BERKSHIRE RUNS THREE COUNTIES LOCAL FOOD FESTIVAL THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire collaborate during the first three-county Local Flavours Festival in September.
Throughout the month of harvest you’re invited to discover the real taste of locally produced food and drink during 180 foodie events including farm walks, wine tastings, farmers’ markets, gardening and cookery courses.
Tamara Schiopu, executive director of BBO Food Group CIC, explains: “This is the first time that food and drink producers from the three counties, plus many food and drink outlets will be celebrating our exceptional produce.
“The Local Flavours Festival supports the local economy. There are more than 50 farmers’ markets during September, at least one every week in each county, each offering perfect opportunities for people to buy superb locally produced food.
“Highlighting these regular local markets in the Festival programme and on our website www.local-flavours.net encourages people to find out where they can shop for the freshest food from the county, and keep farmers and food producers in business.”
Renowned TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson, who wrote the Foreword in the Local Flavours Festival programme, says: “We should be proud of the range of food and drink produced right here on our doorstep. I’ve always championed local farmers, growers and producers. Their passion and skills makes what they do so special, and produces the best quality food. Now you can meet them, taste their products and spread the word.”
As part of the Food Glorious Food campaign the National Trust is working with BBO Food Group to promote the Local Flavours Festival. Four National Trust properties: Hughenden Manor near High Wycombe, Basildon Park near Pangbourne, Cliveden near Maidenhead and Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckingham are serving Local Flavours Menus during the weekends in September.
Local Flavours Festival in Berkshire highlights:
§ Find out about biodynamic horticulture on Walks with the Gardener at Waltham Place, near Maidenhead where Nature meets Garden with respect for the environment and eco-system: 4, 11, 18 & 25 September – booking essential. www.walthamplace.com
§ Celebrate the 10th anniversary of Reading Farmers’ Market on 5 September in Great Knollys Street. Local chefs demos, lots of tastings, live pigs and hens. www.tvfm.org.uk
§ Cooking with local produce at East Garston Community Shop in West Berkshire on 5, 12 & 19 September. 01488 648242
§ Join Antony Worrall Thompson to celebrate 10 years of Maidenhead Farmers’ Market on 13 September at Grove Road. www.greenlink-berkshire.org.uk
§ From Tree to Treat, explore the journey your favourite chocolate makes with Mortimer Chocolate on 19 September. www.mortimerchocolate.co.uk
§ Local Food Heroes in the Food Fare at Royal County of Berkshire Show on 19 & 20 September. www.berkshireshow.co.uk
§ Sample the best local ales at the 3rd annual Ascot Beer Festival on 26 September at Ascot Racecourse. www.ascot.co.uk
§ Celebrate 30 years of wine making at Stanlake Park Wine Estate, Twyford, one of the premier vineyards in the south-east, on 26 & 27 September. www.stanlakepark.com
Local Flavours Festival in Buckinghamshire highlights:
§ Local food tastings at Peterley Manor Farm Shop. Sample home grown and local produce including fruit, vegetables, biscuits, cakes, cereals, sweets, snacks, sausages, bacon and cheese. Open daily, except Mondays, 8.30am to 5pm, and 9am to 1pm on Sundays. www.peterleymanorfarm.co.uk
§ Chocolate making courses in chocolate-lovers’ paradise at The Cocoa Pod, Stone: 5, 18 & 19 September. www.rumseys.co.uk
§ Farm Open Day at Boycott Farm, Stowe on 6 September. A great chance to meet rare breed pigs and piglets, cows, calves and the chickens. Tractor and trailer rides, and a nature walk. Learn about life down on the farm. Barbecue and ice creams. www.boycottfarm.co.uk
§ Little Chalfont Farmers’ Market opens for business on 12 September from 9am in the village hall car park: local producers include award-winning sausages from Flexmore Farm, also available: yogurt from Tim’s Dairy, bread, pastries, vegetables, goats cheese and apples. www.tvfm.org.uk
§ Speen Festival of Food on 13 September. Celebrate fabulous food of the Chilterns. Sample a range of delicious local produce, savour your favourite beer or wine and enjoy culinary demos by the Chef Patron of King William IV and others. www.speenfestival.org
§ High Wycombe Farmers’ Market opens for business on 19 September from 9am in Frogmoor with locally produced meat, vegetables, bread, pastries, cheese and fruit. www.tvfm.org.uk
Local Flavours Festival in Oxfordshire highlights:
§ The gates at Manor Farm, Marcham open for you on 5 September to see pigs, hens and beef cattle at this organic farm. www.cumbersoftheale.co.uk
§ Visit Worton Organic Garden, between Cassington and Yarnton, on 5 September to experience the bountiful harvest from this very special organic smallholding. Create your own fruit and vegetable juices and find out why the produce here is so tasty. www.wortonorganicgarden.com
§ Find out if this year is going to be a good vintage for English wine. Carol and Bob Nielsen welcome you to Brightwell Vineyard beside the River Thames at Rush Court, Shillingford for a guided tour through the vineyard on 5, 6, 26 and 27 September. www.brightwellvineyard.co.uk
§ Discover there’s more to early apples than Discovery with Gill Franklin at Cross Lanes Fruit Farm, Mapledurham near Woodcote on 5 September. Apple tastings each week Wednesdays to Sundays. www.crosslanesfruitfarm.co.uk
§ Free wine tastings at Hendred Vineyard near Wantage on 12, 19 & 26 September. Steve and Viviane Callaghan bought the 10-acre vineyard in 2006, and quickly found they were winning awards with New World style dry white and sparkling wines. www.hendredvineyard.co.uk
§ Organic Vegetables Farm Walk, Tolhurst Organic Produce at Hardwick Estate, Whitchurch-on-Thames on 12 September. Visit the walled garden and fields to find out how to grow an impressive range of organic vegetables. www.tolhurstorganic.co.uk
§ The National Trust and Coleshill Organics open the Walled Garden on Coleshill Estate on 13 September. You’ll get more than a flavour of the passion for growing the highest quality fresh produce – for their great taste not their looks! www.coleshillorganics.co.uk
§ The Kitchen Garden at Littlestoke near Wallingford has two courses in Organic Vegetable Gardening on 13 & 27 September for people starting out with their own veg plots and allotments. www.thekitchengarden.org
The Local Flavours Festival programme is distributed through libraries, tourist information centres, Farmers’ Markets and farm shops. Or you can log on to www.local-flavours.net for the latest information and request a programme. Most events are free, but you need to book for some.
The programme includes special offers and discounts for food and drink at several restaurants, farm shops and festival events, as well as places to stay. You can win a luxury weekend break for two at Fallowfields Country House Hotel in Southmoor, Oxfordshire by completing the online questionnaire to enter a free prize draw.
The Local Flavours Festival is organised by BBO Food Group CIC, supported by local authorities in the three counties and SEEDA. Special thanks to our Festival Partners and Sponsors: Archant Publishing, Ascot Racecourse, Business Link Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Fallowfields Country House Hotel, Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, The National Trust, Tourism South East.
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