Food festivals | UK food | Great British Food festival

July is the perfect month for gathering your family and friends together to discover wonderful new flavours of the summer. With all these Food Festivals taking place all over UK, here are the ones you don't want to miss.

Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival

Where: Dorset When: 11th - 12th July The Pommery Dorset Seafood Festival brings together seafood, family entertainment and a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of the seafood available. In an average year over 50,000 people come to enjoy the two day mix of seafood and champagne with around 100 stands selling seafood and associated goods. The chef and expert line up includes Jack Stein and Dave Giles from Rick Stein’s restaurants, Passionate About Fish Guru - Duncan Lucas, The Dining Room’s Taher Jibet, Gill Meller and John Wright from River Cottage, Matt Budden from the Highcliff Grill at the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriot, BBC Masterchef winner and Chef of The Casterbridge - Mat Follas, Dorset’s favourites Nigel Bloxham., Pete Miles and Russell Brown. Experts and fishermen from all over the South West are joining together to bring you a memorable and delicious Festival this July. All smoothly commentated on by broadcaster, Neil Phillips, AKA ‘The Wine Tipster’.

Grillstock Bristol

Where: Harbourside, Bristol When: 11th - 12th July

The heart of the festival will see 'King of the Grill', a huge two-day US style 'low and slow' BBQ competition with 24 teams battling it out over the smoky coals. Visitors can interact with the teams, taste the food and experience their passion and enthusiasm for authentic barbecue. Celebrity US pit-master Dr BBQ (aka Ray Lampe) will oversee the judging for the weekend. Attracting more than 25,000 meat and music lovers seeking some proper Southern hospitality, Grillstock is much more than just music, beer and BBQ competition, it's also a smoking hot weekend of fire breathers, eating competitions, BBQ masterclasses, hot rods and dozens of traders. Pit Crew tickets include 4 free drinks, 2 meals and a £15 merch voucher. As well as entrance all weekend and to the Friday night party.

Great British Food Festival

Where: Shugborough, Milford, Stafford When: 11th - 12th July Over 80 top local producers, hot food, real ale and wine bars and a dash of craft and gift stalls, lots of activities and rides for the kids, top chef demos from the likes of GBBO finalist Luis Troyano and the popular Men V’s Food; all with live music. The main chef demo area hosts great local and regional chefs, all demos are free (as part of your admission ticket) to enter so everyone can pick up top foodie tips. There are also regular Artisan Foodie talks and the popular Great British Cake off and Men V’s Food for you to get involved with! The Great British Food Festival has attracted lots of producers

showcasing the best in local, seasonal and speciality food and drink - meaning you can experience a real taste of the best of Lancashire and Great British produce. With Great Britain’s amazing mix of cultures and cuisines you can try Thai dishes, Ostrich burgers, or burittos as well as pulled pork, prime steak, and the best local burgers and sausages, for those with more traditional tastes!

Mortimer Country Food Fair

Where: Brampton Bryan When: 11th July The Mortimer

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Country Food Fair was started in 2008 as a collaboration between two local businesses. The intention was to promote local food and craft producers, by featuring their products to local people who may have been unaware of how superb the food produced around them really was. Swifts-Bakery

This year nearly 1,500 people came through the fair and many stallholders sold out of their produce by mid-afternoon. Now in it's 8th year the festival was set up by Carolyn Chesshire from Lower Buckton and Sheridan Swinson (and his fellow Director Edward Tobin) from Aardvark Books. Carolyn is well known through her frequent radio contributions to Radio 4’s food and travel programmes, and has also appeared on television. Her property Lower Buckton is featured in the Alistair Sawday guide to Special Places to Stay and she is a multiple winner of the Flavours of Herefordshire award for Best Breakfast. Edward Tobin is a former senior executive of publishers HarperCollins where he promoted many famous authors including Charlton Heston and Joe O’Connor.

Oundle Food Festival

Where: Oundle When: 18th July Oundle Food Festival is back for the 6th year but this time it’s even bigger and better! The Street Market will take place in Oundle town centre with over 70 stallholders and with the Fringe Festival adding to the carnival atmosphere. The Food Festival started in 2009 and this year will be part of the Oundle International Festival taking place in Oundle from the 10th-18th July. The Street Market will take place on Saturday 18th July. Cookery demonstrations will be hosted by sponsor, Aga Peterborough, at their showrooms in Warmington, and some of the best local restaurants and specialist shops in the region will be taking part during the week, offering wine, tea tastings, and menus created for the festival, including The Falcon at Fotheringhay.

Matlock Food Festival

Where: Matlock When: 19th July

For the third year the independently run Matlock Food Festival is to be held this July. Run by a team of local volunteers, the event has grown to attract a wide range of food producers, suppliers and traders from all over the UK. This year it will be held in the middle of the town, moving from its location on the park, giving a true street food feel. The festival will have live music, buskers, singers and street performers. Helping support charity, BBC Radio Derby Colin Bloomfield Melanoma Appeal to fund 200 Sun Safe Schools in Derbyshire and East Staffordshire; will be the UK Garrison with their team of Star Wars re-enactors including Storm Troopers, Wookie and other favourites! A fantastic day for all the family, in the beautiful market town of Matlock.

Margate Food and Drink Festival

Where: Margate When: 25th July To coincide and compliment the first summer season of the opening of ‘Dreamland’, Margate Town Team present its first Food & Drink Festival. A great family event to include a vast array of local, national and international food products as well as real ale, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. In addition visitors will be able to enjoy, craft stalls, music, traditional punch & Judy, Kiddies Rides, face painting, juggling, stilt walking and cooking demonstrations by East Kent College Students. By Henna Holtinkoski

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