6 reasons to visit Exeter Food & Drink Festival this May

The South West’s ultimate food event will be returning to Exeter this May. Supported by Visit Exeter, the Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink will spring to life in in the idyllic surroundings of Exeter Castle Courtyard and Northernhay Gardens from Saturday 4^th to Monday 6^th May 2019. Here are our top six reasons to visit the Festival this year...

1. Westcountry talent

2019 will see the Festival’s Cookery Theatre being taken over by a star-studded line up of the region’s finest chefs and producers.  Each day of the Festival, Michael Caines MBE will kick start the demonstrations and masterclasses followed by the likes of Fifteen Cornwall’s Adam Banks, ODE Restaurant’s Tim Bouget, The Angel’s Elly Wentworth, Gidleigh Park’s Gareth Howarth, Rockfish’s Mitch Tonks, Pony and Trap’s Josh Eggleton, founder of Riverford Field Kitchen Jane Baxter and The Salutation Inn’s Tom Williams-Hawkes. 

2. Local producers

One of the UK’s tastiest regions, the South West is home to many of the UK’s, (and world’s) top food and drink producers, and the festival celebrates this. Visitors to the Festival can browse the two food and drink marquees discovering the region’s finest produce from the likes of Sharpham Wine and Cheese, Burrow Farm Food, Salcombe Gin, Georgie Porgies Puddings, The Little Bakes Bakery, Braunton Asparagus and many more. 

3. Fresh at the Festival

Back again for 2019, the show features new exhibitors taking part in Fresh at the Festival; an initiative created to champion innovative new food and drink businesses across the region. Sponsored by NFU Mutual Exeter, this year’s exhibitors include: Butter Bike Co, Cocorico, Passion for Pie, Pretty Little Pastries Ltd, Sweet Foragers and Two Drifters Brewery. The perfect place to discover something brand new and delicious.

4. Live music

Festivities kick off at 6.30pm on Friday 3^rd May with Exeter Beats, featuring live music, street-food, regional drinks and a lively atmosphere.  Two further Exeter Beats events will light up the courtyard on Saturday and Sunday evenings with Radio Exe hosting, more details are being revealed soon so watch this space.

5. A family day out

Family-friendly workshops running across the three days plus pizza parties in the Darts Farm tipis will keep little ones entertained (and fed!).

6. Live Better

This year the Festival will be home to the new Live Better feature. Visitors to the Live Better marquee will get the chance to watch live demonstrations from chefs and producers with a focus on improving wellbeing.

Find out more about the Festival and book tickets at https://exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk/