Another weekend, another Festival in Cheltenham. This time the Food & Drink Festival held in stalls and marquees in Montpellier Gardens.I didn't have long to look around, and really needed more than 90 minutes. But I did get to sample quite a few cheeses, sweets, ales, stouts, teas, and other drinks. I could have sampled many more if I wanted to.Here are the main things that caught my eye and taste buds:
- Golden Ale, Butty Bach and the 2008 Best Bottled Beer winner Wholesome Stout, all from the Wye Valley Brewery. Available direct, or recently from Tesco and Sainsburys in the West Midlands.
- some ground coffee flavours from the Real Team & Coffee Company
- fairtrade Early Grey tea from the enthusiastic and friendly people at Trumpers Tea
- Gloucester Hot cheese, which adds mustard and horseradish to Double Gloucester, from the Tewkesbury Delicatessen. They did lots of other great things, including an unusual-looking Tortilla.
- the buy-local "online local farm shop" delivery service soon coming to Gloucestershire
All are local or fairly local concerns, which I'm happy to support. Just a shame the rather wonderful Bristol-based Pie Minister weren't present.(And a note to self for next year: take plenty of cash, and don't book up lunch straight afterwards, which stopped me having one of the many delicious lunch options there.)