Food Glorious Food

Sharing  food together as a family is very special

Food is a necessity for a happy and healthy life (along with various other facets of course) and this year, the organisers of the RHS Malvern Spring Festival are pulling out all the stops to ensure that it is a key feature of the Show (8th to 11th May). Not only is the Showground going through a metamorphosis to stage the entire Show, TCAS are calling all foodies to come and enjoy what is on offer – a greatly enhanced festival of food.

An enjoyable scene from 2013 - vendors and buyers

Tying in with its links to the to the gardening aspect of the Show, the Food Festival at RHS Malvern will have a whole pavilion dedicated to Grow and Taste. The supply chain between artisan food producers and the source of their ingredients will be laid bare and celebrated. 

From plot to food stall

The ever-popular TV Chef, James Martin, will be headlining the food festival with demonstrations and talks throughout the weekend. “No one can underestimate the links between food and gardening. If you love good food, the chances are you are pretty into where it has come from. The journey from field to plate is so often talked about in the media – however it is the allotment owners and the keen gardeners who are having the most fun with producing their own. I love the fact that RHS Malvern has tied in food to this year’s line up. It’s an inspirational experience for gardeners and foodies alike.”

Rachel Allen

Friday will see busy TV chef, journalist and author of ten best-selling cookery books, Rachel Allen, take to the stage with top TV gardener Christine Walkden. They will both share their expert knowledge from the kitchen and the garden in a ‘Ready Steady Cook’ style presentation. Rachel said:  “I am utterly thrilled to be involved with this year’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival as it is the first year to intertwine food with gardening. There is a great synergy between spades and spoons and in order for us chefs to produce wonderful dishes, the growth and harvest of our produce is so important. The Festival is set to showcase all that is great about food and gardening and I am really looking forward to seeing what’s in store.”

Food Glorious Food

Located at the heart of the Show is the Severn Hall and a new (as yet unnamed) feature designed to create some real ‘theatre and drama’ for visitors. The whole space will be designed by multi-awards winning garden designer, Peter Dowle, and broken into a series of garden rooms. “It is going to be a dining experience not seen at the Spring Festival before ..... we're bringing in some huge plants for the central jungle area with pool , together with a woodland, village green , and farm market showing some of the 'raw' ingredients that will be used by the innovative catering team from Relish. ...... All very exciting and we can't wait to get going !" 

Purchasers eager to buy food from specialist producers

As more details emerge on the increasing links between gardening and food, we will continue to post. I've been attending the Spring Shows since 2006, and writing about them every year, and 2014 is going to be very special. (Author's Note: All images posted are from previous shows. So different will be the new Food Festival at RHS Malvern that as yet we have no representative shots, though I hope to bring you a sneak preview during the build-up.)