Lovers of food, drink and folk culture are in for a treat at the Weald & Downland Living Museum’s Food & Folk Festival, at Singleton, near Chichester. Due to popular demand, this annual celebration of the south east’s finest produce, crafts and traditions has been extended to cover three days, beginning on Saturday 29 April and ending on Bank Holiday Monday 1 May.
Visitors can enjoy browsing and buying from over 70 local food, craft and trade stands. These feature dozens of fantastic food and drink producers from the region, including: confectionery, gin, beer and cider, ice cream, olives, jams and preserves, meat and fish, sausages and pies, condiments, and more. In addition to local producers, there will be a series of free talks and cooking demonstrations in the Cookery Theatre, plus traditional folk music, storytelling, dancing, rural craft demonstrations and much more.
In the Cookery Theatre
Watch free talks and demonstrations in the Cookery Theatre, with Master of Ceremonies Hilary Knight, of the Sussex Food Network. There is no need to book – all visitors to the show are welcome. Demonstrations will include: delicious local food, cheese and butter making, seasonal produce, chocolate production, historic brewing and much more. Kitchen demonstrators include Giles Thompson, Owner and Executive Chef of The Earl of March at Lavant and The Partridge, Sara Jayne Stanes, Chief Executive of the of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, and the author Hanna Sillitoe.
Activities around the Museum
Storyteller and musician, Ben Fairlight, tells stories that actively involve his audience, whatever their ages. Visitors are encouraged to sing along with the songs, so that everyone is part of each story as it unfolds. Whether folk myths, legends born of one place, or dubious yarns, he welcomes gibes, questions and ideas to feed into the living tales. The Pelican-in-her-Piety Living History Group will be letting visitors into the secrets of medieval life. Children can make May Day headdresses, have a go at milking ‘Daisy’, the replica cow, and take part in hands-on sessions in the Fun Food Academy’s Children’s Cookery School.
There will be seasonal cooking demonstrations in the Museum’s Winkhurst Tudor Kitchen, visitors can find out about food in the Victorian period in Whittaker’s Cottages and learn about how the house from Walderton was used as a victualing house (a private house, where travellers could stop to eat and drink).
Evening Folk Concert
On the evening of Sunday 30 April, Food & Folk Festival visitors can book discounted tickets* to enjoy an evening of folk music performances. Jim Moray, Hatful of Rain, Mark T, Gitta de Ridder and Revel Weird and Wild will perform on an outdoor stage as the sun sets at the Museum’s beautiful 40-acre site. Food and hot beverages will be available to buy throughout the concert including O’Hagan’s Sausages, Ollie Dawson’s Fish! and waffles. Plus there will be hots and cold drinks, and a bar. Under 16s are welcome when accompanied by an adult. Doors open 6.30pm and the concert will begin at 7pm and end at 10.30pm. Tickets are £20 each (* receive a 25% discount when booked with Food & Folk Festival day tickets) and are available to book via the Museum’s website www.wealddown.co.uk/shop.
Information for visitors
The Food & Folk Festival will take place from Saturday 29 April to Monday 1 May, opening at 10.30am and closing at 5.00pm daily. Regular admission prices apply and include entry to both the show and Museum. In addition to food vendors, the Museum’s café kiosk will be open and there are outdoor picnic areas. Dogs on leads are welcome and there is ample free parking in the overflow car park fields. Visitors with disabilities are advised to contact the Museum in advance of their visit to discuss the easiest way to access the site. For further information call 01243 81363, email office@wealddown.co.uk or see www.wealddown.co.uk.