Celebrity chefs and a Great British Bake-Off star will help will attract the crowds to Newstead Abbey this bank holiday weekend as it hosts the second annual Great Food and Drink Festival.
The Festival, organised by All About Tourism, will be bigger and better for 2016 with more stalls, entertainment and celebrity chefs, including Simon Rimmer of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch, Michael Caines, Executive Head Chef at Gidleigh Park and holder of two Michelin stars, and Nancy Birtwhistle, the series five winner of the Great British Bake-Off.
The grounds of the Abbey will be packed from Saturday 27 August to Monday 29 August with over 100 food and drink stalls, including two onsite bars serving ales and ciders. Workshops and masterclasses will help visitors brush up their culinary skills, and there’s free entertainment for kids too.
Visitors can also enjoy live music running 10am – 4pm each day. Tickets are £8 in advance or £10 on the door, and the ticket includes entrance to the house, gardens and parking – which normally costs £7.
Gary Allen, Event Organiser has said: “We would like to thank our sponsor, Charles Yorke, for being part of the event this year! We can’t wait for the event to get under way at one of Nottinghamshire’s most historic and picturesque venues, especially with the high profile chefs that we have attending.”
The recent VisitEngland Annual Attractions Survey 2015 showed that visitor numbers to Newstead Abbey were up 24.3% between 2014 and 2015.
The packed autumn programme full of events at the Abbey includes Ghost Tours throughout October, a pumpkin carving competition to celebrate Halloween on Saturday 29 October, and Abbey Christmas (26 – 27 Nov and 3 – 4 Dec) – the most popular event of the year, when Newstead Abbey is transformed for Christmas with decorations, foliage and lights. See all events at www.newsteadabbey.org.uk
Councillor Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Culture at Nottingham City Council, said: “Building on the great news of Newstead Abbey’s success with visitors over the past year, it’s fantastic to be working with our partners at All About Tourism to put on what is sure to be a hugely popular family food and drink event this weekend.”