The Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival will be even more family-friendly this year.
The festival – run by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) and sponsored by kitchen specialists Magnet IOM Ltd – takes place at the Villa Marina Gardens on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 September.
The festival will this year, for the first time, boast a children’s activity marquee hosted by professional cook Linda Hewett.
Children will roll up their sleeves and get stuck in to food-based activities using the finest Manx milk, flour, vegetables, fruit and other local produce.
The ingredients are provided by local family firm Robinson’s, which is celebrating its 130th anniversary and is a silver sponsor to the festival.
Audrey Fowler, Marketing Officer with DEFA said:
‘The festival is a great couple of days out for all the family and this is a welcome addition to the programme for children.
‘Introducing children to Manx ingredients at an early age will give them confidence in the kitchen later in life and they will find that cooking with the diverse range of local produce is an outlet for their creativity.’
Manx-born and bred Linda, who is based in Lincolnshire, runs her own company, www.lindahewettfood.com
An expert bread maker and food demonstrator, Linda takes part in festivals and food shows all over the country, hosts cookery classes at the Women’s Institute college and is a respected judge at food awards.
She said:
‘It will be wonderful to return home to take part in the Isle of Man Food & Drink Festival, a fantastic event that draws large and knowledgeable crowds.
‘My passion is sharing knowledge about food, encouraging kitchen skills and teaching what can be achieved with just a few ingredients.
‘The Island has a growing range of high quality local produce and I hope to inspire the next generation by showing them how much fun they can have in the kitchen.
‘Once they have confidence with food, they may only ever cook for the family or they may be inspired to follow it as a career. But they will have a skill for life.’
Janna Horsthuis, from Robinson’s, said:
‘We have been celebrating Manx produce for 130 years and are delighted to sponsor the children’s marquee. We hope it encourages the next generation of chefs to appreciate what wonderful ingredients we can source right on our doorsteps.’
Linda will also give a presentation on Brilliant Bread-making during the festival, covering how quickly and easily you can make bread and offering her top trouble-shooting tips.
Tickets for the festival cost just £3 (day) and £5 (weekend) for adults, with admission free for under 16s.
Tickets can be booked via www.villagaiety.com
For more information about the festival, visit www.gov.im/food, follow the festival on Facebook via Isle of Man Food and Drink Festival 2016 and on Twitter @iomfoodanddrink
On Saturday 17 September, a free Mann Sightseeing shuttle bus runs from The Bowl car park, Pulrose, to the festival, departing on the hour from 10am to 4pm and returning on the half hour. Many buses from the south of the Island also pass the Villa Marina Gardens.
The festival is staged in association with Manx Radio.
Professional cook Linda Hewett hosting a cookery class
