Hoping to build on the success of the 2005 festival, this week sees the return of the Isle of Wight Food and Drink Festival. A nine day treat for the tastebuds, the festival promises to offer delicious local produce for islanders to enjoy, with a wide variety of educational and exciting attractions on offer.
From the weekend of the 23rd-24th September, venues across the Island will host specialist gastronomy events with something for all tastes, ranging from an evening of Roman food and drink at the Brading Roman Villa on Tuesday to a celebration of garlic at the Garlic Farm the following day. This great programme of daytime and evening visits also includes events focusing on locally produced ice cream, honey and apples, with many of the Island’s top hotel and restaurants getting involved.
The festival culminates next weekend (30th-1st), when The Quay at Newport will be transformed into a teeming hotbed of great local food and drink allowing visitors to taste the real Isle of Wight. Among the weekend’s attractions will be a first class cookery demonstration from top chef Stu Dyer, while Eurovines will also be on hand, offering all the information you could ever need on international wines to become a true connoisseur. Also of great interest is the presence at the festival of Ventnor Brewery’s award winning Ventnor Golden, which did a roaring trade at the recent Bestival, another Island based event going from strength to strength. A perfect example of the Island’s wide variety of fine produce, this ale will be hoping to stand out from the many on offer at the festival, which Ventnor Brewery producer Airon Baker looks forward to as a ‘good opportunity for the island to showcase its produce’. Indeed, with local attractions including Sharon Orchard apples and the IW Bacon Company, this truly is a celebration of the island and all of its culinary delights. Furthermore, with children’s attractions, relaxing alcohol bars and the opportunity to purchase a whole range of Island food and drink – from garlic and ice cream to mussels and oysters – this is the perfect family weekend.
One of the main strengths of this year’s festival is how it not only offers delicious fare, but simultaneously places an emphasis on education with regards to where our local food comes from. In doing so, and by promoting the quality and diversity of locally produced food, it is hoped that the next generation of food producers is inspired to continue the good work.
With the exciting programme of visits likely to be hugely popular, pre-booked tickets are required for all of the midweek events. To get involved with what is sure to be a memorable occasion – or for more information – telephone or email the festival organisers on 528999 or booking@island-events.co.uk.