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How to launch your own local food and drink festival

Launching and running your own local food and drink festival can be a rewarding and exciting project, but it requires careful planning and organisation. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Define the Concept and Vision

Theme and Purpose: Decide what the festival will celebrate, such as local cuisine, street food, drinks (beer, wine, cocktails), or cultural food traditions.

Target Audience: Who are you trying to attract? Families, foodies, or local residents? Tailor your event to their preferences.

Location: Choose a suitable venue – it could be an open field, park, town centre, or local community hall.

Duration: Will it be a one-day event, weekend, or longer? Consider the logistics of running it over multiple days. Consider running events that are relevant to the time of year. For example a Christmas Food and Drink Festival, Harvest Festival, Valentine's Day, etc.

2. Planning and Permits

Budget: Outline your budget, considering costs for venue, marketing, vendors, security, utilities, and entertainment. Factor in income sources like ticket sales, vendor fees, and sponsorships.

Licences and Permits: Contact local authorities to obtain necessary permits for food sales, alcohol (if applicable), and events in public spaces. This could include a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) if you're in the UK.

Health and Safety: Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. You'll need proper sanitation, waste disposal, and first aid arrangements.

Insurance: Get public liability insurance to cover any accidents or damages during the festival.

3. Vendor Recruitment

Local Food and Drink Businesses: Invite local restaurants, food trucks, farmers, and brewers to set up stalls. This could give them a great platform to showcase their offerings.

Vendor Selection: Curate a diverse range of food and drink offerings. You might want a mix of traditional, experimental, and international cuisines.

Vendor Agreements: Set clear terms with vendors regarding fees, space allocation, and responsibilities (e.g., waste management).

4. Entertainment and Activities

Music and Performances: Hire local bands, DJs, or cultural performers to keep attendees entertained.

Workshops: Offer cooking classes, wine or beer tastings, or food pairing events.

Competitions: Organise food-related competitions like cooking challenges, best dish awards, or eating contests.

5. Marketing and Promotion

Branding: Develop a logo and overall aesthetic for the festival. This can help create buzz and a recognisable identity.

Social Media: Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to engage with the community. Share behind-the-scenes content, vendor profiles, and sneak peeks.

Flyers and Posters: Distribute physical promotional materials in local businesses, cafes, and community centres.

Press Coverage: Reach out to local media for coverage and to feature your festival in event listings.

Early Bird Tickets: Offer early discounts to generate early interest and confirm attendance.

6. Logistics and Operations

Ticketing: Decide if your event will be ticketed or free. If ticketed, ensure an easy process for buying and managing tickets, including online and in-person options.

Event Layout: Plan the flow of foot traffic, location of stalls, eating areas, and entertainment stages. Make sure the space is accessible and easy to navigate.

Security and Staffing: Hire security for crowd control, alcohol regulations, and general safety. Recruit volunteers or staff to help with ticketing, cleaning, and customer service.

Waste Management: Provide plenty of bins and recycling stations. Arrange for cleaning crews before, during, and after the event.

7. Day-of Coordination

Vendor Setup: Ensure vendors arrive and set up on time. Have a festival coordinator who can manage any last-minute issues.

Crowd Control: Have clear signage and pathways for ease of movement, and make sure entry and exit points are well-managed.

Health and Safety: Ensure first aid stations are set up, and have a dedicated health and safety officer present.

Event Timings: Keep to a schedule for entertainment and activities. Announcements should be made at regular intervals to keep people informed.

8. Post-Event Wrap-Up

Clean-Up: Ensure all waste is properly disposed of and that the venue is returned to its original condition.

Vendor Feedback: Collect feedback from vendors and attendees to understand what worked well and what could be improved for future events.

Financial Reconciliation: Tally up expenses and income to see how the event performed financially.

Thank Yous: Send thank-you notes or emails to sponsors, vendors, staff, and volunteers for their support.

9. Future Planning

Document Learnings: Take note of key successes and challenges for future reference.

Build Community Engagement: Keep the momentum going by building a community around the festival with regular updates, social media posts, and planning for next year’s event.

