Stone marked 20 years of foodie fun in style, with record crowds and a line-up of live music, hands-on challenges and headline appearances from Bake Off stars.
The much-loved event ran from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th May and brought record crowds to the riverside site, with organisers confirming over 7,000 attendees across the three days. With a fresh team behind the scenes, this year’s festival introduced a new layout and programme that proved a big hit with families, foodies and festival-goers alike.
Bake Off stars steal the show
The Culinary Showcase drew big crowds throughout the weekend, with familiar faces from The Great British Bake Off headlining each day. Sumayah Kazi, a 2024 contestant, made her first ever public appearance on Friday.
Saturday saw 2023 winner Matty Edgell bring smiles to the demo stage, and on Sunday, fan favourite Nelly Ghaffar joined the action.
They were joined by some of Staffordshire’s best chefs, who entertained and inspired with live cooking demonstrations – all in front of packed audiences.
Hands-on fun at the new Competition Stage
A new feature for this anniversary year was the Competition Stage, which delivered plenty of laughs and friendly rivalry. In partnership with Stone Traders’ Group, a wide mix of activities ran throughout the weekend – from biscuit dunking and CPR demonstrations to hanging basket design, coffee art, cake decorating and even a marshmallow spaghetti tower challenge.
On Sunday, the stage hosted the grand final of the first-ever Great Stone Bake Off. After judging the daily heats, GBBO’s Nelly Ghaffar crowned Dawn Hughes the overall Star Baker for her showstopping strawberry sponge.
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Music, DJs and a space to relax
Live music added to the festival atmosphere with sets from The Formula, House Jammerz, Jonny Allen, The Unlawful Men, Sonic Boom, Kenyon Walker, Guitar Monkey and The Voice Box Music. Talented performers from Rooftop Studios also took to the stage, while Granville’s Chill Out tent made its debut, offering a more laid-back space to enjoy DJ sets and guest mixes across the weekend.
A bigger family zone packed with activities
The family zone was expanded for 2025 and proved a real crowd-pleaser. Children’s discos ran each day, alongside popular circus shows and workshops hosted by the Panic Family Circus. Free cookery classes for kids were available on Saturday and Sunday, and little ones could meet friendly animals, enjoy the funfair, and explore all sorts of hands-on activities.
Food, drink and something for everyone
Of course, no food festival is complete without the main event – and the food and drink offering didn’t disappoint. Visitors explored the Gourmet Shopping Village and chose from over 40 street food vendors and pop-up bars dotted across the site, with everything from sweet treats to global flavours and local favourites on the menu.
Looking ahead to 2026
Festival director Ed Stant said:
“Wow. What a weekend! Our aim this year was to freshen things up with a new layout and programme to attract both regular visitors and a new generation of young families – and it couldn’t have gone better!
“The feedback has been amazing from vendors and visitors alike, and there was a great atmosphere on site – helped along by the brilliant weather we enjoyed. We attracted a bumper crowd and we’re absolutely buzzing, with lots of ideas to put into practice for next year’s event.
“It was fantastic to have so many local businesses involved on site this year; both running challenges on the Competition Stage and having stalls in the Home & Garden Marquee. Next year we want to work even more closely with the High Street to have a full programme of events in the week running up to the big weekend.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the visitors who joined us to make this such a great event, to all the traders, suppliers and sponsors who helped make it happen – and especially to our amazing team of volunteers, without whom the show simply couldn’t go on.”
Planning is already under way for the 2026 festival, which will once again take place at Westbridge Park in early May.
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