Cancel your plans to visit Grandma at the weekend because THIS SUNDAY is the St Albans Food & Drink Feastival! I can hardly believe it is here already – where has the year gone?
One of the busiest events in the district calendar, the St Albans Food & Drink Festival has already started, with the main event in and around St Peter’s Street this Sunday from 12noon until 6pm. With a cookery theatre, farm, pop-up restaurants and bars, 100 food stalls and music, it is free to enter, and is always busy, whatever the weather.
But before I tell you more about the big day, there are some very cool events happening tonight and over the weekend. One of the highlights has to be the pop-up cinema in The Fleetville Larder – they are showing foodie films in the evenings including Chocolat, Delicatessen and Sideways. While you are there you can get a decent bottle of wine and cheese from their excellent deli selection; you will need to go in to see if there is any space left at this point.
The new butcher on Catherine Street, Lawes & Sons, is hosting a sausage-making master class tonight. You can join Ben the Butcher and learn how to make perfect sausages, including selecting the right cuts of meat and the subtleties of seasoning. Quite the party trick. Or head over to the very stylish Beer Shop on London Road where they are hosting a pints and pizza night with Adam from Peddling Pizza.
Did you know that St Albans has its very own organ museum and theatre? It is the most stunning place to visit and on Sunday they are hosting a vintage afternoon tea, with cakes, sandwiches and “endless” tea in vintage china.
You can usually only get the famous St Albans Alban Bun around Easter at the Cathedral but this Sunday the Cathedral café is hosting a special afternoon tea, and the bun will be available. It is the original hot cross bun!
Last year the George Street Gin and Jazz night took us all by surprise – it was completely heaving. It is back on October 5 and there will be more gin, so do not panic!
Let’s hope for another balmy evening to wander among the stalls and listen to the music.
To check for space and to book any of the events visit enjoystalbans.com/foodanddrink.
Now back to Sunday and the main St Albans Feastival. It will take over the city centre with St Peter’s Street closed to traffic. Allow time to visit the cookery theatre, as this year we have Cat Ashton, head chef from The Abbey Restaurant, Theo Michaels, MasterChef finalist, and Christo from Ye Olde Fighting Cocks will be cooking alongside his 14-year-old son Alex, proving that teenagers can cook! Poppycock bar will be back on the Village Green, this year with a Moroccan theme.
There is plenty for young families too, with the Teddy Bear’s picnic area (bring your teddy!), story telling, games, cooking workshops and the farm to visit. Each year Oaklands bring along some of their youngest animals to meet the children – find them near the Alban Arena. See you there!
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