Festival Island

The main Food & Drink Festival attractions are located on Mill Island, near the town centre and beside the River Weaver.

Programme here... (PDF, 346kb)

Opening Times & Ticket Prices
Friday 26 September. 10am to 6pm. £4.
Saturday 27 September. 9am to 6pm. £5.
Sunday 28 September. 10am to 5pm. £5.

Accompanied under 16s free.
GO GREEN AND COME BY TRAIN>>>£1 discount for rail users, details here...

Pay on the gate.

Advance purchase day tickets costing £4 can be obtained from Nantwich TIC - tickets are valid on any single day.  The deadline for purchasing advance tickets is 5pm on Monday 22nd September (phone) and 5pm on Friday 26th September (in person).

Gourmet Food Marquee With over 90 stalls featuring some of the UK’s top specialist food producers, the Gourmet Food Marquee is sheer heaven for foodies! Sample the best regionally produced gourmet food against the backdrop of our attractive half-timbered county town. Exhibitors here...

Cookery Theatre Demo's on the hour, every hour We welcome celebrity chef Gino D'Acampo for his Nantwich debut and  Guo Yue who returns by popular demand, both will be demonstrating their special skills for our Festival audience
this year. Kate Colquhoun is an author who will challenge your ideas about local food in a thought provoking talk. Other demonstrations and talks will take place throughout the festival weekend with many talented local chefs teaching visitors the tricks of the trade using the best local produce. Demonstration programme here...

Wine Tasting Marquee If you want to know your chardonnay from your chenin blanc, this is well worth a visit.
There will be free of charge master classes taking place each day at 1pm and 3pm featuring wines from around the world. In addition to these classes, there will be sampling taking place from 11am each day. Wine portfolio here... (PDF, 145kb). Tasting guide here... (PDF, 141kb)

 

Taste Workshops Free of charge tutored tastings to whet your appetite with some of the Festival’s most celebrated food makers. Produce to be sampled includes cheese, beer and truffles. These 20 minute sessions will take place throughout the festival. Timetable here... (PDF, 55kb)

 

Wild Food Workshops & Foraging Walks Ever eaten dandelion leaves or nettles? Interested in scoffing wild berries and flowers? If you think that these may tickle your taste buds, you should visit our wild food workshop. We have demonstrations of wild food cookery and fire starting led by Cheshire Countryside Rangers with foraged food tastings taking place at regular intervals each day. The rangers will also lead foraging walks through the beautiful countryside of Nantwich Riverside departing from the wild food workshop on Mill Island at 2pm each day. Itinerary here... (PDF, 32kb)

Family Fun Marquee
This year the Family Marquee on Mill Island has been expanded to contain several other activities and entertainments as well as the hugely popular Kids' Kitchen. These include cocktail workshops, salt making demos, grow your own, face painting and much more. Details here.

Festival Food Court and Bar
An undercover food and bar area where you can sit and relax with a glass of wine or beer, or, if you prefer, cup of coffee or tea, together with a tasty bite to eat.