The Great British Food Festival - Arley Hall

The Great British Food Festival Arley Hall is arriving in West Cheshire this September for a delightful family festival full of food and fun

On the 23rd and 24th of September 2023, Arley Hall will be host to the Great British Food Festival!

Feast your eyes on a family day out that has something for everyone, from food, to live music, kids activities and even something for the dogs! There really are so many things to do in Arley for this year's big food festival. 

Here's a sneak peak of some of the foodie fun going on at Arley Hall this year:

• Artisan Market: From chocolate to chutney and cheese to chili sauce, there's a huge selection of tasty treats that's bound to prove a terrific time for your tastebuds. Shop in the cooling breeze of open air as you hop from stall to stall, exploring a never-ending line of fab foods of all kinds! 
  
  
• Street food: A massive mix of vendors will be setting up shop at the Great British Food Festival. Whether its tacos, pastas, burgers, hot dogs or curries that you're looking for, you won't be disappointed tasting the festival's super street food. There are local dishes to treats from abroad, including gluten-free, nut-free, vegetarian and vegan options for all. Every trader is rated a 5-Star hygiene rating!
   
• Men v Food: Fierce foodie competitions that decide who can munch the most will be taking place throughout the day. Whether you're taking part or just watching, these scrumptious showdowns prove to be wildly entertaining! Here's the schedule: 
  - 11:30am: Men v Treat: Teams of two take on the yummy dessert-based challenge
  - 12:00pm: Men v Cheese: Become the cheddar champion of the Great British Cheese-Off
  - 12:30pm: Men v Meat: Competitors eat as much sausage as they can in 6 minutes and 6 seconds
  - 2:30pm: Men v Heat: Work your way from jalapeños to the world's hottest chillis. Hot, hot, hot!
  - 3:30pm: Men v Gin: Who can conquer the most gins? Only one can win!
  
  
• Cake-Off: Over 800 cakes will be judged and tasted in a colossal cake-baking competition. Once the judging is over, the entries are open to be sampled by the attendees. What a tasty day! Judging begins at 1:30pm. 
  
  
• Chef Demos: Chefs from all over will be giving cooking demonstrations on their favourite meals so you can learn the ways of becoming a master chef too! A full chef line-up will be revealed closer to the day of the festival, so keep your eyes peeled! 
  
  
• BBQ Stage: Join BBQ Ben for a master-class in the art of the grill! Head to the BBQ stage over the course of the weekend so you can learn to be a barbie king or queen too! Here's the schedule: 
  - 10:30am: Australian BBQ 
  - 11:30am: Fish is the Dish BBQ
  - 1:00pm: The Big BBQ Battle
  - 2:00pm: Korean Gogi-Gui BBQ
  - 3:00pm: BBQ after-party
   
• Bake Stage: Baking professionals Sandy Docherty and Phil Thorne will be in attendance at the Great British Food Festival, showing off all of their fabulous recipes and top baking tips.
   
• Bars: Where there's great food, there also has to be great drinks and the Great British Food Festival has you covered! Find a selection of beers, lagers, ciders, ales, wines, whiskeys cocktails, gins and more at one of the site's many bars. There's also a non-alcoholic selection too. 
  
  
• Kids Cookery: Little ones are in for a treat when they learn how to cook some new recipes at the kids cookery. For 30-40 minutes, your kids can cook up some Rocky Road Truffles or Peppermint & Orange Pebbles which they can take home and eat!
• Adult Cookery: Join the Vegetarian Society Cookery School for a masterclass in how to make a delicious vegan taco. Cook in pairs to produce a meal each which you can then take away and eat!

But that's not all! Here's some other things to do at Great British Food Festival in Arley Hall this year: 

• Live Music: From 10am to 5pm, a wide range of musicians will be taking to the stage to provide the sounds to your food-tastic day. Sit back and enjoy a tasty meal and a drink while taking in the amazing music that surrounds the site. Full list of performers to be confirmed soon! 
  
  
• Kids Activities: There's so many things to do for kids on their day out at the Great British Food Festival. Join the Party Workshops Family Circus where you can try juggling, plate-spinning, unicycling, acrobatics and more. Kids can also embark on a treasure hunt throughout the event, so keep your eyes peeled and unscramble the code to win some treasure! Make the most of your kids' visit with a bouncy castle, fairground rides and trampolines to keep kids entertained while you relax with a snack or drink. 
  
  
• Mini Zoo: Bryan Paterson's Wildlife Displays will be heading to the Great British Food Festival, bringing his animals with him and giving youngsters the opportunity to interact with the many amazing animals. His animals include meerkats, hedgehogs, micro-pigs, pygmy goats, rabbits, guinea pigs, snakes, spiders, insects and a range of birds of prey. 
   
• Foraging Walks: Embark on a guided walk from the site and go on a forage for a variety of plants that are edible, medicinal or which can even be used for cosmetic purposes. The path is an easy stroll and is pushchair and wheelchair friendly. The walks last around 45 minutes to an hour and start at 10:00am, 11:15am, 12:30pm, 2:00pm and 3:15pm each day.
   
• Crafts & Gifts: The Creative Crafts Association will be trading their many arts and crafts at the Great British Food Festival. Get your hands on a wide range of textiles, ceramics, handmade cards, soft toys, collectables, handmade candles, bath bombs and soaps, photographic art, confectionery, hand painted glass, jewellery, ladies clothes, paintings, wood crafts, fashion accessories and lots, lots more!
  
  
• Dog-friendly: Dogs will love exploring the Great British Food Festival. No need to leave your dog back home, bring them along on a short lead and keep an eye out for the dog-friendly food stalls so your pups can enjoy some treaties too! 

There's so much to get up to at the Great British Food Festival in Cheshire! So head on down to Arley for a weekend of guaranteed smiles on faces and full bellies for the whole family. 

The Great British Food Festival takes place in Arley Hall, Cheshire from Saturday the 23rd of September to Sunday the 24th of September 2023.