Month: October 2023

Michelin Star chefs will be among the highlights of this year’s two-day Food Festival when it returns to Stratford-upon-Avon later this month.

Glynn Purnell and Tom Shepherd will be showcasing their culinary talents in a series of free demonstrations in the cookery kitchen across the festival weekend, which will include 130 artisan stalls.

Tom Shepherd, a previous Great British Menu winner on the BBC, will feature on Saturday, 28^th. He is also the name behind Staffordshire’s only Michelin star restaurant, Upstairs, in Lichfield.

Chef and restaurateur Glynn Purnell takes over the stage on Sunday, 29^th. His restaurant portfolio includes The Mount in Henley-in-Arden as well as Purnell’s Bistro in Birmingham and Charterhouse, which opened in Coventry this year.

Local businesses will also be taking to the stage, including Shakespeare Distillery with a cocktail making demonstration. There’s even the chance to gets hands on with mixology yourself on board the new Gin Company Cocktail Tours Bus.

The diverse range of stalls, all representing regional producers, includes everything from cheeses, freshly baked goods and artisanal oils, to mouthwatering sweet treats, jams and preserves and gourmet beverages. And the festival’s street food traders will whet appetites with an array of global cuisine on offer.

A host of free entertainment available on both days includes face painting, balloon modelling, musicians, stilt walker, and living statues and comedy waiters, who are set to entertain shoppers with a hysterical combination of silent sketches, slapstick and dance.

The event is a partnership between Stratford-upon-Avon BID and LSD Promotions, working together to deliver a high-profile event for the town centre.

Stratford-upon-Avon BID (Business Improvement District) is 100% funded by local businesses and is organising and funding the two-day Food Festival and the town’s Christmas lights switch on event. It will go to ballot during February 2024 and local businesses will determine whether the BID continues for a further five-year term.

A spokesperson for LSD said: “The Stratford Food Festival is not just about food; it’s about celebrating the vibrant community and the diverse flavours and culinary talents that define our region. Families, friends, and food connoisseurs of all ages are invited to share in this extraordinary weekend.”

Rich Jones, Chair of the Board at Stratford BID, said: “The BID is delighted that we’ve overcome recent problems to ensure this fantastic event goes ahead and we look forward to welcoming visitors to come along and enjoy the wide range of shopping and experiences on offer.”

The Food Festival runs between 10am and 6pm on Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday on Henley Street and Bridge Street.

TV host Alison Hammond was among the good sports who turned out to lend their support to a Family Fun Day in aid of Warwick children’s charity Molly Ollys.

The event, organised and hosted by Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club in Solihull, raised more than £2,500 and was attended by more than 200 people. Many competed in a parents and kids cricket competition as well as sack and egg and spoon races. Other fun children’s activities included face painting and bouncy castles.

Hammond, the well-known Brummie co-host of the BBC’s Great British Bake Off and ITV’s This Morning, proved a big hit with visitors and helped keep spirits high when the weather suddenly turned bad.

Rachel Ollerenshaw, founder of Molly Ollys, said: “Alison popped in to draw the raffle which coincided with rain but many people wanted to stay and brave the rain to have their photo with Alison and take time to hear me talk about the charity.

“She was lovely, she was just like she is on TV, full on energy, bubbly and funny. She drew the raffle in the pouring rain and managed to pick out her own ticket which was quite funny. She just generally made the occasion a bit of a laugh with her quips and comments.”

She added: “ Knowle and Dorridge Cricket Club is a great club and they have supported Molly Ollys in a variety of ways over the years. We are very grateful to all the organisers, the food vendors who donated some of their takings on the day and to everyone who attended and made it a genuinely, really fun-packed day. The day raised a tremendous amount as well as greater awareness of our work. It was also a great showcase for the newly refurbished club house. Thank you to everyone involved.”

Molly Ollys was established following the death of Rachel and Tim Ollerenshaw’s eight-year-old daughter Molly from a rare kidney cancer and marked its tenth anniversary last year.

The charity supports children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. It helps with emotional support and donates wishes, therapeutic toys and books to children directly and through hospitals across the UK.

Since Molly Ollys started more than £4 million has been raised to emotionally support children across the UK. Anyone wishing to donate can do so here

ABOUT MOLLY OLLYS:

 Molly Ollys was set up following the experiences of Molly over the five years she received treatment for kidney cancer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Between 2017 and 2020, the charity funded Birmingham’s first paediatric palliative consultant as there was no such consultant for the region. That position has now become permanent and is currently funded through the NHS.

The charity works alongside the NHS to support projects within the hospitals and the community. One key project was the creation and refurbishment of Magnolia House at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. This is a safe and non-clinical space where medical teams and families can have important discussions.

The charity is well-known for its therapeutic toy lion, Olly The Brave, which has its own Hickman line and a detachable mane. The soft toy helps to explain and normalise the effects of chemotherapy. These form part of an Olly The Brave pack which includes a six-part book series. For more info, please visit here