Food Festivals: A Survival Guide
With food festival season almost upon us, seasoned foodies across Wales and beyond are gearing up to taste, smell and buy their way around the fantastic produce of the UK. Whilst Glastonbury and the like have column inches (or should that be miles) dedicated to them, what about Abergavenny, Conwy and the rest? A cursory glance at that well-known search engine came back with a big, fat zero.
Never say I don't do anything for you.
The Most Important Meal
This might sound stupid, but remember to eat something before going to a food festival. "Why?" I hear you ask, "I'll be surrounded by food!". Exactly. Walk in there with an empty stomach and you are going to go into sensory overload. You'll start panic-buying expensive cakes and before you know it you'll also have eaten most of them, leaving nothing to take home. Do yourself a favour, save yourself a sugar crash and eat something before you arrive
Kerching!
Unless you're going to a city-based event, most of the time you will be in a small town in the middle of nowhere or worse, a field in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Very few vendors have credit card facilities and those that do will probably have experienced it crashing quite a lot in the space of a weekend. Any cash points will quickly run out of notes as the queues build up. Get savvy and avoid a headache caused by queueing for 45 minutes in the rain, get the cash out before you leave home.
Sunshine on a Rainy Day
If you're reading this, the likelyhood is you live in the UK (though a big hello to my friends overseas!). I don't need to tell you about the UK weather in autumn, when a lot of food festivals happen. Take a brolly or a waterproof coat. Like Glasto, wellies are great for foodies too and make splashing across muddy fields oh so satisfying.
Sartorial Savvy
As I've mentioned, wellies are great for splashing about in rainy Welsh towns. Whatever you choose to wear I'd make it comfortable. From cobbled streets to busy indoor markets, the last thing you want is to be too hot/cold/damp to enjoy yourself. As for accessories, take your canvas shoppers with you to cart your purchases home. I never leave home without a rucksack and the sheer relief of not dealing with hundreds of little plastic bags is immeasurable.
Know Your Producer
We've all done it, arrived at a festival, snaffled something amazing and then can't remember what the heck it was or where to get more of it from! Smart producers will often have fliers advertising their wares and directing you towards a website/twitter feed for future sales. Grab these as they will help you keep track of your favourite purchases.
Headliners and Head Turners
If there are masterclasses or talks available, try and go to a few. Hearing people talk passionately about food is a great joy so go take a tasting class, try your hand at foraging or just watch someone cook their signature recipe. This is food for the mind as well as the body. That said, don't think the whole festival is about the talks - just the same as music festivals don't revolve around the headliners, food festivals are about more than just TV chefs. Many have great free events with lesser known speakers so don't be afraid to get lost in the day and just enjoy yourself.
Get Online
Many festivals now have their own Twitter and Facebook pages so get connected, follow the hashtags and watch out for secret events and giveaways. It's a quick and easy way of finding out the best places to be on the festival site and perhaps being part of something a little bit exciting.
Never say I don't do anything for you.
The Most Important Meal
This might sound stupid, but remember to eat something before going to a food festival. "Why?" I hear you ask, "I'll be surrounded by food!". Exactly. Walk in there with an empty stomach and you are going to go into sensory overload. You'll start panic-buying expensive cakes and before you know it you'll also have eaten most of them, leaving nothing to take home. Do yourself a favour, save yourself a sugar crash and eat something before you arrive
Kerching!
Unless you're going to a city-based event, most of the time you will be in a small town in the middle of nowhere or worse, a field in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Very few vendors have credit card facilities and those that do will probably have experienced it crashing quite a lot in the space of a weekend. Any cash points will quickly run out of notes as the queues build up. Get savvy and avoid a headache caused by queueing for 45 minutes in the rain, get the cash out before you leave home.
Sunshine on a Rainy Day
If you're reading this, the likelyhood is you live in the UK (though a big hello to my friends overseas!). I don't need to tell you about the UK weather in autumn, when a lot of food festivals happen. Take a brolly or a waterproof coat. Like Glasto, wellies are great for foodies too and make splashing across muddy fields oh so satisfying.
Sartorial Savvy
As I've mentioned, wellies are great for splashing about in rainy Welsh towns. Whatever you choose to wear I'd make it comfortable. From cobbled streets to busy indoor markets, the last thing you want is to be too hot/cold/damp to enjoy yourself. As for accessories, take your canvas shoppers with you to cart your purchases home. I never leave home without a rucksack and the sheer relief of not dealing with hundreds of little plastic bags is immeasurable.
Know Your Producer
We've all done it, arrived at a festival, snaffled something amazing and then can't remember what the heck it was or where to get more of it from! Smart producers will often have fliers advertising their wares and directing you towards a website/twitter feed for future sales. Grab these as they will help you keep track of your favourite purchases.
Headliners and Head Turners
If there are masterclasses or talks available, try and go to a few. Hearing people talk passionately about food is a great joy so go take a tasting class, try your hand at foraging or just watch someone cook their signature recipe. This is food for the mind as well as the body. That said, don't think the whole festival is about the talks - just the same as music festivals don't revolve around the headliners, food festivals are about more than just TV chefs. Many have great free events with lesser known speakers so don't be afraid to get lost in the day and just enjoy yourself.
Get Online
Many festivals now have their own Twitter and Facebook pages so get connected, follow the hashtags and watch out for secret events and giveaways. It's a quick and easy way of finding out the best places to be on the festival site and perhaps being part of something a little bit exciting.
Comments
We've all done it. I'm certainly guilty of hitting the booze tent a little too early and still can't even think about Brecon Vodka without going a bit queasy!