THOUSANDS of visitors are expected to attend this weekend’s new-look Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival which moves to a new venue this year in the grounds of The Nunnery.
Car parking has been a problem for organisers of the festival, now in its third year, and the move to the Nunnery is expected to make access much easier for the public.
Visitors can expect two days of gastronomic delights with over 40 stallholders taking part in this year’s Festival on Saturday and Sunday.
Many producers will be offering tastings, from cheese to fudge, and apple juice to ham and there will be opportunities to stock up on a wide range of foodie goodies, all produced on the Island.
Hungry Festival goers can enjoy queenies, a hog roast bap or a wealth of other delicious refreshments. There are many activities to experience as well, from watching a cookery demonstration in the Manx Food Theatre to enjoying the Mushroom Experience or chatting to the producers.
Celebrity chef James Martin, host of the highly popular ‘Saturday Kitchen’ live on BBC every weekend will be at the Festival on Sunday, using Manx produce in his cookery demonstrations in the Manx Food Theatre.
He is also judging the I love Manx professional cook of the year competition on Sunday afternoon at 3pm and will be providing a number of cooking demonstrations from 11am. He will also be signing books later in the afternoon.
Masterchef semi finalist Stacie Stewart will be giving cooking demonstrations on Saturday morning and again in the afternoon.
The festival ends on Sunday afternoon with an auction of Manx food at 4.30pm which will benefit Manx Radio’s Dreamcatcher appeal fund.
Manx producers taking part this year include Apple Orphanage, Cocoa Red Chocolate, Green Mann Spring Water, Individual Cake Co, Isle of Man Creamery, Mostly Manx, My Grandmother’s Cookery Book, The Original Manx Fudge Company, Roberto’s Ice Cream. Smoothie Bike, Bryan Radcliffe, Davison’s Ice Cream, Staarvey Farm, Abfab Cakes, IOM Beekeepers’ Association, Jimbo’s Ice Cream, Laxey Glen Flour Mill, Lewis Seafood, Manx Organic Network, Ellerslie Oil and Radcliffe’s Butchers.
Activities include scone making, foodie games, 3-legged kipper tossing, quizzes, family recipe exchange,
The festival is jointly run by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and Isle of Man Tourism. It opens tomorrow (Saturday) at 10.45 am when DEFA Minister John Shimmin and Tony Nicholls, managing director of sponsor Manx Gas, will perform the honours.
SATURDAY:
10.45: Official Opening
11.00: Masterchef’s Stacie Stewart
12.15: Tanroagan
13.00: Kathryn Sentance
14.00: Masterchef’s Stacie Stewart
15.00: Final of I Love Manx Family Chef competition
SUNDAY:
10.45: Official Opening
11.00: James Martin
12.15: The Old Courthouse
13.00: Heron and Brearley
13.35: The Individual Cake Company
14.00: James Martin
15.00: Final of I Love Manx professional chef competition
16.00: James Martin book signing
16.30: Auction of Manx food
