A Fantastic Success

Posted 5 months ago

 

“All of these villages are coloured with this wonderful food and drink festival. A whole community here is coming to the Festival, celebrating; connecting with food and just having fun”.

Raymond Blanc – Celebrity guest.

The Thame Food Festival held on Saturday 24^th September was a staggering success. In the words of the BBC’s Brennan Nicholls “There was a vast array of food and drink on display”.

In its 4^th year the Festival is growing and growing with nearly twice as many exhibitors on show this year and amazing support from thousands of local people and visitors from afar. Crowds were huge and the town centre was full to capacity.

Festival Patron Lotte Duncan sold over 700 cakes at her stall as well as hosting a great cooking demo in the main kitchen area and appearing at the Aga shop. “What a day! I was asleep within minutes of getting home!”

Celebrity guest chefs in the main demo kitchen in Montesson Square included Mark Peregrine and Adam Johnson from Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Steve Love and Ian Craddock from head sponsors McCormick Schwartz, Giancarlo & Katie Caldesi, Matt Thackwray and Liz Panter from Cavendish Events, Lotte Duncan, Nigel Rumsey of Rumsey’s Chocolaterie and Cornfield Bakery.

Local resident Shirley Edwards won the Thame Tart competition judged by Lotte Duncan.

Headline sponsors McCormick Schwartz shared the demo kitchen area handing out free goodie bags and presenting a fabulous hamper for the raffle.

Stallholdersincluded The Chiltern Brewery, Tims Dairy, Daws Hill Vineyard, Merchants of Vino, Le Manoir, Chiltern Natural Foods, I’m Japanese, The Six Bells, What’s Cooking, Mortimer Chocolate, Cavendish Events, Chillis 2 U, Anne’s Kitchen, Time Out Café, Springhill Farm, Oxford Cheese Co., Good Biscuit Co., Bucksum, Cherry Tree Preserves, The Granary Deli, CoolberryCafe, Jack and Glide FM, 2Pound Street and Sandy Lane Farm.

Raffle winners were Sheila Hoffman who won the McCormick hamper; Christine Austin-Crowe who won the day's cookery course at The Raymond Blanc Cookery School; Julie Ewing who won the Fortnum & Mason hamper donated by Harrison Catering and Patricia Newbury who wins dinner for 8 at one of the David Wilson Homes in Windmill Place. 

“It was a wonderful day. Everyone had smiles on their faces and were obviously thoroughly enjoying themselves” Yvonne Maxwell, festival director of TAL.

“People turned out in droves. It was phenomenal” Sally Dorling of Marketing Foods.

“Thanks for inviting me. I had a great show” Daws Hill Vineyard.

“Bet you can’t believe it. It must be twice last year” David Newman Bucksum.

A huge ‘THANK YOU’goes out to all our sponsors, partners, supporters and helpers – too numerous to mention here I’m afraid. This was a fantastic example of the power of positive energy.

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