CREATING NEW MEMORIES

Every year Hampshire Food Festival evolves, becoming bigger and even more wide-ranging, with new events and experiences, tours and tastings.

Special opportunities to learn skills and discover food stories are available. These include one-to-one coaching with TV chef Lenny Carr-Roberts, learning to cook restaurant-worthy dishes in a commercial kitchen near Winchester. Or at Hockeys Farm Shop, near Fordingbridge, you can find out how to make sausages, with demonstrations every Tuesday. It is also an opportunity to visit the delightful family-run farm shop and tea room with its focus on New Forest produce. There are on-the-farm introductions to spelt – an ancient grain that adds a sweet, nutty flavour to bread, bakes and pastry – with Kate Bayliss from Wheatsheaf Farming, North Waltham, explaining how spelt is grown, farmed and used (Saturday 22nd and 29th July). Alternatively, what about an evening of Wyrd Gin at the Montagu Arms, Beaulieu, meeting the distiller and sipping award-winning gins alongside a special gin-inspired grazing board (17th August)?

Want to find out what goes on beyond the hedgerows of our farms and vineyards, and behind the scenes at local breweries and distilleries? Book one of Hampshire Food Festival’s special tours. Downton Distillery Tours on Domaine Hugo Vineyard are available regularly (from Sunday 2nd July). There is a choice of vineyard tours, including a special evening at Goodworth Clatford, a boutique vineyard owned by an adventurous couple who will be telling their story and explaining how their grapes are grown and made into sparkling wine, accompanied by tastings (Thursday 3rd August). Not to be missed is a strawberry tour, talk and tasting with The New Forest Fruit Company (Thursday 24th August).

Popping up throughout Hampshire Food Festival are mini-fests, fairs and markets at unexpected venues across the county. This year these include ‘1812 Fest’, a new food and drinks festival held by The Portsmouth Distillery in the historic surroundings of 18th century Fort Cumberland, Southsea (Saturday 8th July). Or there’s the picturesque countryside of the Meon Valley for Westlands Farm Shop Food Fair (also Saturday 8th July). Launched last year, and advocating the farm and shop’s sustainable values, it was so well-received they are doing it all again! Brand new this year is a mini-market set against the stunning backdrop of Lavender Fields, near Selborne (Saturday 29th July). Local produce to browse and buy includes honey, gin, breads, cakes, fruit and veg. Another exciting newbie is Celebrating Local (Saturday 20th August) at plantbased eco-store Lemon & Jinja - found in a warehouse on a business park in Romsey!

If you enjoy BBQ then we’re your kind of place! With over 30 years’ experience we know a thing or two about it and would love to share our passion with you. In store we stock all the major brands and then some. Come and join us on a Saturday and experience a free demo day or sign up to one of our assorted BBQ Masterclasses. We look forward to seeing y’all soon. Did I mention we stock Yeti? It’s worth dropping in just to view their range! sizzlefest 16 sept 2023 tickets visit sizzlefest.co.uk