London Food Festivals
Indulging in both sweet and savoury, these gastronomic events provide a treat for all palates and underline just why the capital is a foodie's heaven. Read on to discover the best food festivals in London.
Theo Randall, Angelica Bell and Aldo Zilli share creative cooking tips and culinary secrets.
Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, London, W14 8UX
Tube: Kensington (Olympia) Station
Dates: 21st - 25th November 2018
Returning to Olympia London for its second year, the Eat & Drink Festival brings together an exciting line-up of street food vendors, artisan food producers, top food brands and food experts from around the world. The Foodie Stage will see renowned chefs and experts from top restaurants cook up a storm, showcasing their skills with live demonstrations and sharing creative tips and culinary secrets. Chefs include Rosemary Shrager, Dean Edwards, Theo Randall, Angelica Bell and Aldo Zilli. Other event highlights include The Great Eat area, which will showcase the finest flavours in modern cuisine from across the world; the Drinks Station, where industry experts will teach you how to pair food with the right drinks; and Late Night Thursdays, when the country's top street food vendors will dish up meals to a soundtrack of live music from up and coming street musicians and artists. Visitors will also be able to take the experience home with them by purchasing goods from the Artisan Producers' Market. Visitors also get free entry to the Ideal Home Show, which takes place at Olympia London on the same dates.
Over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls, coffee food pairing, and latte art.
The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
Tube: Aldgate East Station
Dates: 23rd - 26th July 2020
The four day London Coffee Festival returns with coffee, cocktails, music and art all linked to the theme of coffee. The festival includes live roasting demonstrations, an espresso martini party, coffee food pairing, a milk bar, latte art and the school of chocolate. Across the Old Truman Brewery site over 250 artisan coffee and gourmet food stalls, tastings and demonstrations, interactive workshops, street food, coffee-based cocktails, live music, DJs and art exhibitions are staged, all centred on the caffeinated drink. Visitors also gain access to Milk & Sugar, showcasing some of London's cutting edge fashion, design, art, lifestyle and wellbeing brands.
This year's line-up includes Matt Tebutt and Michelin-starred chef Atul Kocchar.
Syon Park, Road, Brentford, London, TW8 8JF
Tube: Richmond Station
Dates: 23rd - 25th May 2020
The Foodies Festival returns to Syon Park this spring bringing Bake Off finalists and famous chefs to leafy west London on the second Bank Holiday weekend in May. This year's line-up features a range of culinary elite, including the likes of Matt Tebutt and Michelin-starred chefs Atul Kocchar, Glynn Purnell and Josh Eggleton to the Chefs Theatre. Great British Bake Off winner Sophie Faldo is joined by finalists Steven Carter-Bailey and Kate Lyon in the Cake & Bake Theatre. New for 2018 are workshops on the power of plant based proteins, gut-friendly food and craft tea. With over 20 street food outlets, the Pimms Teapot and cookery classes for kids as well as garden games and a pie throwing contest there's a lot to get your teeth stuck into.
KERB is stepping off the concrete to bring you their first music festival.
Peckham Rye Park, Strakers Road, London, SE15 3UA
Tube: Denmark Hill Station
Dates: 27th May 2019
On the second Bank Holiday in May KERB is stepping off the concrete to bring you their first music festival on Peckham Rye Park. Join Jam on Rye for a mix of reggae, afrobeat and new wave jazz, served with a side order of top London street food traders (after all, this is what KERB does best), summer cocktails, special local talent, talks and family activities. Breddos, White Men Can't Jerk, Only Jerkin' and more KERB favourites dish up the food. Set across three stages, the main stage is curated by Reggae Roast and headlined by David Rodigan, Horace Andy (Live) and Mungo's HiFi, and the second stage hosted by south London promoters 'Wormfood'. The third stage hosts 'KERB Talks', a panel discussion on London's sounds system culture and local talent.
A wonderful al fresco celebration of all things food.
Regent's Park, Inner Circle, London, NW1 4NR
Tube: Regent's Park Station
Dates: 17th - 21st June 2020
Five days of top flight food, drink and entertainment at Regent's Park, Taste of London is a wonderful al fresco summer festival of all things food. The impressive restaurant line-up for 2018 includes ROKA, Kricket, Salon, Michelin-starred Club Gascon, Sri Lankan Soho hot spot Hoppers, and Duddell's among over forty of London's best restaurants. Making their debuts are Portuguese restaurant Bar Douro, Mexican taqueria El Pastor, West African Ikoyi, vegan Mexican restaurant Club Mexicana and Amalfi-inspired Italian Sorella. It's a wonderful excuse to indulge in some delicious gluttony as you work your way through sample sized dishes from London's top restaurants. Top chefs attend, including a flurry of Michelin starred names, and give demos to show off their culinary handiwork. Festival favourite At The Fire Pit features all things fire and smoke with Josh Katz (Berber & Q), Pip Lacey (Hicce), Leandro Carreira (Londrino), Andy Oliver from Som Saa and David Carter of SMOKESTAK fame.
