The final countdown to Saturday’s Burnham-On-Sea Food & Drink Festival is underway.
Over 100 traders will be showcasing the best of Somerset food and drink at the town centre event from 9am, which will be the eighth since it started four years ago.
Expect farmers’ market favourites like cheeses, breads and ales to be trading alongside more unusual finds like Somerset Biltong, squirrel pies and steamed bau – all made from local ingredients, made by local businesses.
There will be giant John Deere tractors supplied by Smart Ag Services of Cheddar, a face painter, sideshow stalls and live music from buskers. Inside the Methodist Church there is a children’s play area and on the High Street a traditional Punch & Judy stall will be set up.
Popular meeting points will be the four outside bars – this year there will be a new Pilton Cider and Two Birds Gin & Tonic bar to add into the mix of RCH Brewery craft ale and farmhouse cider from Tricky.
The festival’s two local bursary winners will be on hand to chat about their new businesses; Levels Lamb: Howard Tratt will also be bringing his lambs to Princess Street and Ceres Coffee’s Daniel Ingram will be tempting the senses outside the Cookery School with some steamed bau.
The Cookery School, sponsored by Bakkavor Desserts, is one of the new elements for the May festival. There will be six free-to-attend classes throughout the day featuring fermented, cultured and slow foods like sourdough bread and kombucha.
All participants at the classes will be entered into a free prize draw to win a Riverford Organics Recipe Box. The Cookery School is at Somerset Skills & Learning in Princess Street.
Also in Somerset Skills & Learning is The Great Burnham Bake Off. This popular home and professional baking competition has seen some local baking dynasties created. It’s always a hotly contested competition and the judges will no doubt have their work cut out. Bakes should be brought along to the centre before 2pm with a completed entry form to be in with a chance of taking home one of the trophies. Winners announced at 4pm.
Opposite Somerset Skills & Learning is one of the three large, indoor venues which house around 40% of the traders exhibiting. There are lots of places to sit down around the festival and catch your breath (and eat your lunch!). All but one venue are happy with dogs on leads.
Over at the Baptist Church the KDS Fresh Ideas Stage will be set up outside on Saturday with a team of BBQ chefs cooking throughout the day. They will be sharing their expertise, tips and samples. Some of the dishes will be forming the core of two special after-hours meals. These are another new element for the festival this spring. Each meal is limited to 40 places and the first at 6pm will focus on BBQ and the second is a rustic fine dining meal with 4 courses and waitress service. You need to book in advance for these meals via the festival website.
With so many traders to choose from it is sometimes hard to pick your favourite, but the People’s Choice for Best in Show is a competition that all the producers want to win. Cast your vote using a polling card at one of the boxes at the three indoor venues and be in with a chance of winning a 12-month subscription to Somerset Life magazine.
The KDS Fresh Ideas Stage outside the Baptist Church:
11 Nick Webley Syrian Manqal
12:15 Simon Dyer, ITV BBQ Champ 2015, BBQ Chcicken
1:30 Marcus Bawdon, Dirty steaks
2:30 John Gower, orange confit pork tenderloins
3:30 Local legend Nigel Smith, Rum ribs
Cultured Cookery School, sponsored by Bakkavor Desserts:
10:30 Sauerkraut Hands-on workshop
11.30 Sourdough demo & Q&A
12.30 Kombucha demo & Q&A
1.30 Sauerkraut Hands-on workshop
2.30 Sourdough demo & Q&A
3.30 Kombucha demo & Q&A
