Two weeks to go until Stone’s annual gastronomic gathering takes place at the town’s Westbridge Park – transforming it into a foodie haven over the weekend of Friday 15, Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 July.
Plans to redevelop Westbridge Park see this year’s Stone Food and Drink Festival move from its traditional October dates to mid-July.
Visitors can expect the mix of fantastic food, drink and entertainment that has seen the festival become a red-letter day of the foodie calendar – with a bumper number of food traders already booked to attend.
Eat
More street food traders than ever before are set to attend this year’s event, representing a diverse range of global flavours. From local delicacy the Staffordshire oatcake and traditional hog roasts through to Thai, Indian, Caribbean, Greek – and many more offerings – there’s sure to be something to tempt everyone’s tastebuds.
Learn
The festival is about far more than shopping and eating – it offers keen cooks the chance to pick up tips from top local chefs and learn the stories behind some of the artisan foods on offer. In the Granville’s of Stone Demonstration Kitchen talented chefs from some of Staffordshire’s most renowned eateries will take the stage, with a line-up that includes Allan Jones of A la Carte at Home, Matt Craen of The Dog & Doublet, Granville’s Tom Payne, Jake Lowndes of Little Seeds, Stuart Bruce from South Chase Golf Club, Amarpal Harrar of iCookIndian, Khris Renshaw from The Red Lion and Lee Lawson of No.26, Aston Marina.
The Joule’s Brewery Talks & Tastings Tent offers an equally packed programme – with sessions covering everything from wine and cheese tasting to beer, coffee, butchery skills and more besides.
Drink
Staffordshire breweries will once again be out in force in the ‘beer garden’ area, with artisan cider and mead also well represented. Gin, fizz and wine are also on offer, alongside several stalls selling Barista-style coffees, teas and hot chocolates. You can even ‘build your own’ milkshake in the Little Foodies’ Zone, with the Oulton First School PTFA serving up fresh milkshakes using milk kindly donated by Tixall’s Wright Family Dairy to raise funds for the school.
Shop
This year’s Gourmet Marquee has almost doubled in size from the 2021 festival and will see artisan food stalls from the Midlands and beyond sell everything from cheese to cakes, condiments, coffee, cured meats, sweet treats, liqueurs, jams, kitchenware and more. Whether looking to stock up on gourmet ingredients or are on the lookout for foodie gifts visitors will find plenty of inspiration, with lots of samples on offer, too!
Enjoy
Live music is a big part of the festival – with some great local bands lined up to entertain crowds on the Lexus Stoke Live Music Stage. Talented youngsters from the town’s Rooftop Studios Performing Arts Academy will showcase their skills, with bands set to perform over the weekend including The Dandy Lions, Lost the Plot, The House Jammerz, Stone Cold Sober(ish) and Cherry Groove.
Kids are also well catered for, with lots of family fun in the Little Foodies Zone. New this year is a farming theme, with Penkridge Farm Park PLAY@ Lower Drayton Farm bringing lots of fun activities alongside the chance to get up close to the farm’s massive combine harvester, meet friendly animals and learn all about the farm-to-fork journey. Face painting, mini crazy golf and fairground rides are also on offer.
Tickets for the festival, which will take place at Westbridge Park on Fri 15, Sat 16 & Sun 17 July are on sale now at www.stonefooddrink.org.uk
