FOOD-STUFF
Treat your taste buds to a tantalising month of mouthwatering food and drink events. From beer festivals and strawberry fairs to cheese, chilli and charcuterie – get stuck into our pick of the best food and drink events taking place in Surrey and Berkshire this June.
The Tenth Annual Guildford Beer Festival / June 7 – 8 / Guildford Cricket Club
Without doubt one of the highlights of the town’s cultural calendar, the Guildford Beer Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary with an astonishing line-up of craft beers and local talent. The Beer Festival features around 130 cask ales and craft keg beers, sourced from around 25 independent and micro-breweries in Surrey and beyond. A second bar will have an eclectic range of ciders, wines and gins from local producers, along with soft drinks. Putting a beat to all that beer will be the Anderton’s Music tent featuring the best local bands and artists, with seating inside and out.
For more information visit www.guildfordbeerfestival.co.uk
Vineyards of the Surrey Hills Pop Up Restaurant / June 8 / High Clandon Estate Vineyard
With English wine drawing acclaim from around the world, it’s gratifying to know that the Surrey Hills boast five top wine producers, all crafting wines that capture the uniqueness of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This special dining experience will give you the chance to discover wines from all five vineyards with guest sommelier Emily Lambert, while enjoying food cooked by local MasterChef veteran Daniel Britten, and all in the panoramic setting of High Clandon Estate, with its sweeping views all the way to the London skyline.
For more information visit www.atableoutside.com
Spanish Food & Wine Pairing / June 14 / Sir Christopher Wren Hotel, Windsor
Indulge your appetite for warm Iberian flavours at this informative and fun evening of Spanish wines and food. You’ll be tasting a range of wines from some of Spain’s best known and up-and-coming wine regions, as well as two sherries from Andalucía. Each wine will be accompanied by a different food chosen to complement it, including Spanish cheeses, jamon and other regional delicacies. If you’re looking for an enjoyable Spanish evening out with friends, then this tasting will fill the bill perfectly.
For more information visitwww.thamesvalleywineschool.com
Test Kitchen at Windsor and Eton Brewery / June 14, 21 + 28 / Windsor & Eton Brewery
The Test Kitchen is based at the Windsor and Eton Brewery on the last 3 Fridays of every month, serving up the finest in fusion street food. Their meat is supplied by the royal farms, their veg is locally grown wherever possible, and their exciting dishes are cooked to order every time. Swing by and grab a take-out, or make an evening of it in the brewery’s fabulous WeBrew bar!
For more information visit www.test-kitchen.co.uk
The Great Weybridge Cake Off / June 15 / Weybridge Green Artisan Market
It’s back again this year! – The Great Weybridge Cake Off will be taking place at the Weybridge Green Artisan Market, presenting another opportunity to show off your baking skills in a variety of categories. With guest judge and TV celebrity Ruth Langsford (Loose Women, Strictly Come Dancing), the themed Celebration cake category is based on – what else?- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and there are prizes for all categories.
To enter and find out more visit www.allaboutweybridge.co.uk
Argentinian Wine Tasting with Eton Vintners / June 15 / Eton Fine Wines Ltd. 31 St. Leonards Road, Windsor
Hosted by Anita Correas, Export Manager of Kaiken, Eton Vintners will be showing a range of interesting wines from Mendoza, Argentina. The Caiquén is a wild goose which migrates annually from Patagonia to Argentina. Just like the Caiquén, Aurelio Montes, founder of the Chilean winery Bodega Montes rediscovered Mendoza in Argentina as a generous land filled with superb vines and hardworking people. Their wines are made with fruit from their own vineyards, located in the best terroirs in the Argentine provinces of Mendoza and Salta.
For more information visit www.etonvintners.com
Taste of London 2019 / June 19 – 23 / Regent’s Park
It’s perhaps the ultimate London food fest of the year, where the best food, drink and live entertainment all converge at a single stunning location over five indulgent days. Taste of London will celebrate the great and the good from London’s internationally renowned restaurant scene in Regent’s Park, where the people and places that have propelled London’s culinary landscape will take part in a series of exclusive dining experiences, masterclasses and cook up a menu of never seen before dishes.
‘Wild in the City’ is the theme for this year’s event, exploring concepts including sustainability, and championing craftsmanship in food, drink, with atmosphere and music in an urban environment.With over 100 dishes to try from the pioneers of London’s multicultural restaurant scene, guests can experience a true taste of the city.Whether it’s cooking bao buns as you learn, or developing a nose for wine, there are plenty of complimentary and paid activities for you to get stuck into.
For more information visit www.london.tastefestivals.com
Gin & Rum Festival / June 21 – 22 / Sandown Racecourse, Esher
Lift your spirits with a festival dedicated to two of popular tipples this June at the Gin and Run Festival at Sandown Racecourse. You’ll be spoilt for choice, with over 60 different gins and 60 rums to try out in this amazing venue. On arrival you’ll receive a guide, and a branded Copa glass to take home. Along with the talks and masterclasses, themed bars and delicious food there’ll also be an award-winning resident DJ and other great live entertainment – so definitely an excuse to bring along your dancing shoes!
For more information search www.eventbrite.co.uk
The Cheese and Chilli Festival / June 22 – 23 / Maidenhead Town Moor, Maidenhead
Feel the heat in June with a celebration of chillies and cheese. This wildly popular travelling foodfest regularly sees between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors at each event, drawn by nearly 100 traders and the chance to sample some of the best chillies and cheeses from the UK and beyond. If you’re feeling brave, take part in the chilli eating man vfood competition, or just take in demos and talks, great live music, bars, children’s entertainment and much more.
For more information visit www.cheeseandchillifestival.com
Fleet Food Festival / June 22 – 23 / Harlington Way, Fleet
Fast becoming one of the region’s unmissable food fests, the Fleet Food Festival will be celebrating its sixth year with an entire weekend of food and drink delights and family fun. There’s an amazing food market celebrating the best in food and drink, and specialist food producers including vegan, gluten free, street food and more. Enjoy cooking demos, tastings and cookery masterclasses, fun children’s activities and live music from amazing local talent.
For more information visit www.visit-hampshire.co.uk
Priory Farm Strawberry Fair / June 29 – 30 / Priory Farm, Sandy Lane, South Nutfield, Redhill
The annual event draws food lovers from across Surrey and beyond to enjoy tastings of fine locally-made food and drink, including handmade breads, regional cheeses and real ales. Shoppers will have a chance to try before they buy with plenty of free tastings available over the two days. A sizzling barbecue will serve up sausages and burgers made by Priory Farm’s own butcher, and for dessert it has to be some of the hundreds of kilos of strawberries the Farm Shop expects to sell over the weekend.
For more information visit www.prioryfarm.co.uk
Chantry Woods Summer Foraging Course / June 30 / St Martha’s Hill, Guildford
Few of us can imagine what fantastic natural ingredients we walk past when we explore the Surrey countryside, but with this course you’ll learn how to identify the abundance of edible plants and mushrooms that grow in the UK. Knowing what you can and cannot eat from your local woods will enhance your walks as well as your diet. The walk will include a homemade refreshment along the way and a light Wild Food lunch afterwards.
Booking online in advance is essential for this popular course www.wildfooduk.com