Hertford Food & Drink Festival

The event, which is sponsored by McMullen’s Brewery and Clover Kitchens, kicks off at 4pm on Friday with the Street Food Heroes food market in Salisbury Square, and closes with the Hertford Castle Beer and World Food Festival on Sunday 13th from 12pm – 6pm.
The event is expanding year on year, with more local traders and businesses getting involved with the threeday festival.
On Friday, venues around the town will be running in house events including an evening of sliders and wines at The Old Barge (booking essential), the Autumn Beer Festival at The Old Cross Tavern, Ilvino Café are offering free cannoli with every order and Mudlarks have a special Food & Drink Menu of the Day. McMullens will also be hosting their annual Pop-Up Top Table event at the brewery which includes a five course meal (booking essential).

On Saturday, Cookery Demonstrations on the Clover Kitchen stage will take place in Parliament Square.

Local comedian and food blogger aka Food Ponce, Alistair Barrie will be hosting the jam packed programme of cookery demonstrations. Alistair will be interviewing other chefs and mixologists whilst they demonstrate their culinary skills.

In addition to the cookery demonstrations, the Mayor of Hertford will be running the Children’s Cake Decorating Competition, there will be food markets in the town centre and McMullen’s Brewery will hold an Open Day and are running brewery tours throughout the day.
Many of the bars, restaurants and cafes in the town centre are also celebrating the food festivities.

Hertford Cake Co are offering 20% off everything on display when presented with a copy of the events programme, speciality pastas made by the in-house chefs will be available at Giambrione’s Deli, and you can join in the cooking frenzy at Hertford Library where you can flick through lots of recipe books to get inspired. Turkish Kitchen are offering free mixed meze all day with any main course ordered, Serendipity have free tea or coffee with any breakfast ordered off the menu, and the Six Templars are offering pizza and beer tasting on the Sunday of the event.

On Sunday, visitors can attend the Hertford Castle Beer & World Food Festival with free entry from 12noon – 6pm. Over 15 world food stands will be cooking up a feast on the castle lawn, there will be live music, a castle open day (until 4pm) and a large beer marquee (until 6pm). The beer marquee will showcase an extensive range of local ales and ciders, as well as over 50 varieties of Gins, Pimms and German Beers and Craft ales. Exclusively this year, there will also be a vegan ale from local Hertford brewery Gold Bear.

There are many more activities and events planned throughout the festival weekend which are covered in the Food and Drink Festival programme which is available to pick up from Hertford Town and Tourist Information Centre or available to download from www.hertford.gov.uk/events

Hertford Town Council’s Development and Leisure Committee Chairman, Cllr Jane Sartin, said: "The programme for the Hertford Food and Drink Festival is looking the best yet. There will be plenty of reasons to visit Hertford town centre over the course of the Festival, and I'd encourage everyone to check out the full programme to make sure you don't miss out on the cookery demonstrations, tastings, discounts and special events taking place."