It’s the big Stone Food and Drink Festival weekend on Friday 3rd, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October. There is so much going on right across the town for the 10th anniversary event, but here’s a flavour of what to expect.
For a full programme, make sure you have a look at the Stone Food and Drink Festival website. You can also get the latest updates at the Stone Food and Drink Festival Facebook page and Twitter.
Festival farmers’ market
Don’t just head straight for Westbridge Park over the weekend – make sure you head into the town centre for the legendary festival farmers’ market, which is being held on the Friday and Saturday. Stone’s monthly farmers’ market on the first Saturday of every month (except January) is one of the best around, but things are taken to another level for festival weekend!
Great offers from Stone businesses
Many of Stone’s brilliant independent businesses have special offers over the festival weekend, so make sure you check them out. Full details are on the Food & Drink Festival website
Open day at the boatyard
On Saturday, you can visit Stone’s unique working boatyard at Canal Cruising Company just off the Crown Street ring road. Inspect the workshops and the oldest dry dock on the canal network. If you book on Saturday, you’ll get 10% off any short-break holiday or day cruise.
The wonders of Westbridge Park
The big weekend at Westbridge Park is the festival’s vibrant heart, where you can eat, drink and shop to your heart’s content! Around 100 exhibitors from far and wide will be in the Gourmet Marquee, with local food heroes celebrated in the adjoining Taste of Staffordshire Marquee.
See professional chefs cooking up a storm
Westbridge Park’s demonstration kitchen will once again showcase the cream of Staffordshire’s culinary talent, with demonstrations throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Richard Cullen, head chef at Stone’s Michelin Guide-listed Cullens, will take to the stage at 1.30pm on Saturday and 1.30pm on Sunday. At last year’s festival, Richard and wife Kara were just about to open Cullens and, just 12 months on, their restaurant is firmly established as one of the county’s finest, with a listing in the prestigious 2015 Michelin Guide now in the bag.
Other highlights include Bruce Mackie, head chef at Moddershall Oaks (Saturday, 3pm); Aston Marina head chef Michael Mannings (Sunday, 4.30pm); and Paul Gilmore from Restaurant Gilmore (Saturday and Sunday at 12.30pm).
Talks and Tastings Tent
This tent made its debut in 2012 and is now a firm favourite as some top food and drink producers take to the stage to share their passion – and their produce!
Lymestone Brewery head brewer Ian ‘Brad’ Bradford will be appearing on each day of the festival weekend (Friday, 4pm; Saturday, 2pm; Sunday, 1pm) to talk about bringing brewing back to Stone. He’ll also share his insight into the raw ingredients of his trade, as well as telling the story of Lymestone’s Abdominal Stoneman.
Other highlights include Andrew Wilson from Old School Wines, James Gillespie from Touchstone Wines, Anthony Key from Hollywood Cottage Goat Meat, Vicki Slater from Slater’s Ales, Amarpal Harrar of iCookIndian and Julia Phillips from Just Perfect Wines.
Something for the kids
Accompanied under-16s get in free of charge, and there’ll be lots to keep them entertained. Free cookery sessions from Kiddy Cook North Staffs will run throughout Saturday and Sunday in the Little Foodies Zone, and there will be a Treasure Trail from Treasure Trails Staffordshire and fairground rides.
The children’s cookery timetable is:
- 10.30am – Spanish nachos and salsa
- 11.45am – Moroccan tabouleh
- 1pm – Tuscan lunch
- 2.15pm – Vietnamese spring rolls
- 3.30pm – Japanese noodle soup
Simply turn up at the Little Foodies tent and put your child’s name down for your preferred session. But do it as soon as you arrive – places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
You can’t beat a good cuppa…
A pop-up tea room will be on Westbridge Park for the first time this year. ‘Goose on the Loose’ will be serving teas and cakes, as well as delicious light lunches and salads. There’s no need to book, just turn up.
The Lewis Partnership’s pop-up restaurant
Advance booking is recommended if you want to enjoy a meal in the pop-up restaurant, which is back again this year after a phenomenal debut in 2013. Call 01785 712217 to check availability.
Fancy a cocktail?
Next to the pop-up restaurant again will be Old School Wines’ 40ft-long cocktail and Champagne bar, a great place to unwind and enjoy a drink. There will be live music too.
The Titanic Brewery real ale tent
A huge range of Staffordshire brewers will be out in force at the festival, Westbridge Park’s bustling beer tent is the place to enjoy a real ale or two while being entertained by some great local bands. Stone’s ‘Fire and Slice’ will also be serving up some of their delicious wood-fired pizzas in the Titanic tent this year.
The festival at Westbridge Park will be open on Friday from 12pm to 7pm, and from 10am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday. Entry is £6 per person per day, or £15 for a three-day pass (accompanied under-16s are free). Enjoy Staffordshire card holders get two-for-one entry.
Park and Ride
Aston Marina, just a short distance from Westbridge Park and the town centre, is again hosting the festival park and ride. Festival organisers strongly recommend that all visitors arriving by car use this quick and simple way to get to the festival site. Aston Marina is located on the southern outskirts of town on the A51 – follow the signs from all the major roads into Stone.
A return shuttle bus ticket is £2 – or if you fancy a more leisurely journey to Westbridge Park, it’s £5 for a return trip by narrowboat (call 01785 819702 to check availability for that).
Have a wonderful time at the 10th Stone Food and Drink Festival. We’ll have reporters and photographers on site throughout the weekend, so watch out for our coverage over the weekend and beyond. You can share photos with us on Twitter or Facebook – don’t forget to use the #stonefoodfest hashtag.
