Ludlow Food Festival

Inspiring the UK’s enthusiasm for spending sunny Saturdays strolling, sampling and salivating, Ludlow Food Festival has changed the face of the British foodie calendar. Spawning a renaissance in putting local produce on your plate, Ludlow was the first successful food festival in the UK, offering its inaugural cocktail-stick-speared cheese taster 20 years ago – so it stands to reason that the organisers have the formula for the perfect food festival down to a fine art. Every year, during the second week in September, Ludlow (on the England-Wales border) turns from sleepy to stimulating, attracting over 180 quality independent stallholders from the surrounding area, eager to offer you a taste of this and a slurp of that – everything has been made by producers from this lush and abundant part of the UK. Such superb food and drink brings with it a carnival vibe, which will have you praising one of life’s indisputable pleasures as you meander from Ludlow Castle and through the town, taking in the events at the Market Square and various other venues along the way. In addition to the numerous stalls offering the chance to try and buy, there will be demonstrations from top chefs like Steve Love and Alan Murchison and talks from those in the know – Marcus Bean for example – plus the chance to get your hands dirty and don an apron by taking part in various workshops. A food festival would be nothing without plenty to eat, so you’ll find vendors touting their hot and cold wares throughout the weekend. Other highlights include the Sausage Trail (£4.50 and held on Saturday), taking you to various butchers, allowing you to put your expert palate to work trying numerous types of sausage, watch the experts blind tasting, vote for the best and see the winners revealed. The Real Ale Trail (£6.50 on Saturday and Sunday during pub times, finishing 4pm on Sunday) is just for the grown-ups – at least 12 pubs plus tasters equals a fun-filled afternoon. With masterclasses, taset workshops, activities for the kids, a Sunday Specialist Food Market in Castle Square and lots, lots more, this is the festival that leads where others follow.

Event tags

Food Festival

West Midlands, Shropshire, Ludlow, Marches

Celebrity chefs, Masterclasses, Cookery demonstrations, Local produce, Food trail, Real ale, Children's activities

Disabled facilities

Wheelchair access, Disabled parking, Disabled toilets, Disabled access

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