Today it’s the bakers, chefs and clean-eaters who make up the A-listers of the festival season.
Wellies, a street-food carton and a vegan tote-bag are the festival-goer’s uniform and in the entry queues talk is of the merits of quinoa and chia rather than rockstar excess.
Food is the pastime of the people more than it has ever been. And in June, one of the country’s coolest food festivals heads to Newcastle for a three-days feast of food.
Foodies Festival June 3-4, brings chefs, bakers, growers and gastros to the stage at Exhibition Park. There’s inspiration and indulgence – and a finger on the well-being pulse. A new and exciting healthy living focus hits the festival too with a Grow Your Own workshops area.
The people:
You can clock in with Luxe columnists Dave Coulson from Peace & Loaf and Andrew Wilkinson from artisan – they will both be participating in demos at the Chefs’ Theatre.
Candice Brown, crowned Great British Bake-Off winner in 2016 will be baking up a storm in the Cakes & Desserts Threatre. It’s here you can also see Charlotte White, aka Burlesque Baker.
The food:
Cakes & Desserts Theatre
The stage is set to to include not only top local bakers but also local chefs renowned for their outstanding desserts. From delectable desserts to show-stopping cake towers, these chefs and bakers will be inspiring visitors to reach for their spatulas and whisks at home to recreate their delicious summer bakes.
Afternoon tea can be enjoyed in the beautifully decorated Vintage Tea Room, where teas, handmade cakes and scones with clotted cream and jam are served on china from a tea trolley by vintage styled tea ladies and gentlemen, and vintage music for ambience.
Healthy Living
Healthy Living will be a central theme to 2017 Foodies Festival, and will for the first time ever include yoga classes, meditation, talks and cooking demonstrations from the UK’s top nutritionists, health food bloggers and healthy cooks. ‘Ask the Experts’ sessions will highlight the latest trends in ‘feel good food’.
Chefs’ Theatre
Foodie fans can look forward to a celebrity and Michelin-starred chef line-up in the Chefs Theatre this summer, with Britain’s top chefs showcasing their culinary skills and inspiring the audience with their delicious dishes. There will be a focus on culinary wellness, with farm-to-table dishes, sugar-free cooking and ‘feel good’ food trends.
Grow Your Own
Attend fresh produce food demonstrations, tutorials and practical workshops. There will be junior gardener activities and a healthy food court to pick up your picnic lunch after inspiring talks on how to get your hands dirty and your fingers green!
Cook with Critters: Creative Healthy Living
The insect food industry is booming and the Vietnamese Street Food Stand will be demonstrating how to cook with critters and the health benefits of doing so.
Learn the benefits of chocolate-dipped and candy-coated worms, scorpions, locusts, ants, caterpillars, mealworms and crickets! These tasty critters will also be sold in powder and flour form – a high source of protein – to bake, season and cook with.
Drinks Theatre
Rum is the drink of choice for 2017, with experts predicting a similar innovation amongst premium rum brands as 2016 witnessed with gin.
Expert mixologists and sommeliers, including Neil Phillips and Charles Metcalfe, host wine, whisky, champagne and gin tastings, and beer connoisseur and writer Melissa Cole is on-hand with craft beer tutorials (well known in the UK for “taking the beard out of beer”).
Street Food Avenue
Enjoy street food vendors from around the world, offering visitors the chance to take a culinary trip to all corners of the world. Japanese, Thai, Malaysian, Argentinian, Turkish, Indian, Korean, Mexican, French and African. Everything from Crème Brulee campervans to flavours of Morocco.
Artisan Producers Market
An array of Great Taste Award winners will be exhibiting at Foodies Festival 2017. Meander between smoked salmon tasting stands, outstanding local cheeses, melt-in-your-mouth brownies, award-winning oils and chutneys.
Kids Cookery School & Kids Zone
In the Kids Cookery School, little foodies can make and decorate their very own pizza, cupcakes and other favourites.
Live Music, Restaurant Tents and Pop-Up Bars
Live music on the entertainment stage as you soak up the atmosphere with a glass of Pimms from the Giant Pimm’s Teaport or double-decker BarBus.
BBQ Arena & Restaurant Tents
Feast on barbecue brilliance in food tents and the BBQ Arena, with everything from BBQ cakes to healthy living grilled halloumi and peach skewers.
VIP:
The Foodies Festival VIP experience includes: creative summer workshops, champagne tasting sessions, and ‘Meet the Chef’ sessions held in the VIP area, complimentary glass of fizz in hand.
The VIP lounge will also have a new deli and gourmet snacks area and complimentary, exclusive Foodies Festival tote bags with VIP goodies inside.
VIP day ticket £35 Friday includes a welcome glass of bubbly, use of the VIP area with private bar and refreshment, priority entry to food and drink masterclasses, exclusive VIP only masterclasses, showguide, and goody bag to take home.
Children aged 12 and under go free to all Foodies Festivals when accompanied by an adult.
Buy your tickets online at: foodiesfestival.com
Luxe readers will get 30% off with code LUXE30 and 2 for 1 tickets with LUXE241.
