Journalist Sarah Hardy, committee member of the North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival, gives an insight into her experience at this year’s festival and also shares the post-festival press release.
I’m a committee member for the North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival, an annual event at Holkham. I help with the publicity and here’s my wrap up release sent to both local and national media outlets. It also gives people an early diary date for next year! You have to seize these opportunities.
I also helped organise the Arthur Howell Cookery Theatre which saw 13 acts, a mixture of chefs and local producers, talk about their work and also prepare dishes over the two day event. I was pretty pleased with how it went – all the acts turned up and were on time!
Hospitality is in a tough place at the moment with staff shortages so it was great of them to spare the time. The audiences were good, with standing room only on occasions, and I learnt a lot.
We’ve already thought what we might improve on next year… a decent bin in the field kitchen for a start!
Andy Newman was the host and he did a brilliant job so I hope he’ll return next year. He has a lovely way with people, asking some good questions but also putting all the various acts at ease.
All in all, a good couple of days and I loved being out and about, catching up with producers, chefs and keen foodies. And I even managed a bit of shopping too including a rye bread fromBread Source which we literally demolished at home!
We are starting to get Sarah Hardy Media out there and I handed out a few new business cards and explained my plans to key contacts .. all good work … in between the washing up!
Press Release
The 12th annual North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival welcomed more than 10,000 foodies to the free two-day event this weekend.Holkham’s Walled Garden was the setting for the festival, run by volunteers with Norwich-based Kettle Foods as the headline sponsor, which saw more than 50 artisan producers sell everything from rye bread to fresh fruit, real ales, apple juice, popcorn, chutneys and more, all of which is produced, grown, reared and sold in North Norfolk. Producers taking part included Essence Foods (jams, mustards), Black Shuck Gin, Bread Source, Moongazer Ales, Sandringham Apple Juice and Norton’s Dairy.
Glenn Sealey from Yare Valley Oils said: ‘Well, it’s just brilliant! I’ve been coming for 10 years and it is so great to see both new names and some old friends here.’
The annual Kettle Foods Mentorship award of £1000 was won by Marietta Hickman, whose new company is Fakenham-based Cheeky Nibble which produces four different flavours of vegan, nut free granola. Judges commented on her clear vision, solid start up plan and realistic future ambitions.
The Arthur Howell Cookery Theatre, hosted by Andy Newman, saw demos from leading local chefs and producers such as Edward Barker from The Hoste Arms at Burnham Market, Dale Smith from the Dabbling Duck at Great Massingham, near Fakenham,Michael Chamberlain from The Victoria, Sam Bagge from Walsingham Farms Shop and Michelle Ward from Two Magpies Bakery, cooking up dishes such as lobster risotto, macarons, saddle of rabbit and a chocolate cake made with mustard.
Festival goers tucked into pop up concessions including wood fired pizzas, hog roasts, fresh lemonade, milkshakes and the bar was very busy, with cocktails proving popular.Festival chair Martin Billing was delighted with how the event went, saying: ‘After everything we have been through over the last 18 months, it was so nice to see people enjoying themselves, and we must thank our main sponsors, Kettle Foods, Arthur Howell and Holkham for allowing us to use the Walled Garden.’
The festival is scheduled to take place at Holkham next year, on September 3 and 4, 2022.
Visit the North Norfolk Food and Drink Festival Website: www.northnorfolkfoodfestival.co.uk