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Another banquet is being prepared for the Woking Food and Drink Festival 2018. A number of the events require booking in advance, so reserve your place at the table for these unmissable opportunities now, before it’s too late.
Women in Food
A brand new event provides the perfect starter course for the weekend on Friday 31 August at the WWF Living Planet Centre. Women in Food is a celebratory festival breakfast featuring a keynote speech and private book signing with Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella. There will also be a panel of female chefs including Liana Fricker, founder of the Inspiration Space, Lorna Nanda Gangotra, owner of The Little Indian Kitchen and winner of BBC2’s ‘The Big Family Cooking Showdown 2017’, Jessica Vella-Templeton, founder of Breakfast by Bella and Daniella Webber, owner of Ripe and Nine.
Cocktail and wine tasting master classes
Wine and spirit connoisseurs can prepare to be shaken and stirred during a series of Cocktail and Wine Masterclass from Bacaro wine bar and Cellar Magneval. Taking place on Friday 31 August and Saturday 1 September, at Bacaro, Italian wine tasting and food pairing masterclasses will give guests the chance to enjoy a welcome glass of Prosecco, followed by five Italian wines paired with Italian food, freshly prepared by their in-house chef. There's no need to buy lots of cocktail equipment, Cellar Magneval's knowledgeable staff will demonstrate how to make and create cocktails with utensils from your own kitchen. These masterclasses include three cocktail demonstrations, plus a few other special surprises! Cocktail master classes will take place on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 September. Ticket prices include a cocktail and kit for you to take home. Pol Roger
Champagne dinner
On Friday 31 August festival-goers looking for a refined evening out can reserve their space at the Pol Roger Champagne Dinner hosted by Pol Roger and Seasons Café and Kitchen at The Lightbox. The table is set for an exclusive evening of fine dining and tasting of some of the world’s finest Champagnes. Cassidy Dart, Director of Wine at Pol Roger Champagne House, and one of only 370 Masters of Wine worldwide, will present and talk guests through a handpicked selection of six Champagnes and one red wine. Award-winning head chef, Neil Tompkins, who developed his passion for British food at Rules of Covent Garden in London and more recently as head chef at Sands Restaurant, has designed a four-course menu for the evening that perfectly complements Cassidy’s choice of wines.
Tante Marie Master Classes
Children and adults who are ready for some hands-on kitchen action can roll up their sleeves and learn the tricks of the trade from the experts thanks to sponsors Magimix and Tante Marie Culinary Academy. Adults will be let into the secrets of Tante Marie's famous sausage rolls and chocolate brownies, and be able to take home their creations to share with all the family. Children aged seven to 13 can take part in Tante Marie’s 30 minute Kid’s Cookery Masterclass, running all weekend. They will be able to get stuck in to no-oven cooking, blending different combinations of dried fruits, nuts and chocolate to create scrummy little nutritious energy balls called “scrumbles”. All proceeds from ticket sales of Tante Marie events will go to Woking & Sam Beare Hospices.
Families can also get ready for out of this world family fun with The Gastronaut starring BBC’s Stefan Gates. This energetic, funny, amazing and explosive show, combines food science and is on at the Rhoda McGaw theatre on Saturday 1 September.
Claire Alexander-Brown, Principal of Tante Marie Culinary Academy, said: “Woking Food and Drink Festival is a huge deal now and as a result of this people’s standards have gone up and we all want to see locally produced, individual and creative food. Whether it be in a beautiful restaurant, a traditional local pub or from a mouth-watering food stall. This event brings all of us foodies together and it’s fantastic opportunity to swap ideas and get inspired.”
Cllr Colin Kemp, Woking Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Cultural and Community Development, said: “Woking Food and Drink Festival is one of the Borough’s most prestigious calendar events and attracts people from far and wide to soak up the best that Woking, the UK and the world have to offer in terms of cuisine. It is unrivalled in the local area for its scale and the range of free talks, demonstrations and events on offer, not to mention the special events and ticketed evenings hosted by local restaurants and venues.
“These bookable opportunities provide an ideal opportunity to socialise with friends and participate in a unique evening, or treat your family to something a fun and different.”
To secure your tickets for any of the events and get all the latest festival news and announcements, visit www.wokingfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk