders sell cakes and bakes, artisan beer, bread, tarts, juices, fresh meat and game, vegetables, chocolates and much more at this successful festival, now in its 14th year. A wide selection of concessions include a hog roast, artisan coffee, Thai curries and real lemonade. Learn new tricks at the cookery theatre and keep the children busy with face painting and other fun activities. Entry is free and car parking costs £5 per vehicle.

http://www.northnorfolkfoodfestival.co.uk/

Ludlow Food Festival, Ludlow Castle, Wales

8 – 10 September 2023

Ludlow Food Festival

One of the most popular food festivals in the UK, Ludlow Castle hosts three days of foodie talks by chefs, producers and speakers, along with trails, feasts, masterclasses, workshops and free activities for kids! And of course, there's the live fire kitchen where you can watch demonstrations and go home filled with inspiration for your next dinner party or barbecue.

ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk/

Stranraer Oyster Festival, Scotland

15 – 17 September 2023

Smiling group of people in blue denim aprons stood behind large counter of oysters
The Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Team. Credit: Pete Robinson.

The UK’s native oyster season opens on 1 September and the boats here need at least a week to land enough for this fun festival on the shores of Loch Ryan. Witness the high-stakes Oyster Shucking Championship in which chefs from all over Scotland compete, or grab a napkin and enter the oyster-eating competition yourself.

stranraeroysterfestival.com

Abergavenny Food Festival, Wales

16 – 17 September 2023

17/09/2016 Pics (C) HUW JOHN MANDATORY BYLINE - Huw John, Cardiff Abergavenny Food Festival - Night Market mail@huwjohn.com www.huwjohn.com M: 07860 256991
The Night Market at Abergavenny Food Festival. /Credit: Huw John, Cardiff/Getty Images

Since it was first founded by two farmers in 1999, Abergavenny Food Festival has become one of Britain’s leading food events, with talks and workshops. The Saturday night party at the castle is legendary.

abergavennyfoodfestival.com

Scottish Wild Food Festival, near Glasgow, Scotland

16th–17th September, 2023

Foraged foods at Scottish Wild Food Festival
A range of local and foraged preserves will be on sale at the Scottish Wild Food Festival's market.

Learn about local wild food and hone your foraging skills in the delightful courtyard of Tir na Nog, Balfunning, just 17 miles north of Glasgow. With long-table dining experiences, foraging walks, wild cocktail making, bushcraft, talks and demonstrations, workshops, live music and a marketplace, there's something for everyone interested in nature's larder.

scottishwildfoodfestival.co.uk/

Holmfirth Food and Drink Festival, Yorkshire

16–17 September

Cheeses in wax truckles lined up n a stand

In the heart of the Yorkshire Pennines, Holmfirth Food and Drink Festival is a fun family day out packed with live music, good food and entertainment. Browse the stalls for local produce and tap along to street performers.

holmfirthfoodanddrink.org

Brogdale Heritage Orchard Days and PYO, Faversham, Kent

16–17 September; 30 September – 1 October; 14–15 October

Ripe apples hanging from a tree
Taste rare apples from the National Collection before you buy them at Brogdale Farm/Credit: Getty

Set in a beautiful orchard, Brogdale Farm is the National Centre for fruit, with 2,200 varieties of apple – more than any other collection in the world. Over the weekend, there are hundreds of different rare and heritage apple varieties you can try straight from the tree in the National Collection, alongside tractor and walking tours of the orchard. Children can join in with apple campfire cooking, traditional apple pressing and visit the fabulous face painter. There’s also weekend-long entertainment and craft stalls offering unique gifts.

brogdalecollections.org/event/heritage-orchard-days/

Malvern Autumn Show, Worcestershire

22 – 24 September

Autumn vegetables such as squashes and marrows
Malvern Autumn show is home to vegetables galore

Held at the Three Counties Showground in the beloved Malvern Hills, the Malvern Autumn Show is a village fête on a grand scale. It's home to the Canna UK National Giant Vegetable Competition, for a start, where the average pumpkin is larger than a five-year-old child. Alongside a huge array of food and produce stalls, there's plenty to do for kids, including last year's new addition, the World of Animals.

malvernautumn.co.uk/

York Food and Drink Festival

23 September – 3 October

Enjoy some of York's best street food, interactive demonstrations and activities in an event that celebrates the local food and drink culture of the city. It offers a range of exciting activities, including chef demonstrations, free cookery workshops, markets, fringe events, taste trails and the famous cookie tour.

yorkfoodfestival.com

Apple Harvest Weekend, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire

24–25 September

Apples in a basket outdoors on the grass with sunshine in background
Credit: Getty

Celebrate the apple harvest at Canons Ashby, a National Trust property based in Northamptonshire. Help yourself to delicious garden produce for a donation, explore the ancient parkland on the Harvest Trail or help to press apple juice from the produce that grows in the historic grounds. In 2023, enjoy traditional Morris Dancing, family craft activities, a tombola and a trail.

nationaltrust.org.uk/canons-ashby/features/celebrate-harvest-at-canons-ashby

Traditional Harvest Festival, Chiltern Open air museum, Bucks

30 September – 1 October

Discover more about our farming heritage at this annual celebration in this historic farm. Visit the bodger's area and learn about this ancient skill, see the fire kiln and saw pit, marvel at the harvest display in Henton Chapel, made from the museum's homegrown allotment produce. With blacksmithing, straw plaiting and plenty of animals to befriend, kids will love it here too.

coam.org.uk/events/harvest-festival/

Falmouth Oyster Festival, Cornwall

12–15 October

A four-day extravaganza 'devoted to the mighty mollusc', Falmouth Oyster Festival is one of Cornwall's biggest and most popular food events. The native Fal oyster takes centre stage, which is still harvested using the traditional sail and oar method. Expect cookery demonstrations, live music, food stalls, Cornish food produce, arts and crafts marquee, real ale, wine and champagne bars, oyster and seafood bars, the Grand Oyster Parade, shucking competition, the Grand Oyster Draw and of course, the highlight in the local race calendar, the Working Boat Race – the last of the season.

falmouthoysterfestival.co.uk/

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