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Tuck into these 2023 food festivals

The aroma of sizzling BBQs, busy market places spilling over with freshly-caught seafood and expert chefs sharing top tips, it can only mean one thing...food festival season 2023! Celebrate the gourmet tastes and smells of England at one of these fabulous food festivals taking places across the country.

1

Manchester Food and Drink Festival

Manchester, Lancashire

A must-do for any foodie, this epic food festival in Manchester serves up immersive drink experiences, supper clubs and cookery masterclasses. Mix gourmet street food with a gin festival and tours of the city’s Northern Quarter, and you have the perfect recipe for an unmissable urban food fest.

(Dates to be confirmed)

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2

The Steyning & District Food & Drink Festival

Steyning, West Sussex

Every autumn the West Sussex market town of Steyning and its surrounding villages come alive with a busy month-long programme of food and drink events. The festival starts with the popular farmers’ market and then gathers pace with heaps of special events. Take your pick from winery open days, chocolate, gin and coffee tastings and the Cobblestone Tea House Mad Hatters Tea Party and Best Hat Competition. Be sure to bag a bargain from the many local shops and delis for the duration of the festival.

2 September to 7 October 2023 

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3

Ludlow Food Festival

Ludlow, Shropshire

Crowd of people at the outdoor Ludlow Food Festival

Join fellow food lovers to celebrate one of the most anticipated events in the foodie calendar – the Ludlow Food Festival. Over 100 exhibitors and hot and cold food vendors, primarily from Ludlow and the Welsh Marches, set up shop in the stunning surroundings of Ludlow Castle showcasing tasty, top-quality produce, from local charcuterie to hand-raised pies. And with tastings, talks and free chef demos galore, there’s plenty to keep you busy.

8 to 10 September 2023

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4

East Midlands Food Festival

Melton Mowbray, East Midlands

Granted a Protected Geographical Indication for its delicious pork pies, Melton Mowbray celebrates its eponymous delicacy, along with plenty of other artisan treats every autumn. The rural foodie capital bustles with a swath of stalls filled with the freshest countryside produce. Chomp on Melton Mowbray Pork Pies and Stilton cheese and try exotic delicacies too, including ostrich burgers and Persian dishes – a nod to the area’s multicultural community.

7 to 8 October 2023

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5

Seafest Plymouth (formerly Plymouth Seafood and Harbour Festival)

Plymouth, Devon

This tasty seafood festival returns to “Britain’s Ocean City” with entertainment, activities and a variety of fishy dishes to celebrate Plymouth’s  revered seafood heritage. Peruse an army of traders, learn a trick or two at the chef's stage and watch the sunset over the sea as you indulge in champagne and oysters. There’s plenty for the kids to get involved with, including a Find the Fish trail and of course, cheer on contenders in the famous cardboard boat race.

16 to 17 September 2023

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6

York Food & Drink Festival

York, North Yorkshire

Sink your teeth into everything from gourmet chocolate to Yorkshire salami from the markets sprawled over Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square at this 10-day foodie spectacular. Book yourself on one of the taste trails, take in a free cookery workshop, join an edible art workshop or sip and savour some delectable wines.

22 September to 1 October 2023

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7

Taste Cumbria

Cockermouth, Cumbria

Taste some of Cumbria’s finest produce at the county’s flagship food festival. Explore tons of stalls, a hot food court and cooking demonstrations. Don’t miss the street party at Market Place, or the chance to try local spirits at the Taste of the Lakes Distillery Spirit Tasting Evening. Add in comedy shows, barbecues, cocktail masterclasses and a prosecco bar, and it's shaping up to be a good weekend all round.

23 to 24 September 2023

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8

Dartmouth Food Festival

Dartmouth, Devon

Panoramic view over Dartmouth harbour

The Dartmouth Food Festival is back for 2023 to celebrate the best food, drink and cookery skills from the South West. With an exciting mix of delicious regional food and drink from 100 local producers (with the majority from Devon itself), demonstrations by big-name chefs, workshops and lively food debates, it’s a foodie’s heaven. Walk the 13-mile Dart the Dart food trail from Totnes to Dartmouth to get an authentic taste of the region.

