Foodie treats for all at the Cotswold Show & Food Festival

Part two of our Cotswold Show preview looks at the fabulous food, drink and shopping line-up promised for visitors to this year’s award-winning Cotswold Show & Food Festival taking place on July 4 & 5 at Cirencester Park

Great British Life: There are nearly 40 food stands in this year’s Cotswold Show food hall There are nearly 40 food stands in this year’s Cotswold Show food hall (Image: Archant)

If you’re a foodie or a shopaholic, then you’re in for a treat when you visit the Cotswold Show & Food Festival this summer. Alongside the packed family entertainment programme and 200 trade stands at the region’s most popular rural show, the recently-introduced Food Festival plays host to a brand new Cookery Theatre, featuring food demonstrations and a chance to meet the talented chefs from some award-winning Cotswolds hotels, restaurants and catering companies, including – among others – Masterchef finalist and chef, Andrew Kojima; Francesco Volgo from The Gumstool at Calcot Manor; Matthew Beardshall from Wild Garlic; the Urban Rajah, Ivor Peters; and David Witnall from Cirencester’s own Jesse’s Bistro; who between them will be giving rolling 40-minute demonstrations throughout the show with a chance for you to sample their delicious fare.

If you’re still peckish, visit any – or all – of the delicious catering stands dotted around the show, with something for every taste from a magnificent free-range Gloucester Old Spot pork roast, to fish and chips, slow-cooked barbecue ribs, pizza or gourmet venison burgers, all washed down with Pimm’s or champagne served from a giant teapot on site!

What’s more, there are nearly 40 food stands in this year’s Cotswold Show food hall, showcasing a wide variety of handmade, homemade and cottage industry produce, from award-winning microbrewers, wine and cider producers, to champion pie makers, cheese and oil producers, and some delicious handmade chocolates and cakes to take home – peanut butter fudge cake, anyone?

The 200 trade stands at the Cotswold Show provide a hugely popular shopping opportunity for visitors to the event, selling everything from jewellery and clothing to pet supplies; your chance to pick up something a little different and not on the high street. The full list of this year’s trade stands can be seen at: www.cotswoldshow.co.uk/whats-on/traders-visit

With so much going on over the two days, it’s no wonder that the Cotswold Show has already been awarded Cotswolds Tourism Awards’ Event of the Year. Its winning combination of varied family entertainment programme, activity arenas, agricultural and rural crafts, and shopping and food stalls, showcase what’s best about the British countryside’s history and traditions, making it a must-see family day out. And, at the time of going to press, the organisers have just learned that the show has also been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious Visit England Awards for Excellence 2015 in the Tourism Event of the Year category.

Now in its 27th year, the show is once again hosted by its founder, Earl Bathurst, in the grounds of the stunning Cirencester Park estate and continues to raise funds for local charities including The Blue Cross, Royal British Legion, Cirencester Hospital, and the RNLI, among others. It is generously sponsored by 2015 show partners BPE Solicitors and Moore Allen & Innocent, and supported by a range of local businesses.

The Cotswold Show at a glance:

Great British Life: The delicious catering stands dotted around the show offer something for everyone The delicious catering stands dotted around the show offer something for everyone (Image: Archant)