Nantwich Food Festival returns to the town centre this coming weekend with a three-day jam-packed schedule set to attract tens of thousands.
Festival Friday starts at 11am with a quiet hour for those who want or need to browse the stalls in both marquees without the crowds.
Then Friday continues from noon to 8pm with food, drinks, live music and lots of entertainment.
Town centre entertainment starts at 11am and runs until 8pm, while the Reaseheath College Food Theatre has chef demonstrations from midday and continues through the weekend.
Cookalong still has some places available for visitors to cook under the tuition of professional chefs. Book your place here.
Festival Saturday runs from 9am – 7pm, with great exhibitors, celebrity and local chefs, and live music.
And Festival Sunday is 10am- 5pm, with the earlier closing time enabling the Festival team to start the massive clear up task.
Some town centre car parks will close to allow space for marquees and all the exhibitors.
These closures will run from 6pm today (August 29) until 5pm Monday September 4.
Festival organisers are urging visitors to use public transport, or the free Festival Park & Ride scheme which operates from Brine Leas School, Barony Park and Nantwich Football Club on all Festival days.
Disabled parking and disabled access buses will operate from the Barony Park & Ride location only, and there will be disabled parking at other locations. See the festival map online for details.
Nantwich firm Direct Access will again provide a calm area on Love Lane for anyone in need of peace and quiet.
In addition to Festival loos, there are public toilets next to the market, and Nantwich Town Council ‘Comfort Scheme’ is in operation with local cafes allowing visitors to use their loo.
Trained volunteers will be in high viz jackets providing Festival brochures, information and directions.
There will also be an information stand in the town centre.
Morrison’s supermarket and St Mary’s Church are allowing the use of their car park and grassed area respectively.
There is a Health and Safety team, Staff Solutions Group First aiders and local police on hand throughout the weekend.
Two First Aid areas in the town centre will enable a quicker response to incidents.
All safety and hygiene inspections will be completed before Festival Friday morning.
There are two music stages with live music throughout the weekend, with comperes from Cheshire’s Silk 106.9.
Local performers include Subrosa5, Scarlett Fever, Stepping Lane plus Funky Rythmix, and talented local pianist Andrea Lambelle.
Chef demonstrations are taking place in the Reaseheath Food Theatre, Love Lane.
On Festival Friday Stavros, head chef from multi award-winning St Martha’s, will showcase his talent.
Sandbach chef Sarah Thompson and celebrity chef Lesley Waters will also be on Friday.
Festival Saturday will feature Simon Rimmer and Nigel Brown. Chris Waling also returns this year to demonstrate his great gluten free ‘Cakes by Noah’.
On Sunday the Festival will welcome Babna of Babna’s Patisserie – an independent Manchester-based bakery business that has grown to innovate unique flavours and designs across a broad range of bakery items.
Nigel Brown returns on Sunday when Jack Stein will also demonstrate his personal cooking style.
This year, there will be sign language interpretation for some of the celebrity chef demonstrations.
The Whitegates Kids Marquee (Kids Corner) will also host a variety of craft activities including a colouring competition. The Dabber Bear leaflets can be collected from the kids marquee or the information point in town.
Kids activities supervised by Festival Volunteers will include:
Gingerbread decorating (‘naked’ versions donated by Chatwins Bakery)
Make your own placemat Bread painting
Pasta necklaces Marshmallow catapults
Picture stamping Zombie and marshmallow pops
Make a Butterfly
These activities will be free, but volunteers will collect any donations to go to Nantwich Foodbank.
There will be a mini disco (bubbles and music) every afternoon 4.30-5pm for children to attend while the volunteers tidy up the marquee.
There are still places in the Banana Loaf competition – enter via [email protected]
If you are one of the lucky 12 to gain a place, bring your entry along to Reaseheath Food Theatre on Festival Saturday by 2.30pm.
For up to date information go to #nantwichfoodfestival or www.nantwichfoodfestival.co.uk
Norma get your shopping done before the day, alternatively like me go to Scotland for the week and miss it like I do every year I wouldn’t mind but anything you fancy has to be bought online after the show, mail order I don’t understand why supermarkets can scout around to find the best new comers to sell in store. Years ago I spoke to head of Waitrose to get their act together, they then started to stock local cheeses especially the winners from the old cheese show, so get your act together Nantwich and start networking
with lots of roads closed and parking closed ,the only car park with car charging point closed ,very good planning i’ll be in my garden,
Poor little Norma……..not selfish at all
Oh god another 3 days of bedlam and not being able to shop without crowds