Organic Food Festival
Today we went to The Organic Food Festival, “Europe’s largest showcase of all things organic.” We went last year, too, which Matthew claims was more fun (I think because we got more free stuff). I enjoyed it both years and think it’s a wonderful community event!
I’ll let the photos do most of the talking! We got to try lots of organic product samples and enjoy a cooking lesson at the end. Here are some of the products we got to enjoy:
Lots of fresh juices and smoothies like this. There was also lots of bread and pastries with various oils, chutneys, and dips.
I had several samples of Yeo Valley yogurt, my favorite yogurt brand in the UK! The samples came in the cutest little pots. I’m pretty sure we made our entrance fee back just in yogurt samples.
There were lots of dairy samples all-around, actually. I had many tastes of wonderful organic, local cheeses. I have to say, Brits really know how to do cheese! Cheddar isn’t bright orange like it is in America. It’s white and creamy or “mature,” and delicious.
To compliment all the cheese, we sampled some good organic, sulphite-free wines.
And it turned out there wasn’t just organic food and beauty products. I was also able to get Matt into bed 
Next were samples of a Fuller’s organic beer called Honey Dew. It was so delicious that Matt got a pint and I got a half pint. I am not a beer drinker, and haven’t had beer in a looooong time, but this was so refreshing! I kind of wish I hadn’t tried it because now we bought some to enjoy at home. (Note to UK readers—it’s on sale at Sainsbury’s, 4 for £4!)
Soon after that we were in need of lunch. Matthew gave into the smell of the (organic) beef burgers being grilled up.
I fell for the fresh-grilled, giant corn on the cob. I enjoyed one with garlic butter and lotsa salt and pepper. For some reason I was really, really excited by the corn. Contrary to whatever facial expression is going on here, it was very delicious.
Lots of free apples…
Then we sat and watched a cool cookery class given by a couple of local restaurateurs. They gave some great tips on making pastry (use room temperature eggs and butter) and gravy (the “trinity” of carrots, celery, and onion is a must!).
In the end we didn’t buy much; some agave nectar and agave-based balsamic marinade at a discount. I wanted some wine but it started to get really crowded so we headed home for dinner.
We had very summer-like weather today so it was just a perfect way to spend the afternoon!
Do you have any fun, local foodie events in your city?
Possibly related posts:
- Fancy Food The Fancy Food Show is a foodie’s dream. It touts...
- Sunday With Scoop We enjoyed a lovely lunch out today with Linda and...
- Comfort Food Craziness I’m so excited! Tomorrow I get to meet up with...
- Soup in the City Hey guys! Today was the first day of a new...
- Food Scale Giveaway! It’s Week 2 of my birthday countdown, and as promised,...
I really can’t wait to go!!
I think James is already planning on trying that beer.
And wow, Lara you are so TINY!! You look really pretty.
Looks like great! Some of the same showcases that were at the festival I went to a couple of months ago
I’ve never tried Yeovalley yogurt! Agre 100% that Brits know their cheese… 
Let me know what the Agave marinade is like- I’ve been eyeing it up for a while!
Love the corn on the cob photo
(I am so happy with this weekend’s weather!!!!)
There are tons in NYC–but I’m actually a bigger fan of the ones I went to while I lived in DC. All of the neighborhoods host “Taste of…” events where all the local restaurants line the streets with samples of their best dishes–and you purchase tickets and sample away. During our first time, my friends and I bought like waaaaay too many tix and ended up using all our left tix on all the baked goodies that could be taken home–tragic, I know
Wow! That looked like one amazing food festival! And the weather looked amazing as well
That display of bread looks sooo good!
How did the beetroot juice taste? I love beets but can’t imagine how just the juice might be?
Also love how the Brits do half pints of beer. I went to brewery here last week and asked if they had halfers and they only did in their most potent brews. Hmmpf! lol I settled for a pint of shandy (made 1/2 & 1/2)
Glad you had a nice, summer-y day and food experience. I am off to Google organic food fests here in SF.
Wowser, that looks like so much fun. Love the food and free stuff!
We just moved from San Diego to Phoenix but every year on Earth Day (which I believe is in May?) there is a 2-day earth day festival and it’s actually like the 3rd largest celebration of it’s kind. It brings together all kinds of hippy dippy folk, organic and niche food vendors, Prius type cars, lots of crystals and beads, but unfortunately companies like Frito Lay also go and hand out bags and bags of free chips. So there’s this very health-conscious element and then the very opposite. And it’s always insanely Hot AND Crowded. It’s great for people watching but the festival you were at actually looks way more high brow and like it actually has quality stuff than my experience but I love festivals like that. Sorry for the marathon comment
Another reason I need to go to England…the cheese! That picture of all the breads pretty much killed me. Love those carbs!! That corn picture is too cute!
What a fun event to be able to go to! We have events kind of like that but they’re not very health oriented.
That BURGER!! OMG. Yes, the brits do cheese and beer right- but not “chips” (Sorry all you!)- they are soggy whenever I get them. They have a better FLAVOR than American fries (is it the potato or the oil??what??) but the sog factor makes it very easy for me to resist them (not so this side of the Atlantic!)
BTW, 10 pounds or no 10 pounds you look absolutely fit and THIN in those photos!!!!
Looks like loads of fun! Your pictures are great and you captured all the organic yummies very well!
This is one of the best food festivals I have heard of! I wish we had something like this, it looks like it was such a wonderful day!
Haha, I love the corn pic. You are too cute!
What an awesome event!! We don’t have anything quite like that in Columbus, or anywhere in Ohio (well, maybe we do but I don’t know about it!). The beet juice sounds interesting, the sulfite free wines, and the premium brew, yum! I can tell you really enjoyed that corn too, great facial expression!
wow, everything looks fantastic! I love the breads and pastries!
