Whole Foods Market backs Cheltenham's Food & Drink Festival
Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival has announced that Britain's best all-natural grocery store, Whole Foods Market is the 2012 Festival Headline Sponsor. The Festival which will be held in Cheltenham's Montpellier Gardens, from the 15-17th June 2012 was set up 5 years ago to showcase the best of Gloucestershire's food and drink industry. The Festival now draws exhibitors from all over the country but the focus is still local and despite the weather, in 2011, over 19,000 people visited the 3 day event.
John Rhodes organiser of the hugely popular Cheltenham Food & Drink festival said "We are delighted to have Whole Foods Market as our headline sponsor at this year's Festival. The 2012 festival is the biggest yet." John adds "With over 200 exhibitors, free wine education, talks, Live Music, Food demonstrations and Children's entertainment, there is plenty for the whole family to do."
Whole Foods Market has made a large commitment to the Gloucestershire food community as it announces the September opening of a 27,000 sq ft store in the Gallagher Retail Park in Cheltenham. Creating 150 full and part time , the new store will source local fresh, all-natural produce as well as providing a from- scratch bakery and a traditional butcher's counter in-store selling only the highest quality meats which adhere to strict animal welfare standards. The store will also have a café and community garden with a firepit barbeque for grilling your favourite dishes right in front of you.
Whole Foods Market wants to change the way people in the Cotswolds think about food shopping and wants to encourage its shoppers to learn about what they eat and drink. The new store will hold regular wine, beer and cheese tastings as well as social activities such as weekly kids clubs and supper clubs. . Most importantly, everything Whole Foods Market sells is all -natural and free of any additives, artificial ingredients and do not have anything added to them.
Jeff Turnas, Regional President for Whole Foods Market UK commented "We are delighted to be able to support the 2012 Food & Drink Festival and we are very excited to be opening a store in Cheltenham at the end of the summer. We are wholly committed to local foods, producers and suppliers and we hope to find a new audience for these foods under our roof in Cheltenham".
This year's highlights include TV's Celebrity Master Chef Winner, Gloucester & England Rugby Star Phil Vickery who will be leading the Food Demonstrations. Tattinger Champagne House, Jamie's Italian, and the latest creations from the counties brewers will be taking part. Sample some of our favourite songs from the Cosmic Sausages or indulge in some fudge delights from 11 year old Fraser, with his handmade wicked fudge flavours, Frasers Fudj.
