The Diss and Harleston Food Fair is about to swing into action, with Harleston celebrating between 2^nd and 8^th October, and Diss from the 11th to 16^th October 2016.

Harleston’s highlights include special tastings in a range of shops and cafes, demonstrations including four special sessions at the Pod, where you can make your own chocolate treats, a Movable Feast sampling the delights of three restaurants in one night and culminating in A Taste of Harleston on Saturday 8^th October. Nicky Stainton of Harleton’s Future commented “Local businesses are keen to get involved and we had such a successful event last October that we will build on that to offer more activities and attract even more people to town. On the Saturday there will be a foodie street market, Open Farm visits in a vintage bus, Food Trail and street entertainment.”

Diss will  also have tastings all week across the town, with a Seafood Banquet at the Happy Palace on Wednesday 12^th, and a ‘de luxe’ Sunday Brunch on 16^th October in the Boilerhouse, hosted by Fredricks Fine Foods, recently entered for ‘Delicatessen of the Year’ in the Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2017. Demonstrations, ranging from Jonny Crickmore talking about his famous ‘Baron Bigod’ cheese to Claire’s Sugarcraft showing how to make a rose from sugar, will take place in the Boilerhouse in Cobb’s Yard. The week ends with a Farmers Market on Saturday morning, and the 7th Corn Hall Beer Festival, this year with added gin, which takes place on Friday and Saturday, again in the Boilerhouse. (See www.heritagetriangle.co.uk/new-events/ for more details).

John Atkinson of Fredricks Fine Foods and one of the Diss organisers said ‘This is the second time Diss has participated in the Festival. Last year was a great success with the majority of cafes and restaurants and both food and non-food shops reporting good business. The public response was ‘Do it again please!’

Further along the Waveney Valley near Beccles, Maisebrooke Farm will host their own Food and Drink Fair from 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday 2^nd October (entrance £1 – children free) featuring cookery and butchery demonstrations, live music and lots of food based activities for the whole family. David Lay of Maisebrooke said ‘It is so important to showcase the amazing producers from our area. We really want people not just to connect with food again, but to connect with local producers. The Waveney Valley Food Fair is all about people shopping locally, which makes a world of difference to the small producers.’

The Festival is supported as part of South Norfolk Council’s Market Towns Initiative, designed to promote the towns of Diss, Harleston, Loddon and Wymondham. Councillor Clayton Hudson, cabinet member for Stronger Communities and Leisure said.  ‘Our Market Towns Initiative is about working together to promote the local economy and South Norfolk as a fantastic place to visit. Events like the Festival boost the four towns’ profiles and we are delighted that Harleston and Diss have combined to promote their own and each other’s attractions.’

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