Guest blog: Foodies Festival is heading to Exeter!

THE UK’S BIGGEST TOURING GOURMET FOOD FESTIVAL IS COMING TO EXETER FOR THE FIRST TIME - WITH CELEBRITY CHEFS AND MUSIC STARS!  

FOODIES FESTIVAL – the biggest gourmet food and drink touring festival in the UK – is coming to Escot Park, Exeter, for the first time this September, featuring MasterChef and Bake Off stars, headline music acts and gastronomic delights from around the world!

Stars include MasterChef: The Professionals, Daniel Marreiros and Kitchen Disco superstar, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who'll be bringing some glitz and glamour to the cooking stage and sharing a recipe from her new cookbook! Plus a legion of chefs from Michelin starred and award-winning restaurants will also cook live, giving the festival a distinctive local flavour, including: Mark Dodson of the Michelin-starred Masons Arms, in Knowstone and Jay Barker-Jones, of Michelin recommended Dartmoor Inn, in Lydford.   

Also cooking live in the Chefs Theatre: Multi award-winning master chef of Great Britain, Peter Gorton, Executive Chef and Richard Hunt, from Courtyard by Marriott, Exeter.

In the Cake and Bake Theatre, an impressive line-up of expert star bakers will create delicious show-stopping masterpieces and share their best tips and tricks. 

The music line-up includes: Chart-topping disco diva, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and platinum selling indie pop band, Scouting For Girls. And to kick the weekend off in style the festival hosts a ‘Big Party Night’ - taking a nostalgia-filled trip back to the 90s, featuring some of the biggest music acts of the era, including: Five and East 17.

The festival (dubbed “Gastro-Glanstonbury”) has announced a busy programme of events, in the quest to deliver an unforgettable weekend of fine food, new experiences and exceptional quality, promising a great family day out. 

Foodies Festival features include:

*Over 150 artisan producers will showcase their produce, providing festival-goers with a fantastic opportunity to sample the best of the region – and to try a huge selection of delicious food and drink from around the world. 

*Go Global and browse the very latest world food trends in the Shopping Village and try exotic and unusual new dishes on Street Food Avenue. The incredible range includes tantalising delicacies from all four corners of the globe.

*Ready Steady Chef! Celebrity chefs from TV’s biggest cooking shows will once again compete against each other, turning up the heat in the Chefs’ Theatre. Presented with a bag of surprising ingredients chosen by their competitors, it will be an exciting and often hilarious race against the clock to create the best dish, and to win the public vote. 

*Join masterclasses with our experts in the Drinks Theatre, with Cocktail Making, and Champagne, Beer, Cider and Wine tasting. 

*Meet the authors and discover new recipes in the Cook Book Shop – with celebrity signings and top chefs’ showcasing their latest cookbooks. 

*Keeping the children entertained - an opportunity for the youngsters to get creative in the Kids Cookery School, hosted by Foodies SuperChefs. And for those little (and big!) thrill seekers, a funfair, sand art, toy stalls, face painting and family friendly areas with activities.

*World Chilli Eating Champion Shahina Waseem will be turning up the heat and challenging those brave enough to compete. Competitions will be broadcast live across the world to huge ‘League of Fire’ audiences.

*Supporting rising talent – the Musicians Against Homelessness stage will feature over 40 superb artists across the weekend, with the best of local bands and an introduction to exciting new acts from across the UK. 

*Plant-based cooking will be well represented, with delicious dishes and produce. The Cake & Bake Theatre will be showcasing the best of vegan baking with tips and tricks from the professionals.

At the three-day festival, visitors can enjoy the Chefs’ Theatre, Cake & Bake Theatre, Drinks Theatre, Shopping Village with award winning artisan producers, Street Food Avenue, Feasting Tent, Cook Book Shop, Kids’ Cookery School, fairground, live music stage and family-friendly areas with activities for children.

Escot Park, Exeter, EX11 1LU

16th - 18th September 2022

Tickets are on sale now at www.foodiesfestival.com and 0844 9951111