BTW, you look FAB!
That sounds so fun! I never get to do cool things like that…what I get for always living in tiny towns!
Strangely, I’m not a huge beer person either, but lately I’ve found it sooo delicious and refreshing! It’s nice late summer treat I guess. I like it because it fills me up and I don’t overdo it…which can sometimes happen with wine and me
Wow we don’t have organic festivals in Mexico so sad! It looks amazing!
And you look so skinny ! I don’t think u need to lose ANYTHING
Hey dear!
That display of bread has me drooling. I could totally live off of bread the rest of my life and be 100% content.
You are lucky you aren’t a beer fanatic. I NEVER used to be, but then somehow I acquired the love of beer. At least you won’t get a beer gut
Leave that to me!
I just adore bread – yum, yum, yum! We never have neat things like that in our town. We have the soybean festival. . .
I’ve never had beets before. I just don’t know if I could do beetroot juice!
The festival looks like so much fun! I’m realizing that I did not enjoy enough corn this year… Your post also reminds me that I was going to look into some organic wine… How did it taste?
We have a HUGE Farmers’ Market downtown. But, the biggest “foodie” events are probably the classes and evening events held by Whole Foods.
The Brits DO know how to do cheese! That is something I miss so much…people laugh when I call it “mature cheddar” haha.
The festival looks really fun. I don’t know if there’s anything like that in Minneapolis. Hmm.
Was Duchy Originals represented at the fair?
Sounds like a great festival, Id really love to go to one sometime. Unfortunately we dont get any over here.
Glad you enjoyed it, looked to be a beautiul day as well
. I love yeo valley yogurt to, sometimes if I buy the plain version its nice to stir in some agave 
it looks like you had a really fun day
and i love fresh corn on the cob…so delicious and summery!
Wonderful!! Ha, I wouldn’t have eaten my fee in yogurt too
I’ve never been to the UK, but ohman, the cheese we had in Germany/France and surrounding areas was SO good. I’m a total cheese snob now as a result 
I can only imagine what real British cheddar would be like. My mom buys the imported stuff sometimes, but it’s expensive!
We have a whiskey festival here! I have yet to go but I hear it’s a good time
Michelle @ A Shade of Gray: The beet juice I tried was mixed with apple, and it was pretty good! I don’t like “whole” beets, so I need to cut the taste with something. At home I used carrots and lemon with apple and that was good. Pure beet root juice probably isn’t my thing!
Andrea@WellnessNotes: The wine was good! The man said that organic wine is just like any other; there will be grapes that you prefer over other ones and therefore there is still a variety of tastes.
Linda: No, Duchy Originals wasn’t there for some reason. I think they were last year though, as was Green & Black’s! It seemed to be a lot more local, small businesses this year on the whole.
The festival looks so much fun! I wish we had something like that around here. Unfortunately the only food festival I have been to is BBQ, haha.
That event must have been amazing! I’ve had organic merlot and it was some of the best wine I’ve tasted!
That is so cool!! I wish we had something like that here. Someone was just telling me recently that we have all sorts of other food festivals in Raleigh. Unfortunately I can’t think of what they are other than the Greek festival! It looks like you were having nice weather, too. The picture of Matthew in bed and your comment cracked me up.
AWww! That festival looks soo fun!!! I would have been all over those beef burgers too!!
And free apples?! Dream land! HA! I loveeeeeeeee that apple season is coming around!!
HAPPY SUNDAY AND MONDAY LARA! LOVE YOUUU MAMA!
I just love your face Lara. You have amazing cheekbones and are such a natural beauty.
That looks like such a good time! I love the corn – looks sooooo yum!
Wow, that looks like an incredible experience!!! How fun!!!
That looks like such a great event!
What a fun festival…CD would have gone for the beer/burger combo as well.
You and Matthew are so cute. Hope things are going well with the moving plans. I want you closer to me…although CA is still far away. Maybe I can talk CD into a CA race next year!
oh my gosh, that photo with the corn on the cob is classic! i love it. you guys are adorable. that festival looks AMAZING, what a fun time!! we have food events now and then, i love to attend them to learn new things!
I love all of the pics!! Your burger/corn look awesome!! I need to look it up – I feel certain Atlanta has something and would love to go to something like this!!
This looks like SO much fun! I especially like the “Beet It” juice……punny
And your expression looks like you are giving the corn a good old fashioned scolding:
“CORN, WHY are you so DELICIOUS?? You DELICIOUS CORN, you!”
Wow, everything looks so good, especially the bread table and the beer!
What a fun time!! Those baked goods definitely would have been tempting!
I just have to tell you you have amazing legs Lara!
OH WOW! Everything looks incredible – especially the bread table. I’m a sucker for artisan bread.FREE APPLES?!
Uhhh… we have foodie events over here.. but not like that lol!
I live in Saudi Arabia so there are definitely no fun, foodie events in my area….not in the whole country! I would love to try that beet root juice, what a great addition to juices!
Looks like a giant farmers market. I love stuff like that!
Looks like a lot of FUN!
I haven’t done any festival of anykind in a few years…. maybe the local fair but it’s not focused on healhty things!
good for you!
Looks like a lot of fun! I can never pass up corn like that either… it so good!
I didn’t realize it until about two weeks ago, but my parents saved our wedding cake. I opened their big freezer in the garage and pulled it out the other day. I plan on pulling it out for good to eat and then toss on our next anniversary. It will be year #3 so the cake may be a goner by then. Sounds like you had a fun day!