The second Woking Food and Drink Festival kicks off today! Find out what's happening!
From Friday 5 to Sunday 7 September 2014, Woking will be bursting with mouth-watering stalls and free activities for all of the family.
The festival stretches across the pedestrian areas in Jubilee Square, Market Walk, Commercial Way, Mercia Walk, Gloucester Walk and culminating in a Fairtrade Food and Family Quarter at The Lightbox and WWF-UK's the Living Planet Centre.
Festival highlights will include: an assortment of over 60 high quality food and drink stalls, live culinary demonstrations from prestigious TV and local chefs in the Tante Marie Culinary Academy Theatre, BBQ demonstrations, a Fairtrade Food and Family Quarter, hands-on cookery workshops for children, a Bake Off competition judged by Great British Bake Off 2013 winner, Frances Quinn, and topped off with a healthy portion of live entertainment.
The three-day celebration of fine food and drink aims to showcase the very best of the area’s producers, chefs and restaurants, as well as attracting a range of regional producers to the town. Producers and retailers selling cuisines from the UK and all over the world will be offering delicious taster samples and the opportunity to purchase their produce and freshly cooked dishes.
Whether you are a cookery beginner, improver or foodie fanatic, visitors to the Tante Marie Culinary Academy Theatre will be able to watch the ‘cream of the crop’ deliver live gourmet demonstrations in the purpose-built, professional cookery marquee. Each day, there will be master-classes where you can learn top tips from the experts.
Topping the Theatre’s bill will be demonstrations by TV chefs Frances Quinn, Great British Bake Off 2013 winner, Jack Stein, Executive Chef for Stein Restaurants in Padstow and son of TV great Rick Stein, Sabrina Ghayour, best-selling author of cook-book ‘Persiana’, locally trained Neil Rankin, Great British Menu 2014 contestant and rising star, and Mark Lloyd, former Head Chef at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage.
Showcasing the local area’s strong culinary credentials will be live demos from a range of prominent chefs and restaurant owners, including Steve Drake, former Roux Scholarship winner and owner of Michelin Star rated Drakes in Ripley, and Ben Piette, MasterChef 2010 semi-finalist and owner of London House restaurant in Old Woking.
Adding some extra sizzle to the Woking Food and Drink Festival will be the Broil King BBQ Demonstration Stage, located in Gloucester Square and presented by chef Richard Fox. If you thought BBQ fayre was the sole domain of the burger and sausage, then think again as expert chefs inspire, entertain and inform you. You can learn how to wow friends and family with simple and tasty dishes, including Yorkshire puddings, roast garlic flatbread and even chocolate orange pudding – all cooked on the BBQ!
New to the Festival this year, will be the Fairtrade Food and Family Quarter to be hosted dually by The Lightbox and WWF-UK’s Living Planet Centre, which are located just a few minutes walk from Jubilee Square on either side of the Basingstoke Canal and linked by the new Bedser Bridge.
On arrival, festival goers will be greeted by a colourful selection of Fairtrade stalls selling tasty local, organic and Fairtrade treats; all in honour of the 20th anniversary of the Fairtrade mark.
Special offers will also be up for grabs for retail outlets within Peacocks and Wolsey Place Shopping Centres.
For local bakers looking for a challenge to rise to, why not enter the Festival’s free Bake Off competition taking place on Sunday. The competition will be judged by Great British Bake Off 2013 winner, Frances Quinn.
