Day Out at The Great British Food Festival 2019 at Arley Hall *

[Ad-gifted] Great British Food Festivals celebrate locally produced ingredients, dishes and drinks, in magnificent locations across the U.K. Venues for 2019 have included Hardwick Hall in Chesterfield and Harewood House in Leeds. What better way to celebrate British Food Fortnight (21 September to 6 October 2019) than to visit the Great British Food Festival at Arley Hall in Northwich, Cheshire?

A friend and I set out for Arley Hall on 21 September, in surprisingly glorious weather for the time of year. We were excited to be heading to our first food festival, and looking forward to the sights, smells and tastes of the day. On arrival, we drove through the extensive grounds and were surprised to see a huge array of marquees, tents, stalls, stages and even a small funfair and circus area set up. Clearly, this was going to be a bigger event than we were expecting!

The entry queues were large but well organised, with pre-paid entry and ‘on the gate’ tickets in separate queues. The GBFF staff at the gates – and throughout the day – were friendly and helpful and there was an information point just inside the gate for any queries about our visit. The Festival also offered a ‘borrow a blanket’ service from this point. I’ve never seen this before but thought it was a great idea as all of the stalls were set out on the grass and there were plenty of spots to enjoy picnics of the goodies you’d found.

We started our day by finding our way around the site and being impressed by the striking Arley Hall, which was the backdrop for the Festival events. Diddy Cook Kids cookery classes were taking place inside the Hall, but it was closed to other visitors, due to the on-going filming of Peaky Blinders. This wasn’t an issue as there were plenty of stalls to visit throughout the day, fairground rides and a circus skills tent for younger visitors and lots going on at the Live Music tent. Events at the BBQ & Drinks; Bake; Challenge and Chef Demo stages were clearly timetabled and, as a Great British Bake-Off fan, I didn’t want to miss Howard Middleton’s demo & talk.

Once we’d worked out a very loose plan for the day, we went in search of coffee and a cold drink. The only issue we had all day was that these seemed in short supply for the number of visitors at the event. It was an unusually hot day for the end of September, but we did feel it would have been beneficial to have a couple more outlets offering take-away non-alcoholic drink options dotted around the site – and were surprised that a food festival didn’t seem to offer free drinking water. However, when we did get our drinks, the vendor had a reasonable selection of teas and coffees and had provided seating and tables for the comfort of guests.

As cooking started on many of the stalls, the smells began to waft across the main arena and we set off to look at the wide variety of foods on offer. Hot food dishes from across the world were available – ranging from traditional English hog roast and sausages, through European options like Greek souvlaki and Hungarian chimney cakes to loads of Asian and American foods. The chimney cakes particularly caught our eye, as we’d never heard of them. The vendor was very friendly and explained that the cakes are made of a batter, a bit like a doughnut, and are usually tube-shaped, hence the name, with a range of fillings through the middle. I always enjoy finding out about new foods and this one was a definite first for me.

Although it was tempting to try something from every stall (maybe a tasting package is a good idea for future festivals!), gorgeous smells drew me to the Mac & Cheese Waffle Company for lunch. These guys make macaroni cheese with various flavourings and finish it in a waffle maker with a toasted cheese crust – gooey on the inside, crispy on the inside, as they say. Another first, and absolutely delicious. My friend settled on Chicken and Lime with deep-fried noodles, which I had to sample as soon as she’d said ‘Yum’ – she was right.

Feeling very full, we headed for the shade of the three Artisan Market exhibitors’ marquees. Here, we found a huge selection of ingredients, cakes and treats, locally produced spirits and other drinks and a range of crafts and gifts. Many of the stalls offered samples and we were especially taken with Harrison & Griffiths finest Caribbean cakes (rum, pineapple, fruit and ginger – what’s not to love?) which we’ll be checking out online and the sausage rolls stall where we bought lunch for the next day.

As we left the last marquee, the ‘Cake Off’ finalists were being announced at the Challenge Stage. Visitors who wanted to bake a cake for judging could register beforehand, via the event website, and then bring it along on the day. The kids cookery classes and foraging walks around the area also had to be pre-booked in this way. Event attendees tasted all the cakes and created a short-list of their favourites, which Howard and Sandy from ‘Great British Bake Off’ then sampled, selecting their winner. The baker of the winning cake received her prize and had her photo taken with the ‘Bake Off’ stars, before all the cakes were cut and offered to the audience.

Howard arrived at the Chef Demo stage a little delayed, having met loads of fans at the Challenge Stage. Nevertheless, he baked a Black Forest roulade whilst telling the crowd all about his time on ‘Bake Off’, what he’s been up to since, and about the trials and tribulations that one of his American fans on Twitter has with cling film – which the audience definitely related to! He was a very entertaining, funny and down-to-earth speaker; made 45 minutes whizz by and baked the roulade to perfection.

We squeezed in a snack of vegetable gyoza from the savoury selection from ‘Yu Donut’ before finishing the day with a stroll around the grounds of Arley Hall, which are beautiful. We will definitely return, as we didn’t have time to explore everywhere and we’d love to see inside the Hall too. We drove home full and happy, having had an absolutely lovely, tasty day in the sunshine.

Where is Arley Hall and Gardens?

Arley Hall and Gardens
Northwich
Cheshire
CW9 6NA
Tel: 01565 777353

How much is entry to the Great British Food Festival?

Adult tickets are £9 for one day or £13.50 for the full weekend. Children’s (5-17) tickets are £4.50 / £7.50 and those aged 4 & under enter for free. Concession and family tickets available are available. All ticket details and other information is available on their website.

When’s the next Great British Food Festival?

Dates and venues for 2020 events will be released soon via their website.

What, and when, is British Food Fortnight?

British Food Fortnight is held in the autumn, at the same time as harvest festival. In 2019 it runs between 21 September and 6 October. It was established in 2002, in the wake of the Foot and Mouth crisis, and is the biggest annual, national celebration of British Food and drink, promoting the benefits of buying and eating from the British larder. To find out more, head to www.lovebritishfood.co.uk

Things to note about the Great British Food Festival:

• Well-behaved dogs are welcome at the festivals, as long as they’re on a leash. Dogs aren’t allowed in the food marquees or inside some of the buildings, for hygiene and safety reasons. Note: never leave your dog in a car on a hot day
• Wheelchair users and families with prams are also welcome. Designated disabled parking is available as close to the event site as possible, but because most of the events are held in fields, the ground can get muddy. Disabled drop-offs can be arranged – contact the organisers in advance or speak to a member of the team on the day. There is a disabled toilet on the event field, and the individual venues often offer further facilities
• Ample free car parking is available at most events. Car parks may be a short walk from the site, and the majority are on grass, but stewards guide people in
• To find out more about booking a trade stand, email: info@greatbritishfoodfestival.com with details of what you do and a picture of your stall (if you have one)
• The organisers try to include some access to the house or hall and/or access to the grounds and gardens, but this will differ for each venue

Review by: Sharon Corbally

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* We were provided with free entry passes to the Great British Food Festival in return for a review. All opinions are our own.