HAMPSHIRE Food Festival is to return this summer with a full programme of events for food lovers.
The event runs from July 1 to 31. It will celebrate the 20th anniversary following a break of two years.
Tasty events will include tours of breweries, distilleries, farms and vineyards, masterclasses and workshops, festivals, fetes and markets, pop-up dining experiences, cookery demonstrations, and more.
Food lovers will be treated to tours and cheese suppers at Lyburn Farm in the New Forest, Fizz Fest, to be held at Black Chalk in the Test Valley this year, and the local produce market and chefs’ kitchen at the New Forest Show.
Exciting new experiences are also lined up. Spirited events include a Gin and Beer Fest at the Gin Palace in Andover, Cocktails and Canapés with MasterChef winner Jane Devonshire at Gorilla Spirts in Upton Grey, gin tasting at Kimbridge Barn in the Test Valley, and Pothecary Gin pop-up at Montagu Arms in Beaulieu. There are also BBQ Masterclasses with SoCal in Southampton, workshops with South Downs Sourdough in Cheriton, and a Food Fare at Westlands Farm Shop near Wickham.
Special dining experiences include Hampshire Deli in Wolverton, Balmer Lawn in Brockenhurst, and The Lighthouse in Milford, plus a Coates & Seely special event at The White Horse near Winchester.
Hampshire Fare's Commercial Manager Tracy Nash said: "Hampshire Food Festival celebrates one of the great pleasures in life: food and drink with a relaxed carnival atmosphere and opportunities to discover new tastes and experiences.
"The Festival continues to provide what it set out to achieve when it was set up in 2000: a great opportunity for independents to raise their profile and a unique way for everyone to enjoy and appreciate Hampshire’s heritage, culture, and sense of place."
As one of the first food festivals held, Hampshire Food Festival helped to make a significant contribution to the renaissance of interest in local food and drink.
Over the years, it has included walks, talks, farm tours, tastings and cookery demonstrations as well as an impressive roll-call of chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Raymond Blanc, Gino D’Acampo, James Martin and Ainsley Harriott.
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