5 Reasons to Visit The Stone Food & Drink Festival

Friday 4^th, Saturday 5^th & Sunday 6^th October will see Stone’s Westbridge Park transformed into a foodie haven, as the 15^th annual Stone Food & Drink Festival opens its gates.

Kindly supported by Joule’s Brewery, the festival invites foodies to ‘eat, drink, shop, learn and enjoy’ – we take a look at how visitors can make the most of each of these experiences…

Eat…

With a host of street food stalls offering global flavours, foodies really will be spoilt for choice.

Will you choose Mexican, Indian, Thai, Afro-Caribbean, fusion – or opt for a classic burger, hog roast or rack of ribs?

The choice is huge and this literally just scratches the surface.

For those with a sweet tooth, you’ll find stalls selling all manner of delicious cakes, bakes and sweets.

Be prepared to indulge!

Drink…

Stone has a long history as a brewery town, something the festival is keen to celebrate.

This year the ‘beer garden’ area will gather no less than eight local breweries – including Joule’s, Titanic, Lymestone, Slater’s, Weal Ales, Freedom, Peakstones Rock and the Isaak Walton Brewhouse.

Artisan cider producers Gillow, Gwatkin and Hurst View will also be in attendance, while both Roo’s Bar and Ten Green Bottles will have pop-up bars selling a great range of drinks and Just Perfect Wines will be selling fizz by the glass.

For gin lovers, however, the team behind The Borehole are creating something truly special – an ‘Around the World in 60 Gins’ bar; offering the chance to try unique and rare gins alongside some old favourites.

Those abstaining will find a great range of soft options – including mocktails an a range of teas and barista-style coffees.

Shop…

With a strong contingent of Staffordshire exhibitors rubbing shoulders with traders who’ve travelled from far and wide to attend, the festival is a real red-letter event for food & drink shopping.

The perfect place to kick-start your Christmas shopping – or just pick up treats for yourself!

You’ll find a range of artisan produce and ingredients – from cured meats and cheese to pies, pastries, sauces, marinades – and a whole lot more – alongside gifts and kitchenware.

Learn…

For foodies looking to hone their skills, the festival offers ample opportunity.

In the Lexus Stoke Demonstration Kitchen, top local chefs give live cookery demonstrations on the hour, every hour.

Among this year’s line-up is local girl Rosanna Moseley who, since her last appearance on the festival stage back in 2012, has risen through the ranks at Michelin-starred Adam’s in Birmingham.

Other opportunities to increase foodie knowledge come in a packed programme for the Talks & Tastings tent, where passionate producers wax lyrical, and through the opportunity to sign up for hands-on Culinary Masterclasses.

There are free kids’ cookery classes available on Saturday and Sunday, too.

Enjoy!

The festival is as much about having fun as it is the serious side of food & drink.

The weekend features a great line-up of live bands; Friday’s acts include Blarney Stone and CID, while on Saturday The Black Rats, Stone Cold Sober(ish) and The Hairy Eyeball will entertain the crowds.

Sunday’s line-up, meanwhile, features Soul Tattoo, Catalyst and The Lack of Commitments.

There’s plenty on offer for families, too - on festival Saturday and Sunday families there are free circus skills masterclasses and big top shows courtesy of Panic Family Circus, alongside pay as you go crazy golf, face painting and craft activities.

Plan your visit…

The 2019 Stone Food & Drink Festival will take place on Friday 4, Saturday 5 & Sunday 6 October on Westbridge Park in Stone.

Gate prices are £7pp (day ticket) and £15pp (3 day pass); accompanied under-16s get in free and a Park & Ride service will operate from Aston Marina – head to www.stonefooddrink.org.uk for more information and to buy advance discount tickets.

Thank you to the Stone Food & Drink Festival's Charlotte Eglington for supplying this blog.