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.
October events: Enjoy local produce at Broadstairs Food Festival
Fresh, local, award-winning produce, live demonstrations and more in October. Simply delicious.
Location: Broadstairs, Kent
August events: Trout ‘n About Food Festival
Take your pick from hand-crafted jewellery to award-winning sausages at this gourmet event in the heart of the Test Valley.
Location: Test Valley, Hampshire
Calling all food lovers to Holmfirth Food and Drink Festival
A weekend of tasty treats, markets, live music and entertainment in Holmfirth.
Location: Holmfirth, West Yorkshire
September events: Enjoy good food at Ludlow Food Festival
Take one historic town, an enviable food culture, passionate local chefs and food producers and you get the perfect recipe for Ludlow Food Festival.
Location: Ludlow, Shropshire
October events: Get merry on local brews at the Robin Hood Beer Festival
With its fine selection of beer and cider stalls, many of which offer local produce, Nottingham's Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival is a great place for drink connoisseurs.
Location: Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
Meet your food heroes at the Big Eat Weekend
If you’ve got a taste for Thai or a craving for cupcakes, get down to the Big Eat Weekend and get your fill of Newcastle’s best street food.
Location: Newcastle, Tyne and Wear
September events: Help yourself to the best food and drink in Aldeburgh
Fine food, local brews and idyllic seaside make the perfect ingredients for a tasty weekend away.
Location: Aldeburgh, Suffolk
August events: Eat, drink and be merry at the Newlyn Fish Festival
Celebrate the Cornish fishing community’s hard work and delicious produce at the Newlyn Fish Festival.
Location: Newlyn, Cornwall
September events: Sample some fantastic seafood at the Newquay Fish Festival
Feast upon the edible delights that swim Cornwall’s waters as local chefs cook up a treat, right before your eyes, at the Newquay Fish Festival.
Location: Newquay, Cornwall
July events: Whitstable Oyster Festival
One of the biggest events in Kent’s calendar, the annual oyster festival in trendy Whitstable is far more than a foodie’s fiesta.
Location: Whitstable, Kent
August events: Oxford Foodies Festival
Feeling hungry? Eat and drink your way around one of the UK’s biggest food festivals.
Location: Oxford South Parks, Oxfordshire
Enjoy beer and cycling at Manchester Beer & Cider Festival
There are hundreds of beers, ales and ciders to test out as you watch the cyclists whizz by at the Manchester Beer & Cider Festival.
Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester
November events: Take a Christmas cookery class with a celebrity chef
Explore the world of Christmas food and drink with Michelin-starred celebrity chefs at the Taste of Christmas event in London’s Docklands.
Location: London
Eat your way across Dorset during Dorset's Food Fortnight
A two-week long celebration of all things mouth-wateringly, sensually, irresistibly Dorset.
Location: Dorset
Stunning sea views and fine wines at a hip Dorset clifftop hotel
Enjoy a romantic summer break to the luxurious Seaside Boarding House in Dorset.
Location: Burton Bradstock, Dorset
Indulge in a tripple at Manchester’s Beer and Cider Festival
If beer and cider are your passion don’t miss this CAMRA-organised festival at Manchester the Velodrome between 25th - 27th January 2018.
Location: Manchester, Greater Manchester
May events: Tuck into a three day food festival in Exeter
Celebrate the best food and drink from the South West at this event in May.
Location: Exeter, Devon
Spread the joy at the World’s Original Marmalade Festival
Unleash your inner Paddington Bear on a visit to the World’s Original Marmalade Festival, which will be held on the historic Dalemain estate in Penrith.
Location: Penrith, Cumbria
July events: Seafest
Celebrate Scarborough’s seafood heritage by filling your hamper with some of the best food from local suppliers and heading for the beach.
Location: Scarborough, North Yorkshire
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