Tips for Success:

Start Small: If it's your first event, start small and build up over time.

Engage the Community: Work with local councils, businesses, and community groups to ensure support and involvement.

Sustainability: Consider making your festival eco-friendly by encouraging reusable items, reducing plastic, and providing recycling options.

With careful planning and a strong community focus, your local food and drink festival can be a fantastic experience for everyone involved!

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Lindores Abbey Distillery Celebrates It's Historic French Links with A New Single Malt 'Thiron'

Lindores Abbey, Fife: Offers A new chapter in whisky, rooted in history

Lindores Abbey Distillery has announced the launch of its first bottle in an annual series of limited releases celebrating its historic links with the abbey at Thiron-Gardais, a small town in the Perche region, southwest of Paris.

The bottling celebrates 833 years of historic links between Lindores Abbey and l'Abbaye de Tiron. The mediaeval abbey at Thiron-Gardais (founded 1109) is the mother abbey of all Tironensian abbeys, including Lindores and Kelso. Friar John Cor was a Tironensian monk of Lindores, and it is he who was famously ordered in 1494 to make aqua vitae for the king.

The spirit has been matured in red wine barriques, bourbon casks, and virgin French oak casks taken from trees grown in the Thiron-Gardais area. Lindores Abbey Distillery places great importance on environmental preservation and has arranged for oak trees to be planted around Thiron-Gardais to replace those used to create the casks for the French bottling.

The spirit (49.4% ABV) is non-chill filtered, and has initial notes of mellow vanilla, caramel syrup and baking spices, giving way to ginger and roasted chestnuts. The smoothy, silky texture is synonymous with the character of Lindores spirit.

The design of the bottle pays homage to the beautiful columns and architecture of both abbeys while the cork bears the inscription “May Our Roots Be Forever Intertwined,” the same message which appears in French on a plaque gifted to the French village by the McKenzie Smith family on a visit to Thiron.

Drew McKenzie Smith, MD and Founder of Lindores Abbey Distillery, commented: “This release is the first in a series of annual limited bottlings which will celebrate the links between our two great abbeys. Without the monks of Thiron-Gardais and the knowledge they passed on to the monks who founded Lindores, the story of whisky as we know it today could be entirely different. We want to pay homage to our unique history and create a wonderful spirit which showcases the mastery of the Lindores' team's skills.”

We at That's Food and Drink believe this needs to be given pride of place in the Christmas drinks cabinet. 

Gordon Ramsay Wines Adds Pinot Grigio to Its range

Gordon Ramsay has added a crisp and refreshing new Pinot Grigio to his collection, created in partnership with world-famous winemaker Alberto Antonini.

The collection combines globally renowned chef and restaurateur Gordon's passion with the heart and soul of Italian winemaking, joining Gordon Ramsay Intenso Rosso red wine, on the shelves. 

Available in Tesco (RRP: £8.50) Gordon Ramsay Pinot Grigio is crafted with the same passion and precision Gordon brings to his culinary creations, and he recommends it is perfectly paired with linguine al pesto or a charcuterie board.

The wine truly reflects Ramsay's commitment to excellence. With a soft yet dry taste, it offers a refreshing palate experience, featuring notes of ripe pear and citrus fruits. 

This stunning addition to the collection is made using grapes sourced from vineyards on the picturesque hills of Colli Berici, south of Vicenza in north-eastern Italy.

These have been carefully hand-harvested from late August to early September to ensure optimal ripeness and flavour. This 2023 vintage, which was an outstanding year for Pinot Grigio, comes from the renowned Delle Venezie Denominazione Di Origine Controllata (DOC) region.

Alberto Antonini's contemporary approach to winemaking resonated deeply with Gordon and their partnership led to the creation of wines from Italy's best wine growing regions.

The Gordon Ramsay Pinot Grigio is available at Tesco, RRP: £8.50.

Gordon Ramsay Pinot Grigio was recently blind-tasted by four Masters of Wine and awarded Gold at The Drinks Business Global Pinot Grigio Masters 2024.