Everyone loves a bit of food and what's better than lots of food stall, chef demos, food competitions all happening in one place at one time!
Over the bank holiday weekend we had the Great British Food Festival come to Wiltshire, in the gardens of Bowood. They were so lucky with the weather as the sun was shining throughout each day and the temperatures were very high, at least compared to what we've been used to the rest of this summer. We were supposed to go on Sunday but I became quite ill (stupid anxiety) and didn't feel comfortable with leaving the house, so we went the Monday instead. Being the hottest day out of all three we were sweating all over (it didn't feel great).
I was so surprised to see so many stalls here, I was expecting a few food vendors and then a big marquee and that's it ha (I guess it's good to have lower expectations). The festival was bustling and for £9 entry it was totally worth it, even if we did struggle a little with the heat.
The atmosphere was buzzing and had such a beautiful backdrop, with the Bowood House and Gardens just behind it all. With a little stage at the back with local singers performing all day and some incredibly good smelling food all around, including some Greek food, Vietnamese and American style, it was a great day to grab some goodies, snap some pics and embrace the sunshine with a refreshing beverage. The one stall we got some drinks from had this AMAZINGLY TASTING drink called the refresher which was a combination of lemon juice, cranberry juice, elderflower and lemonade...wow it was delicious, an easy summer drink to make at home!
All the stalls had such funky names and vibrant colours to make the whole festival look so colourful and vibrant. One stall called Simon's Sausages had an (may I say) intriguing sign reading "Nothing says I love you like an 8 sausage"...think of it how you like but some may think it's a little inappropriate?? Although we just saw the humour in it!
This fine, country looking festival was completed with the location being Bowood House and Gardens. We were hoping to find lots of freebies (because we're cheapskates) and before a spice eating contest started we approached this tent which has just hosted a cake making contest and they had lots of leftovers so the others made the most of it and grabbed as much cake as they could. Sadly with my dietary requirements I could not take advantage of this offer, I was heartbroken.
Whilst the girls tucked into an appetising selection of goodies, I took a seat waiting for the next contest to start. Funnily enough, Val (from the Great British Bake Off last year) was sat just behind the tables being interviewed for the radio. We came here mainly to see her demonstrations later on in the day so we all got a little giddy.
After being indulged into cake heaven, it would be rude not to visit the marquee with all kinds of cake! They had it all and more.
To end the day, I was getting a little peckish so I chose the Vietnamese stall to grab a box of chicken wings and because the festival was starting to finish they gave me double the portion!! What a great end to a fabulous day!
What did you get up to over the weekend?
