This year’s Huntingdonshire Food and Drink Festival is just around the corner, and food and drink revellers can expect the main event, Food Fest 08 to tantalise their taste buds and have them coming back for seconds.

The main theme is a celebration of the good quality local food available in Huntingdonshire with aim of encouraging people to buy local, reducing their food miles to help the environment, as well as promoting a healthy diet.

The main event, Food Fest 2008, at Wood Green Animal Shelters, Godmanchester on Sunday 28 September will showcase producers, suppliers and retailers.  This one day food extravaganza runs from 10am till 4pm and will have lots of exhibitors, offering food demonstrations, tasting, sales, ‘have a go’ sessions and much more.

‘Get Set Go Cook’ gourmet cookery contests performed by Huntingdon Marriott chefs will be taking place with Waitrose in St Ives supplying the ingredients.  There will be a chance to make your own sausages, a wine tutorial, hog roasts and speciality meats to try as well as a number of real ales from local brewers and pubs. 

Visitors young or old can enjoy themselves at the education zone which includes the Feast of the Fens, the history of farming in the Fenland Area, find stacks of information on the work of Hunts 4 Good Food which includes local allotments, cooking clubs and community schemes, also on composting and food hygiene. An apple press where you can bring along your own apples and make into delicious apple juice, the council’s environment team with their pledge tree, interactive games and activities on local food production, and a milking cow will be there to keep you busy. Or the more adventurous can have a go on a bicycle-powered smoothie maker or roll up their sleeves and try their hand at different cooking skills. It truly is a day for food lovers of all ages.  Shopmobility vehicles will be available for disabled visitors. The entrance fee is £3 for adults, children under 16 are free and concessions will be available.
                                                                                                                                    Councillor Andrew Hansard, executive councillor for policy and strategic services said: “Thriving local food businesses are important for the local economy. They are sustainable and healthy because food is travelling fewer miles over a shorter space of time, so it is fresher and money goes back into the local area.

He added; “Healthy food certainly doesn’t have to be boring. At last year’s food fest event there was a real buzz and the sheer variety and quality of food available was excellent.”

The festival is being managed by the council and sponsored by Anglian Water, Waitrose, The Hunts Post, The Old Bridge, The Huntingdon Marriott, Munns, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Inspiro, and supported by the Town Centre Partnerships in Huntingdon, St Neots, St Ives and Ramsey and Wood Green Animal Shelters.

Food Fest 08, taking place during British Food Fortnight is one of a number of event’s celebrating local food and drink, for more details on the events taking place during the five day festival or to download a food and drink festival calendar of events leaflet visit Food and Drink Festival page using the link on the right.