20 to 22 October 2023

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9

The Great British Food Festival

Arley Hall, Cheshire

Held in the grounds of one of the most attractive stately homes in the North West, The Great British Food Festival is one of the most iconic events in the Cheshire calendar. From live cooking demos to foraging walks, kids’ cookery lessons and a mini zoo, there’s enough to keep the whole family busy. Be sure to check out the artisan market brimming with local and national goodies you won’t find in a supermarket, before tucking into hand-crafted dishes from the array of street food vendors.

23 to 24 September 2023

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10

Meatopia

Tobacco Dock, London

Man and woman cooking behind hanging sausages at Meatopia

Carnivores assemble! One of London’s best-known food festivals, Meatopia – originally founded in the US – is adored by BBQ lovers. Each year,  around 70 of the world’s best live-fire chefs head into town to cook an array of exclusive dishes over sustainably sourced wood and charcoal. Wash your meats down with thirst-quenching beverages on offer in the TAPtopia hall, and work off the indulgence by dancing along to the live musicians, DJs and soul singers that can be found in every corner of the festival. 

31 August to 3 September 2023

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11

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival

Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Head east to celebrate Suffolk’s thriving food and drink scene at Aldeburgh Food and  Drink Festival. Sample the county’s best produce from over 100 vendors and watch local and visiting chefs take to the demonstration stages. Watch out for the ever-popular Seafood Stage, where you can learn where to shop for sustainable seafood and learn to prepare it at home.  

23 to 24 September 2023

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12

Seafeast - The Dorset Seafood Festival

Weymouth Peninsula, Dorset

Get a taste of all the superb seafood available from our southern shores at this award-winning festival in Weymouth. Munch on fishy treats such as crab tortillas, scallop lollipops (‘Scallypops’) and fresh curried seabass  from an abundance of stalls, join in with hands-on cookery sessions, or sip a bottle of Nyetimber (English sparkling wine) and lap up the party atmosphere.

9 to 10 September 2023

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13

Liverpool Food and Drink Festival

Liverpool, Merseyside

With 2023 marking the 10th anniversary of this foodie weekend extravaganza, Liverpool promises to stage the biggest food festival yet! Expect a vibrant variety of food and drink from some of the best bars, restaurants and producers from the North West region. The kids will have plenty to do in the kids’ village. For those of you on a healthy kick, it has you covered with a dedicated Healthy Living area full of fresh organic food. It also promises much-loved celebrity chefs joining in for live cookery demonstrations.

16 to 17 September 2023

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14

Berwick Food and Beer Festival

Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

Organised by Berwick Slow Food, this festival brings together community in a celebration of fantastic food and drink . There will be local and regional food and drink stalls plus entertainment for all; children's activities will be run free of charge, as will film screenings and demo kitchens – a chance to learn a recipe or take part in discussions around sustainability, food sources and ways you can support the environment.

18 to 20 August 2023

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15

Fylde Coast Food and Drink Festival

Fleetwood, Lancashire

Food and a fun-filled day by the seaside beckons at Fylde (pronounced ‘filed’) on the Lancashire coastline – did we mention that it has free entry, parking, entertainment and family activities? Head to Marine Hall where you can try and buy everything imaginable, from coffee to chutneys and pies to puddings, plus wines, beers, spirits and lots more. Settle down when you’re feeling peckish to taste your treats at the Wyre beach bar to enjoy the panoramic views.

10 September 2023

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16

Bury St Edmunds Food & Drink Festival

Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

This free two-day event promises a weekend of foodie treats and displays as well as plenty of family fun with fairground rides and free entertainment. Check out the full stage programme showing off some of the town’s favourite food and drink vendors; they’ll complement a farmers’ market and scores of stalls selling everything from gins to granolas and beers to burgers, with something to tempt everybody's tastebuds. You won’t leave feeling hungry!

27 to 28 August 2023

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18 Jul 2023(last updated)

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  • 1

    Manchester, Lancashire

  • 2

    Steyning, West Sussex

  • 3

    Ludlow, Shropshire

  • 4

    Melton Mowbray, East Midlands

  • 5

    Plymouth, Devon

  • 6

    York, North Yorkshire

  • 7

    Cockermouth, Cumbria

  • 8

    Dartmouth, Devon

  • 9

    Arley Hall, Cheshire

  • 10

    Tobacco Dock, London

  • 11

    Aldeburgh, Suffolk

  • 12

    Weymouth Peninsula, Dorset

  • 13

    Liverpool, Merseyside

  • 14

    Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland

  • 15

    Fleetwood, Lancashire

  • 16

    Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

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