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Food Festivals
Celebrating English Food

Visiting food festivals must rank amongst some of my favourite things to do in England. And that is despite having a dislike for crowds.

I love the variety of food on offer, the number of small, local producers who arrive with cheeses, breads, sausages, pasta sauces, spicy dressings, spice mixes, wines, ciders, cakes or pies so delicious that you ask yourself why you were not bulk-buying your supplies from them already!

You can really feel the passion and enthusiasm these people have for the food they produce. You can taste their products, too.

England has food festivals to suit all tastes. Some are general, celebrating English food or the produce of one county or region.

Others are unashamedly dedicated to one product - such as Sturminster Newton's Cheese Festival or the famous and ancient Whitstable Oyster Festival.

The Isle of Wight Garlic Festival has a loyal band of followers ever since its inception in 1983, as has the annual West Dean Chilli Fiesta.

Watercress and asparagus respectively are celebrated by the Alresford Watercress Festival and the Asparagus Festival, held for numerous years in the Worcestershire village of Bretforton.

Along with their 'featured' food or product, these events also showcase other local producers and crafts. Cookery and craft demonstrations are popular and entertainment and celebrations play a large role.

Just make sure you arrive hungry!

Food Festivals Throughout the Year

I like my food seasonal. There were no costly imports when I grew up. Fruit and vegetables were eaten when they were ripe. If we had a glut, we preserved as much as we could, making jam or compote or pickles and sauces.

Besides, fruit and vegetables are not the only foods that taste better in their proper season. Cheeses vary greatly in taste and sometimes even in looks depending on the month they were made. The availability of locally caught fish and shellfish will vary throughout the year and as for game ...

And this is where food festivals come really into their own. They celebrate what's good and ready and at its best. They celebrate the work of local artisan producers. And - fortunately - every year there are a few more than the year before.

So pick your month from the selection below and see which English foods are particularly good that month, what's worth checking out and where the best food shows and festivals are being held!

January: Oysters, Leeks and Toffee	February: Pancakes and Marmalade	March: Chocolate, Scallops and Rice Pudding
April: Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns	May: Watercress, Asparagus and Herbs	June: Strawberries Galore!
July: Oysters, Cherries and Liquorice	August: Garlic, Chillies and Gooseberries	September: Plums, Cider and Cheeses
October: Apples, Crumbles and Pumpkins	November: Bonfire Night, Beer Festivals and Steamed Pudding	December: All things Christmas

The English Asparagus Festival
Eat your way around the Vale of Evesham on the aspargus trail and check out the famous asparagus auction. The asparagus festival is a month-long celebration of the famous, tasty 'grass' ...

The West Dean Chilli Festival
If you like it hot, you should head to West Dean in August. Chillies of all colours, shapes and fieriness, plus a multitude of tasty things to do with them.

The Whitstable Oyster Festival
This one's ancient and modern all at once. Celebrating a food that was beloved by the Romans and has been fished and eaten ever since, it's also a celebration of Whitstable and the joys of the seaside.