Thame’s ‘food fest’ this weekend! Info here to plan your day

THERE’S sure to be plenty to feast on in Thame this Saturday when the town holds its annual food festival and the streets will be laden with good things to eat and drink.

Lotte Duncan and Ken Bruce will both be among the celebrities at this year’s Thame Food Festival

Celebrity chefs cooking up mouth-watering dishes, hands-on workshops and live entertainment, plus terrific street food will all be on offer from 9am to 5pm in the town centre.

The food festival takes over the whole of the town centre so it’s impossible to miss! Stalls are piled high with everything from charcuterie, chillies and cheeses; teas, local ales and ciders and irresistible cakes and cookies – all along both sides of the High Street and Cornmarket, right through to the Upper High Street, with an information point at Montesson Square. For a welcome pit-stop, you can visit the James Figg pub and The Thatch pop-up pub next to the town hall.

The main demo stage, sponsored by AGA, is right outside their shop in the Upper High Street, with Edd Kimber and John Whaite from BBC Two’s The Great British Bake Off getting things off to a flying start at 10am, with Adam Simmonds, Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, Raymond Blanc, Sophie Grigson, David Mooney, Simon Brown and Lotte Duncan hot on their heels. See the full line-up here http://www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk/line-up-on-the-demo-and-interview-stages/

A second helping will then be dished up on the interview stage, sponsored by Belmond Le Manoir aux quat’Saisons, in front of the town hall, where festival patron, TV chef and writer Lotte Duncan will be putting the chefs through their paces. Tom Kerridge from the two Michelin star restaurant, the Hand & Flowers in Marlow, will take to the stage at 12 noon, with BBC Radio Two presenter, Ken Bruce, on at 2.15pm, in between compèring the demo stage.

Watch the chefs from the Raymond Blanc Cookery School battle it out with students from Aylesbury College on the demo stage at 4.30pm and get the latest cookery books signed by their authors immediately after each interview at the pop-up book shop, kindly provided by The Bookhouse, next to the interview stage.

Be sure to book your place at one of the great food and drink workshops by going to http://www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk/workshops-and-talks, clicking on Workshops & Talks and then chose from the drop-down list of events. Take the family to the town hall at 3.30pm for sausage-making with Ricky Jeffrey from The Egg House, and come away with your own packet of freshly made bangers!

How about trying your hand at bread shaping with The Cornfield Bakery at 11.30am; pasta making with the CiCi CoCo Cookery School at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 2.30pm; chocolate and wine matching with fabulous chocolates from Rumsey’s Chocolaterie and Neil Phillips, The Wine Tipster, at 2.30pm and round off the day by savouring some superb Champagnes from Jacquart at 3.30pm. Most workshops cost just a few pounds and many are free to enjoy. Make a beeline for either the town hall or the function room above The Swan for the workshops, and both the Stonewold Gallery and the Thame Players Theatre for the talks.

To make way for all these goodies, the whole of the town centre will be closed to traffic for the day but there’s easy access into Thame on foot and you can leave the car at the Thame Showground. Look out for the special Park and Ride signs on all major routes and take the Chinnor Rugby Club entrance into the showground. The full address is The Thame Showground, Kingsey Road, Thame, Oxfordshire, OX9 3JL and for Satnavs the postcode is OX9 3JL.

Here you can park for just £4 for the day and take the free Park and Ride to and from town. Keep your eyes peeled for celebrity bus driver Ken Bruce, who will be behind the wheel of one of the four London Routemaster buses ferrying visitors to and from the festival between 8.30am and 6pm.

The park and ride isn’t suitable for disabled visitors, but there is parking for Blue Badge holders in the town centre, using the Cross Keys or Rising Sun roundabouts. Simply show your blue badge to the security guard who will give you access to the parking bays.

“Thame Food Festival is a wonderful showcase of local, artisan and unique produce and a truly special day that deserves all of our support,” says festival ambassador Raymond Blanc OBE. “My team and I are delighted to be involved again this year. Come and join us on a grand gastronomic tour to meet incredible growers and producers and be inspired by truly talented chefs. Good food, good wine and good company – you will find it all in Thame. I can’t think of anything better. Enjoy the festival.”

The Thame Food Festival takes place from 9am to 5pm, this coming Saturday, September 27, in the heart of Thame town centre. www.thamefoodfestival.co.uk