The British summer time wouldn't be complete without a visit to a food festival. Taking place across the length and breadth of the country, there's no better place to taste exquisite produce from surrounding area, handmade goodies like bread and cheese, and finish off with a glass of local ale or cider. With workshops, talks and demonstrations from some of the UK's best celebrity chefs on offer, you'll be hard pressed to find a day out as good as a visit to one of these festivals.
Ludlow Food Festival
Located on the English-Welsh border, the pretty town of Ludlow hosts one of the UK's oldest food festivals. Every September, the town fills with foodies eager to try the best of the area's produce. Held inside the ancient Ludlow Castle, you can sample food from over 180 different local food producers, and wash it down with ale, cider and perry made in the area. Make sure you try Swift's bakery, a fifth-generation local family business, and Moyden's Cheese, which sells handmade cheese from the surrounding Shropshire area. Then, settle down to watch demonstrations and talks at one of the festival's three stages; where you can learn from celebrity chefs like Wahaca's Thomasina Miers and food industry gurus like Observer Food editor Allan Jenkins.
The Great Dorset Chilli Festival
It'll be hotter in more ways than one on the August weekend the Great Dorset Chilli Festival takes place. Thousands of chilli lovers flood into the town of Wimborne St. Giles, where they taste the best UK-produced chillies and hundreds of products created from them. In St. Giles Park, you can mill around the stalls and buy a chilli plant to take home or taste a myriad of unusual things made from chillies; from chilli beer and vodka, to chilli chocolate and cheese. There's also plenty of spicy street food for sale here; try their giant paellas or Mexican small bites like enchiladas. They also host an eye-watering chilli sauce competition, where the public are invited to try a selection of locally made sauces and vote for their favourite, and a chilli eating competition - if you're brave you can try your hand at beating other competitors to eat the world's hottest chillies in the fastest time.
Edinburgh Food Festival
Foodies
Festival in Edinburgh
is one of the biggest food festivals in the UK, with hundreds of different stalls, workshops and demonstrations. Held every year in late July, head over to its location in Edinburgh's historic George Square Gardens with an empty stomach to enjoy some of the incredible Scottish produce and global food on offer here. You'll be hard pressed to choose between the abundant street food at the festival: pick between Alandas Scottish Seafood for freshly cooked salmon, prawns and oysters or for something with a bit more of a kick, try Umami Spice Girl for comfort food with a spicy global twist. Don't forget to stop off at the The Gin Thing and Bellfield Brewery for a taste of some of Scotland's finest spirits, ciders and ales.
Isle of Wight Garlic Festival
The beautiful southern island of the Isle of Wight is also one of the UK's top garlic producers, and the industry here is celebrated every year at their Garlic Festival. Held annually since 1983 outside the charming town of Newchurch, it's recently drawn in over 20,000 visitors who flock to taste food from more than 250 different stalls. You can pick between freshly caught seafood grilled with locally farmed garlic, or if you're feeling a little more adventurous, why not try their garlic beer, or even their garlic ice cream. Don't miss seeing a show at their Theatre Kitchen, where top chefs like Rachel Khoo and Valentine Warner demonstrate their cookery magic - all with a touch of garlic.
Meatopia, London
Championing farm-to-table, nose-to-tail cooking, Meatopia is festival that celebrates the best of British meat production. Local traders like Patty & Bun, Hawksmoor and Smoking Goat all ply their wares here, focusing on promoting ethically sourced meat and bringing out the best of the natural flavour by cooking over open fires. Even their cooking techniques emphasis the ethical; fires are strictly fuelled by wood and charcoal with no butane or propane. Don't miss their Tasting Room, a perfect accompaniment to the BBQ heaven on offer - wash everything down with an organic ale or craft beer.