Christchurch Food Festival 2023 on the quay 27th, 28th and 29th May

ONE of the highlights in the foodie calendar is back this weekend and is expected to attract thousands from all over the UK.

Christchurch Food Festival will be held on the quay from tomorrow (Saturday) across three days, and promises to be as great as ever.

Featuring street food stalls offering cuisine from all over the world and artisan producers selling fare ranging from vodka to cheese, the ever popular event is sure to cater for all tastes.

Those looking for their favourite tipple can expect a huge array of different beverages from local breweries and distilleries.

Chefs James Golding, of The Pig, and MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker are back in the demonstration tent to show off exactly why they are at the top of their game. They will be dishing out plenty of tips to an appreciative audience on how they can improve their own culinary skills.

They will be joined by a long list of talented local chefs.

A great line-up of live entertainment will keep the crowds happy while they peruse, with performers including the Twynham School Jazz Band, Jack Rideout, the Highcliffe Charity Players, Milton Musical Society, Mad4Dance and Relight My Choir.

Jan’s Gems Belly Dancers will be putting on a lively show, too, and the ever-popular sheep show will be back delighting their audience.

An educational, fun and inspiring show, the animals are loved by kids and adults alike.

It features a live sheep shearing demo and a demonstration of how wool from a sheep’s back becomes a jumper. The finale is the spectacular ‘Sheep Show Hustle’.

Since they started performing, the sheep have appeared in front of 2.5-million people and are one of the highlights of the food festival.

The weather forecast promises plenty of sunshine for the free event, which has been running since 2000 and is now orgainsed by Lymington-based Onyx Events alongside Real Food Festivals and World of Events.

Supported by BCP Council, the orgainsers work closely with food groups including Dorset Food and Drink and Hampshire Fare, to make sure lots of local goodies are available.

For more information visit https://christchurchfoodfest.co.uk

Last year the festival attracted a 60,000-strong crowd, and with this year expected to just as busy organisers are advising people to arrive early – especially if they want to secure a place in one of the town’s car parks.