The Best Food Festivals Across The UK This Summer
Meatopia: On Fire, London
A highlight in our calendar, Meatopia brings together the very best BBQ chefs for a full-on weekend of smoking, grilling and charring. Across the event, over 60 different cooks will set London’s Tobacco Dock ablaze with food, drink and music as the meat masters showcase both technique and dishes – ‘meatbucks’ will be available for visitors to sample the goods. This year’s chef names are yet to be announced, so watch this space.
Tobacco Dock, London; 2nd-4th September
Visit Meatopia.co.uk
London Restaurant Festival, London
London Restaurant Festival will return in July with its summer edition. The line-up is exciting, with Michelin-starred dining rooms such as Portland in Fitzrovia, Wild Honey and Korean-inspired Sollip, and classic spots like The River Cafe and The Ivy all taking part, alongside popular newcomers Lisboeta, Berenjak and Darby’s. This edition features some new experiences including ‘A Walk in the Park’, a tour around some of London’s beautiful parks, each leading to a nearby local restaurant. The event will see the return of the much-loved ‘Restaurant-Hopping Tours’ and ‘Champagne Gourmet Odysseys’, with Champagne Drappier showcasing its wines alongside some of the best international cuisine from Benares, Galvin at Windows and Hakkasan.
Various locations, London; 1st-30th June
Pub In The Park, Various Locations
Tom Kerridge’s annual food festival is back on the road. Each of the nine weekends will feature Tom’s two Michelin-starred pubs, The Hand & Flowers and The Coach, plus a selection of other top UK restaurants and Michelin-starred chefs, who will be serving their most popular dishes. Every event will celebrate the best food the country has to offer, combined with great live music, chef demonstrations, top quality shopping and family friendly festivities. Music across the festivals will include Sophie Ellis-Bextor, the Dolly Parton Experience, Faithless, Sister Sledge, McFly, Supergrass and Craig David.
Wimbledon (27th-29th May), Warwick (10th-12th June), Bath (17th-19th June), Dulwich (24th-26th June), Tunbridge Wells (8th-10th July), Chiswick (2nd-4th September), St Alban’s (9th-11th September), Brighton (16th-19th September)
Visit PubInTheParkUK.com
Camp Good Life by The Good Life Experience, Wales
The Good Life Experience, from co-founder Cerys Matthews, is an annual celebration of art that incorporates foraging and campfire cooking sessions with world-class chefs. This year, the festival is looking a little different: Summer Camp offers the chance to escape into nature across in July, while Camp Good Life is more food focused and will take place in September. There will be something for everyone – think wild swimming, historical tours, wellness activities, runs, dog walks, tennis and paddle boarding – alongside food from Emily Scott, Olia Hercules and Ixta Belfrage. The family friendly event takes place in the historic and setting of the Hawarden Estate, against the backdrop of two castles.
Hawarden, Wales; 16th-18th September
Taste of London, London
This London mainstay offers guests the chance to dine at some of the world’s most exclusive kitchens, all from one spot. Over five days of food, guests will be able to sample signature dishes from over 30 of London’s latest, greatest and most exciting restaurants (we’re most excited about Bibo, Around The Cluck, Ave Mario, Angelina, Dumplings’ Legend and Manthan) as well as off-menu items created exclusively for Taste. A line-up of ‘Daily Specials’ will give guests the chance to sample some of the city’s tastiest new concepts. Make sure to book ahead for wine tastings, workshops and cooking demonstrations.
Regent’s Park, London; 15th-19th July
Big Feastival, Oxfordshire
Blur bassist and cheesemonger Alex James’s annual festival is arguably one of the best at getting the balance between food and music just right. Aside from the Alex James Cheese Hub, chefs in attendance will include Ravneet Gill, Clare Smyth, Thomasina Myers, Ruby Bhogal and DJ BBQ, while Anne Marie, Sugababes, Stereophonics, Basement Jaxx and Jake Bugg take to the main stage. Designed with families in mind, the M&S Little Cooks Kitchen will provide an opportunity for children to learn about food and get hands on with some picking in The Allotment and cooking in the kitchen.
Kingham, Oxfordshire; 26th-28th August
Visit TheBigFeastival.com
Seafeast Dorset Food Festival, Dorset
The Dorset Seafood Festival is set to return to Weymouth’s shores this September. This much-loved event – Europe’s largest seafood festival – attracts visitors to the Jurassic coast to enjoy the sunshine, a glass (or bottle) of fabulous Miraval wine and, of course, amazing seafood. Alongside chef demonstrations, live music, street food and cookery classes for children, the organisers have added new features, such as a chill-out zone, a green seas initiative and water displays.
Weymouth, Dorset; 10th-11th September
Visit DorsetSeafood.co.uk
Malton Food Lovers Festival, Yorkshire
One of the UK’s biggest free food events, the Malton Food Lovers Festival returns with two weekenders in 2022. Its 13th year is set to be the biggest yet, welcoming food and drink fans in their thousands to try produce from hundreds of independent and artisan producers from across Yorkshire. There will also be street food from around the globe, as well as talks, tastings and demonstrations from the country’s top culinary talent, live music and family entertainment. For the June bank holiday edition, make sure to book your spot to hear the Guardian’s cookery columnist Felicity Cloake share her home-cooking wisdom.
Malton, Yorkshire; 3rd-5th June & 27th-29th August
Visit VisitMalton.com
National Geographic Traveller Food Festival, London
National Geographic Traveller Food Festival returns to London for the first time since 2019. The festival has announced four names who’ll be giving demos on its main stage: British chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver, Irish chef and restaurateur Richard Corrigan, MasterChef champion Ping Coombes and Nepalese chef Santosh Shah. They’ll be joining Ukrainian chef Olia Hercules, Sichuan fanatic Fuchsia Dunlop and Spanish restaurateur José Pizarro. Visitors can also head to Speakers’ Corner to catch their favourite food writers and cookbook authors discuss their latest works – look out for Burmese food writer MiMi Aye, cookbook author Yasmin Khan and Irish chef JP McMahon.
Business Design Centre, London: 16th-17th July
Savour, London
Savour is London’s newest food and drink festival. Set in the historic Royal Hospital Chelsea, Savour will host some of the most sought-after restaurants and bars the UK has to offer in one venue. Expect to see Covent Garden’s Frenchie, Polpo restaurants and Salt Yard Group alongside Mob Kitchen, whose first pop-up restaurant will bring the team’s viral Instagram tutorials to life. Savour has challenged chefs cooking across the weekends to create a £3 signature dish, giving festival goers the chance to vote for their favourite. There will also be masterclasses from Gozney Ovens, instructed by star TikTok chef Tom Straker and MasterChef finalist Philli Armitage Matten.
Royal Hospital Chelsea, London; 30th-31st July
Visit SavourFestival.com
Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival, Suffolk
This celebration of Suffolk’s thriving food and drink scene takes place in the beautiful setting of Snape Maltings, next to the River Alde and close to the Suffolk coast. Here, over 100 local producers gather to sell produce including raw milk, organic vegetables, sourdough bread, award-winning beer and spirits from Adnams, cyder from Aspall and delicious street food. One for true foodies.
Snape Maltings, Suffolk; 24th-25th September
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at [email protected].