Thame shines in ‘the great British Food Revolution’

HAPPY faces, satisfied stallholders, visitors going home with bags of foodie goodies, queues at the cash machines (one running out of money), quality live music all day, VIP chefs demonstrating, home bakers of Thame excelling and glorious sunshine all day – the perfect ingredients for the best Thame Food Festival ever – and that’s official.

Vibeke Jepsen, Thame’s Top Baker, with her KitchenAid prize

The numbers are in, and final figures show that 25,000 visitors thronged to Thame’s High Street on Saturday (26/09), from all over the local area and as far afield as Oxford, London, Holland, Belgium, France, Australia – and Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Comments on social media from some of the 200 plus food producers that took part confirm that it was “A Fantastic day” – “A resounding success” – “Well done to all the team involved in making @thamefoodfest happen, thank you for a great day” – “Really nice food n drinks fantastic atmosphere!” – “Thank you @thamefoodfest Alison and the entire set up/clean up crew! What a cracking day-cheers people of Thame! You rock!” – And from festival Patron, Raymond Blanc himself: “What a wonderful day & great @thamefoodfest, quality local produce, great ambiance & what a joy to be part of this British food revolution.”

The yumminess on offer included teas, artisan cheeses, oils, beers, specialist breads, curries from India, Tibet; a smoothie bike to power your own choice of ingredients, coffees; BBQ, meats, cakes, sweets and heaps more. Many stallholders actually sold out, including Croome Quisine, Just Rachel Icecream and Zanni’s Bakery and Woodredding Cider. Workshops were available for cooks of all ages wanting to learn some tricks of the trade at cake decorating, and four separate wine talks by The Wine Tipster himself, Neil Phillips, at the Thame Players Theatre.  Neil’s tips included pairing wines with cheese and how to learn to taste wine correctly and how to store and serve wines properly.

Ready to serve cake and tea at the Town Hall Cafe

Local providers from Thame High Street itself included Newitts, What’s Cooking; a Pop up bar run by The James Figg; Pop up cafe in the town hall, run by Thame Belles WI, selling the wonderful entries in the Big Thame Bake competition, and Belazu’s Popup restaurant at Christchurch in Upper High Street.

An army of volunteers or ‘Thame Foodie Friends’ were on site from 6am in the morning marshalling stallholders to their spots for the day, and generally offering help and information throughout the event to help things run smoothly. The Community groups area included Community stalls promoting the work of Florence Nightingale Hospice, Thame Twinning Association, Great British High Street, Thame Remembers, Thame Lions and Thame Roundtable.

The first ever Big Thame Bake was a triumph and after the judging, all the entries were sliced up available to buy with a cup of tea at the Town Hall Tea Room, once all the winners had been presented with certificates by a procession of celebrity chefs such Adam Johnson – Executive Pastry Chef at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Miranda Gore Browne and more finalists from the Great British Bake Off than you can shake a wooden spoon at, including Frances Quinn, plus Natalie Coleman who won BBC One’s MasterChef 2013 – all overseen by Thame’s own food writter, Jane Hornby (above left with Lotte Duncan) on the interview stage.

Clegg’s winning cake

The winner of the Business category was John Clegg and Co, Forestry Agents, from Princes Risborough, with Petals of Thame, taking the Runner Up’s certificate, but the overall, Best Baker award went to Vibeke Jepsen, with her amazing strawberry tarts.

Festival patron Lotte Duncan, who like the chefs taking part in the event, and the band of directors and volunteers supporting it, give their time for nothing to put on the free festival, said that this year’s had surpassed everyone’s expectations.

“The atmosphere this year was simply stunning,” said Lotte. “We were completely bowled over by how many people came to Thame and the appreciation they showed for what they found. Everyone who came loved the good food and drink that was on offer, the fabulous producers, the chefs and experts they listened and talked to, and really got into the festival spirit. Everyone was smiling, laughing and having a brilliant time,” she said.

This, the eighth Thame Food Festival, was the culmination of collaboration between community groups, the Thame business community, local organising expertise, busy professionals from the hospitality industry and willing volunteers, that is so typical of the way Thame pulls together and draws in the co-operation of everyone approached, to promote the town for the benefit of everyone who visit, lives and works in the town.

The final word must go to Rob Leonard, who tweets as @Rob_Leonard: “The Thame Food Festival. I think this is where I want to go when I die.”

The bar was set high this year but the ‘can do’ spirit of Thame will no doubt rise to the challenge and make 2016 even more spectacular.

MORE PICTURES FROM THE FESTIVAL HERE  and HERE

NB A set of keys were found that had been left on a stall close to Sainsbury’s, and have been deposited with the Aga shop in Upper High Street)