Hampshire Food Festival extends its run

This year’s Hampshire Food Festival has been extended from its original two-week format to run for the whole month of July 2008. The Festival celebrates Hampshire’s finest food and drink, and this year, features 120 different events.

Many of the events take place in and around Winchester and include chocolate and jam-making master-classes, a beekeeping experience, a cookery survival course for young adults, hog roast and farm tour of Sparsholt College (Hampshire’s leading Agricultural College) and heritage events.

Hampshire Food Festival visitors can also win a luxury two-night break at Lainston House Hotel near Winchester, which is renowned for its use of local produce. Lainston’s Executive Chef Andy MacKenzie was awarded Hampshire Chef of the Year at last year’s Hampshire Life Food & Drinks Awards dinner, which is held at the same time as the Festival.

Chef Gordon Ramsay has given his support to this year’s Hampshire Food Festival in July by writing the foreword to the Festival programme. Gordon says:

“Hampshire appeals to me so much that I bought a home here last year. I’ve met with local farmers and producers who are so passionate in their work and the food they produce. Do make sure that you take part in The Hampshire Food Festival this year. With so much going on, it is a fascinating insight into the range of wonderful food produced, grown and reared across the county”.

Key Hampshire Food Festival events in the Winchester area:

• Hotel du Vin VIP and press Festival opening event – 1st July
• Jam-Making Masterclass – 5th July
• Cook Academy Knife Skills Workshop – 5th July
• Story of our Daily Bread exhibition and flour milling demos – 2nd-6th July
• Cheese tastings at the Hampshire Delicatessen – 5th July
• Magical Watercress Tour – 8th July
• Orchard Walk and Juice Tasting – 8th July
• Winchester Hampshire Farmers’ Markets - 13th & 27th July (the largest in the UK)
• Summer Jazz Garden Party at Lainston House Hotel – 13th July
• Beekeeping Experience – 16th July
• Hog Roast Lunch & Tour of Sparsholt College Farm – 19th July
• Cook Academy Vegetarian Cookery Course – 19th July

Festival details:
The Hampshire Food Festival runs between 1st and 31st July 2008. For more information or to receive a free Festival programme, visit Hampshirefare.co.uk.

Food and drink in the Winchester area:
Drawing on its rural surroundings, the ancient capital of England enjoys a growing reputation for local produce and fine fare. The Winchester district boasts a number of award-winning pubs and restaurants. Winchester is the perfect base to explore the area and is also home to the UK’s largest farmers’ market, which with over 95 stalls, takes place twice a month.

For more information on Winchester and the surrounding area, see Visitwinchester.co.uk.

For further details on the Hampshire Food Festival, go to Hampshirefare.co.uk.