New Forest Food Festival Returns Bigger & Better!

Following the success of the inaugural New Forest Food Festival in 2024, the event is set to return in 2025, bigger and better, on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August, at the Hinton Admiral Event Field, on the Hinton Admiral Estate.

For 2025, the Cookery Demonstration Tent will be run by Hampshire Fare, in collaboration with the Food Festival organisers.  Participating chefs will be announced over the coming weeks and months (watch this space!). 

They will demonstrate all the tricks of the trade and show attendees how they can easily re-create the dishes for themselves at home (sit near the front to increase the chance of a tasting!).

The Food Festival will showcase local New Forest and regional produce, with a mix of artisan bread, cheese, chilli jams, cakes, chocolates, gluten-free snacks, and shortbread.

Those who enjoy a tipple will also be spoilt for choice with a wide selection of drinks including craft ales, New Forest Cider, speciality gins, and more (attendees are encouraged to drink responsibly if driving). 

When it comes to pop-ups, the New Forest Food Festival will have no fewer than 25 of them (so far) including the Bao Beast (BBQ food), Purbeck Ice Cream, Three Cuts Burger, Holy Crepe, Kraken Seafood Company, plus fresh-squeezed juices and many more – something for every taste including vegetarians and vegans.

There will be over 100 traders displaying their goods, and in additional to the food stalls, there’ll be chef demonstrations in the food tent, bars – including an ale brewed on-site at the festival – plus Coles Fairground (who doesn’t love a coconut shy?), and live music (acts yet to be announced).

Comments Richard Shirley, one of the organisers of the festival: “Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are blessed with some of the best producers of food and drink in the whole of the UK.

“Whilst the focus of the festival is food, we wanted to make sure there were plenty of other things to keep the young ones entertained for the whole day. 

“We will have a dedicated ‘kids’ zone’ with lots going on including a fire-eater, a magician, hair braider and face painter, to name just some.”    

Another feature of the festival will be the Craft Market, which will showcase work from local and regional crafters, with a wide and diverse array of stalls.

They will include crafts such as textiles, jewellery, soft toys, paintings, wood craft, collectables, ceramics, sculpture, soft furnishings – to name just some.

The event will also be dog friendly, with well-behaved pooches on leads welcome!

For further information and tickets, which cost £8 for adults when purchased in advance for one day (£10 on the day), or £14 for two days (under 16s go free), visit  www.newforestfoodfestival.co.uk.