Everything You Need to Know About… Newcastle Food & Drink Festival
All the details you'll need about this exciting addition to the city's foodie calendar
It’s always exciting when a new festival in the city is announced, especially when it looks as fabulous as Newcastle Food & Drink festival does.
This three-day celebration of food, drink and community will hopefully become a fixture on the foodie and festival calendar and to prepare you for its first edition, we’ve compiled a guide with all the information you’ll need to get the most out of the weekend-long event.
What is the Newcastle Food & Drink Festival?
It's an absolute extravaganza of food, beverages and family fun. The result of years of work by the organisers, it arrives in Newcastle in May with an exciting, three-day programme and a strong focus on local cooking talent and produce. Throughout the weekend there will be an array of magnificent international street food stalls, several bars, an artisan food market and live chef demos.
Beyond the food and drink, there’s an exciting music line-up and lots to entertain the kids too with a fantastic amount going on while you wander the site wondering if you could fit in one more teeny tasty offering. And by linking up with Mind Tyneside & Northumberland, it’s raising money for a fantastic cause (more than £100,000 already!)
Where is it happening?
The festival is taking place in the wonderful surroundings of Exhibition Park on the northern edge of the city. You can find it on the grassy area opposite Wylam Brewery. The organisers recommend taking public transport to the event – there’s no on-site parking, and it’s a very short walk from various city centre transport options.
When is it happening?
The festival on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday of the May Day Bank Holiday weekend (4th – 6th), running from 10am to 6pm each day.
What kind of food and drink will be available?
The long list of international street stalls really does represent every corner of the globe and features popular vendors like Birria Bandits, I Love Piri Piri, Big Phillies, Big Mouth Gyoza and lots more. There’ll be a big Artisan Market too, offering everything from cheese to condiments to pastries and beyond. Local produce is key here, showcasing the best the region has to offer. That applies to the alcohol as well – there will be a selection of bars selling everything from craft ale to cocktails, and some artisan spirit and soft drinks producers hosting stalls too.
What else is happening?
As well as the market, bars and street food stalls there will be several life demos over the weekend from renowned local chefs including My Delhi's Guarav Dayal, Troy Terrington of Dobson & Parnell fame and Solstice head chef Scott John-Hodgson (see the full chef lineup here)
There's a packed line-up on the music stage too - fun names like We Are Champion (the region’s premier Queen tribute act), old time country-blues outfit Leeds City Stompers, a Taylor Swift homage and a dozen more. All this plus a bouncy castle, fairground rides, face-painting and various magicians, comedians and performers to keep the kids entertained and happy! There’s even a Wellbeing area, offering advice on yoga, diet and healthy living and more.
Is it family-friendly?
It’s absolutely family-friendly, and there’s plenty on offer to entertain the little ones, from rides to performers. Under 16s tickets are cheaper, and under fives don’t pay a penny. Well-behaved dogs are welcome too as long as they're kept on a leash, so nobody in the family has to miss out on the foodie fun!
How much are tickets and how do I book?
Tickets are £9.95 for adult daily tickets (£5.95 for under 16s), or £14.95 adults / £8.95 under 16s for all three days. You can book through the website here and there’s an option to make a donation to Mind Tyneside & Northumberland when you do.
Newcastle Food & Drink Festival is a really mouth-watering proposition that has everything going for it – a lovely location, a bank holiday weekend, amazing food to feast on and top-class entertainment to boot. So get a ticket and get ready to get stuffed.