Independent beer producers, street food, bands and DJs.
Tobacco Dock, 50 Porters Walk, Hackney, London, E1W 2SF
Tube: Rotherhithe Overground Station
Dates: 09th - 11th August 2019
The London Craft Beer Festival returns for its 6th year in 2018 and it's moving to Tobacco Dock, which will be the event's residence for the foreseeable future. The popular event will return with a host of breweries, hundreds of beers, talented chefs and hot DJs for three days of fun. The line-up won't be announced until later in the year but last year welcomed the likes of Sierra Nevada, CRATE, Brooklyn Brewery, Berber & Q, Gunpowder and Norman Jay. Early bird tickets are now available.
Chef demos, pop-up restaurants, book signings and over 100 producers of speciality foods.
Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey, London, KT8 9AU
Tube: Richmond Station
Dates: 24th - 26th August 2019
Taking place over the August Bank Holiday weekend, the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival comes to Hampton Court Palace giving visitors a great selection of food to sample and expert tips from well-known cooks and chefs. This year welcomes Michel Roux Jr, Nadiya Hussain, Lisa Faulkner, Melissa Hemlsey and Dr Rupy Aujla who'll take part in live cooking demonstrations. The festival also offers tastings and masterclasses, pop-up restaurants, book signing opportunities and over 100 producers of speciality foods. Feast on street food, enjoy afternoon tea, sip on cocktails, quaff Champagne from pop-up bars and leave time to visit Hampton Court Palace - all tickets include free entry into the beautiful home of King Henry VIII.
London's meatiest food festival.
Meatopia
Tobacco Dock,
50 Porters Walk London, E1W 2SF
Foodie Events
Tobacco Dock, 50 Porters Walk, London, E1W 2SF
Tube: Rotherhithe Overground Station
Dates: 30th August - 01st September 2019
Smokestak, Gunpowder and Breddos Tacos are three of the top restaurants appearing at London's meatiest food festival as Meatopia returns. Originally conceived by the late Josh Ozersky, the concept is the biggest festival of BBQ and smoking to hit London, welcoming a raft of UK and international chefs, restaurants, butchers and food heroes. Taking place at Tobacco Dock, the carnivore's paradise will treat guests to tasting-sized portions of dishes from renowned chefs and iconic restaurants. Chefs making their Meatopia debut include Jeremy Chan of Ikoyi, Sam Bryant of Coal Rooms, Freddy Bird of Bristol's The Lido, Ben Davy from Ox Club, Rok Shoreditch's Matt Young and Aaron Webster & Remi Williams of Smoke & Salt. There's an eclectic line-up of live music, DJs, informal workshops, live chef demos and, with the Saturday night session lasting an hour longer, there's more time to appreciate those smokin' hot chefs.
A food festival dedicated to our favourite meal between breakfast and lunch.
The Old Truman Brewery, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 6QL
Tube: Aldgate East Station
Dates: 31st August - 01st September 2019
A food festival dedicated to our favourite weekend meal, somewhere between breakfast and lunch, London Brunch Fest takes over The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, on the first weekend of September. The Barge House, famous for their breakfasts in breads - a sourdough loaf hollowed out and packed with all your breakfast favourites - Urban Pantry (runner-up in Time Out Love London Awards 'Most Loved Local Brunch Spot'), and The Dayrooms Cafe are just three of the restaurants serving up their best brunch menus. As well as the headline restaurants there's a marketplace full of brunch and breakfast related treats plus a programme of talks and events. Sample maple bacon croissants by artisan bakery, Pophams, and raw cookie dough from Naked Dough, stars of the BBC's Million Pound Menu.
Michel Roux Jr and Nadiya Hussain are just two of the celebrity chefs appearing.
Tower Of London, Tower Hill, London, EC3N 4AB
Tube: Tower Hill Station
Dates: 07th - 09th September 2018
Join Michel Roux Jr, Nadiya Hussain and Melissa Hemsley for a fabulous food and drink festival in the dry moat of the Tower of London. The three-day Tower of London Food Festival has over 100 hand-picked artisan producers, live music at the bandstand, vintage games and hands-on culinary masterclasses in 'The Classroom'. Top celebrity chefs and cooking experts Jose Pizarro, Marcus Bean and Billy and Jack, runners up on BBC One's MasterChef in 2016, will be doing live demos, interviews and book signings. What's more, all tickets include free entry into the Tower of London itself.