Aylsham Food Festival 2016

From Lunch to Brunch

Aylsham Food Festival’s three days of foodie fun

From lunch on its first day to brunch on its last, Aylsham Food Festival 2016, running from Friday 30 September to Sunday 2 October and organised by Slow Food Aylsham, has something for all foodies.

Before the weekend’s activities, Aylsham Library will be hosting a food related talk, ‘Wild Food from the Hedgerow’ with tickets at just £3 available from the Library.

The town’s weekly Country Market, from 8.30am to midday in the Town Hall on Friday 30th will have loads of lovely tasters from their usual variety of sweet and savoury foods, plus a prize draw to win a very special decorated Festival Cake. After the Market has closed, the Parish Church will host a ‘Harvest Lunch’ while that evening will see the High School’s Festival Gala Dinner. Five courses, prepared cooked and served by over 100 students, will be enjoyed by 120 diners in what is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the 3-day Festival.

Saturday’s events start with Aylsham’s monthly Farmers Market, including guest stalls, in the Market Place. The Market will run from 8.30am to 2pm. Also during the morning, the Town Hall will see top local chefs, plus experts from Aylsham-based Coxfords Butchers, stage a series of cookery and butchery demonstrations. The demonstrations will be organised on a ‘drop-in’ basis, starting at 10am, and are completely free.

Aylsham Food Festival 2016

Entertaining the crowds outside will be the Juggling Chef, Gordon Blur, who proved a massive hit at the 2015 Festival. Meanwhile, you will have the opportunity to enter a free prize draw for a fabulous hamper which will include a set of saucepans. The hamper is sponsored by Neff and local electrical retailer J B Postle.

Saturday evening’s entertainment comes in the form of a wine tasting at Aylsham Heritage Centre, where Brian Sullivan from Harper Wells in Eaton will introduce a number of wines from the company’s extensive selection.

Charlie Hodson
Charlie Hodson

Aylsham Food Festival 2016’s final event will be the Big Slow Brunch in the Town Hall on Sunday 2nd October. Very much a family affair, the Brunch will run from 10.30am to 1pm with continuous service. Croissants, preserves, bread, fruit juice, muesli and of course, the ‘Full English’ will be on a menu cooked and served by members of Slow Food Aylsham.

Tickets for the Brunch, at £7, and for the Gala Dinner (£20) can be purchased by phoning 07519 361812 or from two shops in Aylsham: Barnwells Newsagents and Carousel Chocolates. If you would like to go to the Wine Tasting, tickets for that event are available online at www.aylshamheritage.com

aylsham-food-festival-gala-dinner-menu

Aylsham Food Festival is supported by Woodforde’s Brewery and Broadland District Council.  Councillor Stuart Clancy, portfolio holder for economic development for the Council, said: “We are pleased to be able to support the Festival through a Community Activities Grant. Our ambition for economic success includes creating vibrant, engaged communities in Broadland. Through our grants programme we are helping local groups and organisations deliver projects and activities that build stronger and more cohesive communities.”