Cat Dresser, the very popular star of The Great British Bake Off, will be one of the top attractions at the second Marlborough Food and Drink Festival – sharing her hints and tips for that perfect bake.
The Festival is open on Marlborough Common this Saturday (May 16 – 10.00am to 6.00pm) and Sunday (May 17 – 10.00am to 5.00pm.)
Last year it rained a lot. However, as organiser John Rhodes explained Marlborough News Online: “Glastonbury came to Marlborough! It was raining everywhere – there were floods nearby – it didn’t put Marlborough people off – we had 6,000 visitors over the two days.”
He is hoping for better weather this year – once Thursday’s rain is out of the way. And reckons he has a list of amazing attractions that will bring the same number of visitors to this year’s Festival – or even more.
When we met John at the site on Wednesday morning the three silent generators were in place, the marquees were nearly all up and lorries were coming in with all manner of equipment – it was already looking like a festival village.
They have moved the site away from the Kingsbury Street corner of the Common – where they were a bit hemmed in and near to the houses. Now they are closer to the Golf Club and have more space and a more level site.
Jack Stein will be another of the main attractions. He will be in the Chef’s Kitchen giving demonstrations and answering questions. He is one of Rick Stein’s three sons and one of the new generation of up and coming young British chefs. He has just been made executive chef of the five Stein Restaurants – as well as overseeing the Padstow Seafood School.
Appealing especially to the younger cooks among the visitors (and under-16s get in free) will be demonstrations by CBBC’s Stefan Gates – famed for Incredible Edibles, Disaster Chefs and Gastronuts. Be prepared for a bit of experimental kitchen mess as he introduces custard powder flame throwing, biofuel rockets and cow gas!
The main Food Lovers’ Marquee – all of 45 metres long – will be home to seventy exhibitors with everything from specialty kitchen knives to specialist foods.
Outside the tents there will be live music – groups and soloists bringing folk, jazz and a bit of blues – and street food for all tastes. While you eat, there will be street theatre to entertain you from the likes of comedy act The French Waiters and Bruce Airhead, who apparently turns himself into a balloon – quite a large balloon.
If all that food and fun makes visitors thirsty there is a Bollinger Champagne tent. The main sponsor of the International Wines Talks – and, yes, tasting too – is the famous sustainable wine producer Yealands from the Marlborough area of New Zealand. “Yealands”, says John Rhodes, “will be bringing some of their best wines – from Marlborough to Marlborough.”
Other wine talks include a Gonzalez Byass Sherry Masterclass with Neil Phillips, a tasting with Canard-Duchene champagne, a tour of Burgundy wines with Louis Jadot and Waitrose’s Matthew Dick introducing some less familiar grape varieties.
For other drinkers there is Real Ale Marquee featuring three breweries and three cider makers.
There will be free parking – accessed along Frees Avenue – organised by the Marlborough and District Rotary Club. They will be collecting for Prostate Cancer UK.
The £7 entry fee for adults covers access to all demonstrations, all marquees, all tastings and all talks. Readers can check out times and who’s doing what on which day on the Festival’s website.
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