Our Bury St Edmunds promises foodie family fun at festival


Step up to the plate and prepare to have your tastebuds teased when the Our Bury St Edmunds Food & Drink Festival takes place over this month’s Bank Holiday weekend.  Celebrity chefs, a farmers’ market, local restaurant demonstrations and scores of stalls selling everything from paella to prosecco and beers to bakes will make the event a feast of foodie fun for all the family.

The free event, promises two days of fantastic flavours as well as a host of different family attractions including the urban beach, mini-farm and street entertainment.  Top of the menu are two of the country’s most popular celebrity chefs.  On Sunday 26 August James Tanner returns to the Festival to give three demonstrations in the Stoves Cookery Theatre and on Bank Holiday Monday Paul Rankin is back for the second year running to share some of his favourite dishes.

The Festival has firmly found its place in the food lover’s calendar since it began in 2012.  It’s organised by the town centre Business Improvement District (BID) organisation Our Bury St Edmunds.  Chief Executive Mark Cordell said:  “This year we have changed the recipe for the Farmers’ Market on Angel Hill and look forward to featuring some new ultra-locally produced food as part of that.  I think visitors will be genuinely surprised at the range of excellent produce to be found here on our doorstep.  But from locally produced delicacies we’ll also be offering flavours from all over the world and of course there will be treats which support gluten-free, vegan and many other dietary requirements.

“Once again the BID member businesses are really getting behind the Festival, a number of restaurants will be giving demonstrations in the cookery theatre and others are having a stall as part of the event or doing something special at their own premises over the weekend.  It’s a great showcase for the food and drink sector in our town.”

For younger visitors there will be a range of children’s activities in and around the town centre, including cake decorating workshops, face painting, the mini-farm in Abbeygate Street and the beach complete with deckchairs and Punch and Judy at Charter Square in the arc, along with fairground rides and free street entertainment across both days. 

Full details about the event can be found at www.ourburystedmunds.com/foodanddrinkfestival.