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NEWS & BLOGS Foodies Festival is coming to Cardiff's Bute Park

Foodies Festival is coming to Cardiff's Bute Park

30 March 2023

 

FOODIES FESTIVAL – the UK’s biggest touring celebrity food and music festival series – is coming to Wales for the very first time with a celebration fit for a King! 

Foodies will be visiting Cardiff from 6th – 8th May, serving up a star-studded line-up of celebrity chefs and chart-topping music stars, including Scouting For Girls, Toploader, Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club and rapidly rising Scottish singer-songwriter, Callum Beattie.

Known as Gastro-Glastonbury, the festival will take place at Cardiff’s prestigious Bute Park across the whole Coronation Bank Holiday weekend. The three-day event features live cooking demonstrations from top chefs drawn from the ranks of TV’s MasterChef, Great British Bake Off and Great British Menu, plus top-rated Michelin-starred and award-winning chefs.

The first star names announced to appear in the live cooking theatres, include: Great British Bake Off 2022 winner, Syabira Yusoff, Bake Off: The Professionals 2021 winners, Andrew Minto and Michael Coggan, Great British Menu father and daughter, James and Georgia Sommerin, from Michelin starred and 3AA awarded Home in Penarth and Great British Menu regional winner and Michelin starred chef, Hywel Griffith, from 3 AA Rosette awarded Beach House in Oxwich.

Also showcasing their culinary skills, Owen Morgan, BBC Saturday Kitchen and Channel 4 Sunday Brunch chef and owner of Michelin endorsed group of restaurants, Grupo 44, which include Cardiff-based Bar 44 and Asador 44, and Great British Menu favourite, Tommy Heaney, from Heaneys in Cardiff.

Syabira Yusoff, said: “I’m looking forward to sharing my passion and cooking in-front of a live audience on the Foodies Festival tour. I’ll be baking some of my favourite cakes, sharing recipe ideas and talking about my amazing experience on Bake Off”

Hywel Griffith, said: “After cooking at the Bristol Foodies Festival last year, my feedback to the team was to bring the festival to Wales…. and here it is in Cardiff this year! What better way to spend the weekend, than walking around eating delicious food, watching some of your favourite chefs cooking in the live theatres and listening to great music”

The musical feast is just as sumptuous with platinum-selling festival favourites Scouting For Girls, ultimate crowd-pleasing 90s band Toploader and rapidly rising Scottish singer-songwriter, Callum Beattie. And kicking off the weekend in style, BBC radio DJ, Coronation Street actor and all round funkster, Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club will bring the party atmosphere to the park.

Scouting For Girls said: “We always look forward to Foodies and it just wouldn’t be summer without it! The festivals have a great vibe and we often bring our family and friends along to enjoy the fun. We’ve all taken a liking to the Japanese Bao Buns and the Jamaican Jerk Chicken, so we’ll also be looking forward to scoffing that!” “See you soon Cardiff.”

Showcasing the best of Welsh cuisine, many of the most-highly acclaimed Michelin and multi-award-winning chefs will also appear, including: Anand George, head chef from Michelin recommended Purple Poppadom in Cardiff, MasterChef: The Professionals star, Dave Killick, head chef from Michelin recommended Heathcock, in Llandaff, Antonio Simone, chef-patron from highly- regarded Alium restaurant in Barry, Antonio Cersosimo, from Michelin recommended Casanova in Cardiff  and renowned chef-patron, Lee Skeet, from Cora in Cardiff.

Throughout the 3 day weekend, visitors will enjoy a royally themed schedule of TV cooking show champions and award-winning chefs in the interactive live theatres. In the Chefs Theatre, celebrities will create their signature dishes and share new tips and tricks, whilst in the Cake & Bake Theatre, star bakers whip up showstoppers and offer tempting sweet treats.

In The Kids Cookery School, Foodies SuperChefs make cooking fun, helping younger guests to prepare delicious food which they can take away and enjoy.

Masterclasses in the Drinks Theatre include tutored Champagne, Beer, Cider, Cocktail and Wine-tasting – presenters include BBC drinks expert, Joe Wadsack, Cardiff Distillery and Bang On Brewery.

Visitors can browse the latest food trends in the Shopping Village, meet local producers in the Artisan Market and taste exotic and unusual new dishes in the Feasting Tent – which features a mouth-watering range of street food and delicacies from all four corners of the globe. Other attractions include a fairground, children’s activities, and family-friendly areas.

Foodies extra features for 2023

  • Top TV Chef Challenge: This battle of the best will see winners and finalists of MasterChef competing with the winners of Bake Off and Great British Menu as they take to the live stage, in a highly competitive cook-off to create the most impressive dish.
  • Meet the authors and discover new recipes in the Cookbook Shop – with celebrity signings, photo opportunities and top chefs’ showcasing their latest cookbooks.
  • World Chilli eating Champion Shahina Waseem will challenge those brave enough to compete. Competitions will be broadcast to ‘League of Fire’ audiences around the world.
  • Green Fingers: meet the experts hosting sessions on grow your own fruit and veg, discover new varieties, recipe ideas and health benefits.
  • Cake-aoke: Audience sing ’n’ bake-along with Foodies multi-talented hosts.
  • Kids Can Cook!: Budding junior MasterChefs get creative in the Kids Cookery School, hosted by Foodies SuperChefs.
  • The Musicians Against Homelessness main stage will feature over 25 superb artists. Including top headliners, the best of local bands and an introduction to exciting new acts from across the UK.

Director Sue Hitchen said: “We are thrilled to bring our celebration of amazing food, drink and entertainment to Cardiff, and we are proud to support local artisan producers and restaurants.

“We’ve all had a difficult few years, so to help keep things affordable festival prices have been frozen for the third year running – even though our stars and features get bigger and better every year. We offer a great value day out for families and friends.”

For the fifth year running, the festival is supporting Musicians Against Homelessness (MAH) with tickets raising money for UK-wide homelessness charity Crisis.

MAH founder Emma Rule said: “We are thrilled to be back at Foodies with our music stage and fantastic line-up of artists, raising much needed funds during these challenging times.”

Dates and tickets

Bute Park, North Road, Cardiff, CF10 3ER

6th May – 8th May 2023 – Kings Coronation Bank Holiday Weekend

Day Tickets from ÂŁ3 (child) and ÂŁ19 (adult)

Weekend tickets from ÂŁ38 (3-day)

Foodies Festival • Events • Visit Cardiff

*Entry to all theatres is included in the ticket price