Summer is firmly on the horizon, and with it comes the return of one of the Cotswolds most anticipated celebrations of food, drink and community — the Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival.
Set against the elegant backdrop of Montpellier Gardens, this year’s festival promises a vibrant weekend of flavours, experiences and entertainment from 19–21 June, bringing together producers, chefs and visitors for a true celebration of the region’s thriving hospitality scene.
Visitors can expect a packed programme designed to inspire and delight, with free wine tastings and expert-led talks offering the chance to discover new favourites and deepen knowledge.
Giuseppe Dell’Anno – Baker extraordinaire
Giuseppe will demonstrate two pillars of classic patisserie, revealing all the tricks and secrets for a fool proof choux pastry and the silkiest crème patisserie. These two versatile elements will then be then combined with Amarena sour cherries in a ‘zeppola’: the iconic Italian beignet traditionally served in Southern Italy to celebrate Father’s Day.
Oyster Buoys - demystify the mollusc
Learn how this misunderstood mollusc has been an important component of our diet from our coast. Exploring the environmental benefits of eating UK oysters, how they get from farm to fork, how they share more similarities with wine than you think and why we should be looking after our British waters.
Nagomi – Korean Flavours
Watch the team demonstrate the preparation of a kimchi and beef bulgogi ssam, bringing together fermented kimchi and marinated bulgogi in a modern, comforting dish. The demonstration highlights the richness of Korean culinary traditions and the simplicity of East Asian home-style cooking
International wine talks and tastings, an opportunity to sample some of the best wine from around the world, tastings include wines from France, Spain, Chile, Portugal, New Zealand and England.
Cheese masterclasses, a cheese lover's dream to sample the delights on offer in our masterclasses hosted by two leading cheese experts.
• Emma Young, a Cheese specialist and author from London and is an international cheese judge & certified cheese professional (CCP) and she teaches cheese courses for MonS Formation in France & the Guild of Fine Food and the Academy of Cheese in the UK.
• James Grant - The Bucks Cheese Guy will be exploring Welsh cheese from luscious soft cheeses that stand shoulder to shoulder with the best French brie, to bold, characterful Cheddars and lip-tingling blues
• Hayles Farm BBQ stage, with a host of grill masters lining up to share their secrets for grilling, join us and discover the best flavours and techniques for your summer BBQ.
• Kadai Fire Bowl stage, Fire bowl cooking is a more ‘primitive’ cooking style which makes use of multi-level cooking, not only practical and useful, but also enhances a valuable skillset for barbecuing.
• Live music offers some of the best bands around. Join friends and family and relax to the music with a glass of award winning perfectly chilled English sparkling wine from Woodchester Valley Winery.
The Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival offers an exciting day out for children with street theatre and traditional Punch and Judy. There is live music throughout the weekend, and you can buy a range of delicious foods, pickles, sweets, and alcoholic items from over 100 exhibitors.
Tickets are available on pre-order from just £7.50 for an adult ticket. Children under 16 go free, provided a ticket-purchasing adult accompanies them. Pre-booking for the masterclasses is essential. For further information and to buy your tickets, visit www.cheltenhamfooddrinkfestival.co.uk
Opening times:
Friday 19th June: 12.00pm to 7.00pm
Saturday 20th June: 10.00am to 7.00pm
Sunday 21st June: 10.00am to 5.00pm
