Foodies Festival returns to Clapham Common for its flagship event 24,25,26th July as it celebrates its 10th anniversary with what it claims to be ‘London’s biggest summer feast’ and several LDN Life competition winners will be going along for a great day out.
Past visitors can expect more of the same plus a lot more, thanks to the addition of new food and drink theatres, an extended Street Food Avenue, Chilli-Eating Competitions and a new ‘Couples Spaghetti-Eating Race‘ (sounds interesting), where couples race from either end of a 4 meter spaghetti to be crowned ‘The Spaghetti Couple of Clapham‘ which is worthy of pride of place on anyone’s LinkedIn profile.
Highlights of the Festival Include:
- New Wine and Champagne Theatre: Experts Neil Phillips and Charles Metcalfe will guide visitors through this season’s best bubblies from around the world, while beer expert Melissa Cole is on-hand in the New Craft Beer Theatre with food and craft beer pairing masterclasses.
- New Tasting Theatre: Festival-goers can learn new skills and discover new flavours with masterclasses in Bee Keeping, Sushi Rolling and Sausage Making, and chocolate experts Coeur de Xocolat host ‘How to Sniff Chocolate like a Rockstar’ classes. Who knew Rockstars sniffed chocolate?
- Street Food Avenue: A feasting hub at the heart of the festival which promises to take visitors on a flavour adventure around the world. Japanese, Thai, Brazilian, Argentinian, Indian, Mexican, French and African you name it, these are some of the cuisines visitors can purchase and munch into at communal tables in the Feasting Tent. London’s first chip-only restaurant ‘Come Fry with Me’ also launches at the festival, apparently staff will be dressed as cabin crew serving every flavour of chips imaginable – including naked fries, steak and stilton, marmite and bacon and cheese – from an aviation themed food truck. Now that sounds worth the entrance fee alone.
- Cake & Bake Theatre: A haven for passionate bakers with top local cake makers and bakeries sharing their tips for baking delicious summer cakes. Visitors can also enjoy 3D cake modelling, Chocolate Making and Sugar-Craft masterclasses and a complementing Chocolate, Cake and Bake Village sells bakes, jams, gadgets and baking essentials.
- Artisan Producers Market: There will be over 200 artisan producers selling everything from award-winning Salted Caramel Cheese to Pink Raspberry Gin; This is my favourite part of the festival as not only are you be spoilt for choice with samples and for what to buy to take home. You also get to meet the producers, hear their stories and share their passion for food and drink.
- Chilli Market: For real men, I think I’m a real man until I taste some of the hotter ones and then act like I’ve been shot in the mouth. For those foolish enough, (Not me) there’s a Chilli Eating Competition challenges contestants to try and break the current record of 16 million scoville eaten to win the Chilli Eating Crown – that’s 6400 times the average chill heat!
- Childrens Cookery Theatre: Little foodies can explore their taste buds and learn basic cooking skills in ‘Picnic in the Park’ themed masterclasses with Kiddy Cook, who will show them how to make finger sandwiches, fruit jellies and chocolate bugs.
- Plus there’s live music from the Entertainment Stage
Finally here’s a list of chefs appearing in the Aga Rangemaster Chefs’ Theatre include:
– Deliciously Ella – healthy living blogger
– Ping Coombes – MasterChef winner 2014
– John Whaite – Great British Bake Off winner 2012
– Adam Handling – MasterChef: The Professionals finalist 2013
– Ben Tish – Saltyard
– Anna Haugh – London House
– Paul Shearing – Bread Street Kitchen
– Owen Sullivan – Maze Grill Park Walk
– Kim Woodward – York & Albany
– Aldo Zilli – TV Chef
– Moran Etedgi – Brew
– Jacques Fourie – Ember Yard
– Jesse Dunford Wood – PARLOUR
– Saira Hamilton – Small Aubergine
– Mat Follas – The Casterbridge and MasterChef winner
– Ping Coombes – MasterChef winner 2014
– John Whaite – Great British Bake Off winner 2012
– Adam Handling – MasterChef: The Professionals finalist 2013
– Ben Tish – Saltyard
– Anna Haugh – London House
– Paul Shearing – Bread Street Kitchen
– Owen Sullivan – Maze Grill Park Walk
– Kim Woodward – York & Albany
– Aldo Zilli – TV Chef
– Moran Etedgi – Brew
– Jacques Fourie – Ember Yard
– Jesse Dunford Wood – PARLOUR
– Saira Hamilton – Small Aubergine
– Mat Follas – The Casterbridge and MasterChef winner
For more info and tickets visit: www.foodiesfestival.com