The 365Bristol Food & Drink Festival Calendar 2018
Posted on: 20 Jan 2018There's never been a better time to be a foodie in Bristol than 2018, with the range of culinary creations on offer wider than ever before. The city boasts a vibrant and unique independent food scene, with delicious dishes being put together by expert chefs from all corners of the globe. This year, Bristolians can expect a lineup of Food and Drinks festivals more diverse than ever before, with something for everyone, from the highly anticipated Foodies Festival to the much-loved Vegfest that we are excited has found another venue in the city. Below is a rundown of events to look out for in the coming year, as well as some National and Worldwide food & drink events to stick in your diary.
Bristol Food Tours
If you're looking to experience the vast Bristol food scene, look no further than the array of Bristol Food Tours that are available across the city. Friendly guides will take you on a walking tour of a specific area of the city, stopping in at all the best culinary spots along the way. These are generally small, laid-back tours which include insider information about some of Bristol's best eateries and interesting snippets of cultural and historic information. You can generally expect to visit 6-8 venues on a tour and they can be adapted to suit dietary requirements. Visit some of our favourites at Eat Walk Talk Bristol and The Bristol Food Tour.
For those of you that prefer a more liquid tour then look no further than Bristol Hoppers who will guide you around some of the best craft beer pubs in the city - a number of which do a mean pork pie or sausage roll.
Vegfest Bristol - Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th May
Vegfest has gone from strength to strength over the years, expanding their reach and the scale of their events since starting out in 2003 as The Bristol Vegan Fayre. The much-loved festival now holds yearly events in London, Brighton and, most importantly, Bristol, with this year's festival being held in the newly-refurbished Ashton Gate Stadium. Vegfest will welcome over 200 food stalls, educational talks, cooking demonstrations and outdoor catering, as well as live performances from musicians, DJs, comedians and more.
The day-time programmes run from 11am-11pm on Saturday 26th and 11am-9pm on Sunday 27th. Tickets for Vegfest Bristol 2018 are available now, with a special buy one get one half price offer running until the end of April. For more information and to book your tickets head to the Vegfest website.
Bristol Foodies Festival - 11th-13th May
A nationwide event, now running festivals across the UK in cities such as Brighton, Birmingham and Edinburgh as well as Bristol, the Foodies Festival draws huge crowds every year thanks to great attractions and, most importantly, fantastic food. This year's event will include live baking from winners of the hugely popular Great British Bakeoff series, as well as demonstrations from Michelin-starred chefs, Great British Menu winners and Masterchef champions.
Taking place on Durdham Downs, the festival also gives Bristol foodies the chance to enjoy afternoon tea in the Vintage Tea Tent, sample champagnes and craft beers in the Drinks Theatre, buy from local producers in the Artisan Market, and much more. The event is family friendly, with activities on offer to people of all ages. Musicians will also perform live throughout the weekend - the proverbial cherry on top of a festival that should be on the radar of all food lovers. A range of tickets for the Bristol Foodies Festival are on sale now, from one-tickets to full weekend passes - visit the Foodies Festival website for more information and to book yours now!
Bristol Food Connections - 11th-17th June
Bristol Food Connections is a truly unique celebration of food - a citywide event that provides a journey of exploration and discovery of all the great aspects of the Bristol food scene. Taking over the city for a whole week, Bristol Food Connections shines a light on all the best and brightest people, businesses and organisations that make Bristol's food culture so uniquely independent, celebrating every aspect of the journey from field to fork.
Having started out in 2013, the festival has attracted nationwide coverage on TV, radio and online, attracting visitors from across the country to sample some of Bristol's vibrant cuisine. The hard-working team work throughout the year to put together a brilliantly diverse event that really has something for everyone. While event details are yet to be released, with a full programme going live in April, you can visit the BFC website for more information.
Grillstock - TBC
Grillstock is one of the city's favourite summer events, with fine food, loads of fun and stellar live music lineups on offer every year. Last year's festival, along with the huge range of BBQ offerings, food and drink stalls, eating competitions and more, saw Craig Charles bring his Funk & Soul Club to the city, alongside performances from The Darkness and The Pharcyde among others.
This year's event is yet to be confirmed, with a change in management having taken place late last year. Fingers crossed Grillstock goes ahead in 2018 - Bristolians won't want to say goodbye to an event that has become a staple of their food festival calendar for a number of years. Visit the Grillstock website or follow Grillstock on Facebook for updates as they come.
As well as a great range of festival offerings in 2018, below you can check out a list of this year's dedicated nationwide celebrations of specific food and drinks to put in your diary. With National Pizza Day, British Pie Week and more on our radar, we've also provided some suggestions as to where you can celebrate these momentous occasions.
National Pizza Day - 9th February
Pancake Day/Shrove Tuesday - 13th February
British Pie Week - 5th-11th March
World Whiskey Day - 19th May
National Wine Day - 25th May
World Gin Day - 9th June
National Mojito Day - 11th July
Bristol Tequila Day
National Beer Day - 3rd August
National Rum Day - 16th August
International Coffee Day - 1st October
National Lager Day - 10th December
Have we missed an event or occasion from either of these lists? Let us know! Contact 365Bristol through our website or send us a message on our Facebook page.
Article by:
Editor - 365Bristol.com & LOUD Magazine
Matt is a Journalism graduate and writer, passionate about supporting Bristol music, art and independent business. Get in touch via email at matt@365bristol.com.
