Shropshire Festivals are celebrating a successful Shrewsbury Food Festival weekend.
The event was attended by thousands of people who enjoyed a sunny September weekend. Sunday’s visitors had the opportunity to meet multi-Michelin star celebrity chef – Jean-Christophe Novelli. Over 180 different independent businesses and producers attended to provide food, drink, homeware and craft stalls. There was a whole area dedicated to educating visitors on the agriculture and food sectors, a huge free kids zone and a live music stage featuring local acts.
Jean-Christophe Novelli said the festival was “absolutely out of this world and incredible!” He told the organisers he was very impressed with the organisation, set-up and quality of the event.
Hugh Strickland, corporate finance partner at the law firm Aaron and Partners, which is a long-standing sponsor of the Shrewsbury Food Festival, said, “It was fantastic to be part of this year’s Shrewsbury Food Festival and we really enjoyed seeing the local community coming back together for this event.
“We’ve been proud supporters of Shropshire Festivals and the range of events on offer for our region for a number of years, but this year feels particularly special after the last 18 months.”
The Kitchen Depot Cook Along with the Chef Stage was run by Festival Head Chef, Chris Burt, who curated the chef line up at the event. The Cook Along Stage raised £1,082 for Self Help Africa with their tickets sales, raffle and donations on the day.
The award-winning festival team are now preparing for Shropshire Oktoberfest, which is taking place in Shrewsbury’s Quarry on October 1 and 2.
Director of Fun, Beth Heath, said, “Shrewsbury Food Festival 2021 was absolutely epic! It was the toughest festival lead up I’ve done in 20 years but it was worth it in the end! To see the Quarry filled with thousands of happy faces in the sunshine was a dream come true after such a long wait. I’m really grateful to our amazing team, volunteers, producers, stall holders, chefs, performers, suppliers and sponsors for making this event so brilliant.
“The fun doesn’t stop there! In a few weeks’ time we have the county’s best party – Shropshire Oktoberfest! We are bringing together independent brewers from the region and beyond to serve up to 150 real ales. If ale isn’t your drink, there will also be lager, cider and perry on tap. Hencote will be serving their locally produced wine, The Buttermarket will have a rum shack and Gindifferent will bring their finest selection of tipples with the support of the Shropshire Distillery. All of which can be mopped up with a vast array of delicious street food.
“Thanks to Woodings & Co we have another awesome music line-up and Connexis are providing the laughs with their sponsorship of the comedy tent. Our motto for this year is bringing the fun back, and Shropshire Oktoberfest will definitely do that!”
Discounted advance tickets can be purchased from www.shropshireoktoberfest.co.uk.
Pictured: Jean-Christophe Novelli with the Shropshire Festivals team.
