Food and drink
A nation that invented afternoon tea to satisfy that long gap between lunch and dinner is clearly a nation obsessed with food. Fresh-from-the-sea fish ‘n’ chips and sizzling Baltis, vibrant street food and Michelin-starred establishments: you’ll find a treat to suit your tastes in England. Tuck into regional specialities, from pikelets to pork pies, stinky cheeses to sizzling sausages. Wash it all down with a carefully crafted real ale, cider, G&T or award-winning wine. England is also famed for its gastro pubs, buzzing food festivals and quirky celebrations of produce – asparagus festival or garlic fiesta, anyone? You’ll find the best food and drink in England.
Take a tour of England's wine country
Sample some of the best wine, cider and juices in the country in Kent.
Location: Tenterden, Kent
Enjoy fresh, local produce on The Vale Trail
Have a unique horticultural experience in one of England's most fertile lands. Sample fresh produce from local food and drink producers.
Location: Evesham, Worcestershire
Enjoy a taste of Grasmere Gingerbread
Stock up on one of the Lake District’s most famous exports: Grasmere Gingerbread.
Location: Ambleside, Cumbria
Forage tasty mushrooms for your dinner at Fungi Foray
Get an insight into the wonderful world of mushrooms, and find out what you can pick, and what you should avoid.
Location: New Forest, Hampshire
Enjoy a romantic escape at Overwater Hall
Book a table and a room at this elegant 18th century country house hotel within the Lake District.
Location: Ireby, Cumbria
Get an authentic taste of Cotswolds farm life
Ever fancied trying your hand at making your own sausages? Be part of a traditional farming experience at Old Farm, near Moreton in Marsh.
Location: Moreton In Marsh, Gloucestershire
Explore Devon’s countryside on a mushroom foray
Join Riverside Cottage mushroom expert John Wright as you forage in Devon’s woodland fields to identify, gather responsibly and cook some wild fungi.
Location: Axminster, Devon
Tour the 18th century Walled Gardens at the Apley Estate
Take a guided tour of the Walled Gardens on the Apley Estate, sample its produce at The Creamery Café or buy your own from Apley Farm Shop.
Location: Apley, Shropshire
Forage for fungi in Sherwood Pines Forest Park
Plunge the depths of the Sherwood Forest and discover penny bun mushrooms and oyster fungus at their best.
Location: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire
Bathe in autumn colours close to the Falling Foss waterfall
If ever there was a magical woodland walk, it’s the two-mile circular trail through the trees from May Beck to the charming Falling Foss waterfall, all within Little Beck Wood Nature Reserve.
Location: North York Moors, near Whitby, North Yorkshire
Visit the home of the Bramley Apple in Nottinghamshire
Discover the apple of Nottinghamshire's eye: The Bramley Apple. Visit its home in Southwell for a mouth-watering apple escape this autumn.
Location: Southwell, Nottinghamshire
Take in the views and afternoon tea in Wiltshire
Build up an appetite with a walk through the picturesque Vale of Wardour before stopping for tea and a spot of cake in the pretty village of Tisbury.
Location: Tisbury, Wiltshire
October events: Sample local delights at the East Midlands Food Festival
The East Midlands Food Festival in Melton Mowbray is one of the largest regional food festivals in the country. Running for over 15 years, lots of loyal and new visitors can enjoy edible delights from some of the country’s finest producers, many from the East Midlands.
Location: Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
October events: Taste the best of the Peak District this autumn
Eat, drink and be merry as you make your way around the stalls at the Great Peak District Fair and Buxton Beer Festival.
Location: Buxton, Derbyshire
October events: Celebrate all things foodie at the Forest Showcase Food Festival
Head to the Forest of Dean this autumn for the best in local, seasonal and speciality food and drink at the Forest Showcase Food Festival.
Location: Coleford, Gloucestershire
September events: Celebrate the golden age of beer in Kent
The Faversham Hop Festival is a unique family event that commemorates the golden days of hop-picking with two days of live music, dancing, great food and hops, hops, hops!
Location: Faversham, Kent
Uncover gourmet delights with wild foraging
Learn how to find, identify and prepare the wild plants and produce that Northumberland has to offer with a foraging workshop or walk.
Location: Alnwick, Northumberland
