October's 9 best food and drink festivals

Matt Nixon finds the food and drink festivals on hand to help us strap in for the chillier season around the corner, with warm bellies and high spirits

Hashtag food love: the Tiny Rebel Newport food fest

It’s a bit nippy. So thank goodness for food, glorious food to help us make the transition into the colder season.

Grab a burger at one of Hertford food festival’s many stalls

Hertford Food and Drink Festival, Hertford, until 8 tomorrow

For three days explore Hertford’s culinary offerings, from Richard Holden’s barbecue masterclasses and live cookery demonstrations from celebrity chef Jean-Christophe Novelli. Inside McMullen’s 200-year-old brewery, indulge in four-course lunches carefully paired with select beers and wines.

On the cobbles try organic slider burgers, wings and cocktails, or try Italian charcuterie, cheeses and olives. On the final day, head to Hertford castle to sip on local and national beers, ales and ciders. Visit: hertford.gov.uk/events/-hertford-food-and-drink-festival-332/

Time to go sausage-crazy in Suffolk

The Great Framlingham Sausage Festival, Suffolk, 8 October

Perhaps the porkiest event on our list, the Great Framlingham Sausage Festival has a sausage trail full of local pork. You can spend the day sampling sausages all made in East Anglia with local ingredients and mouthwatering recipes. It all ends with attendees voting for the best banger. Set in one of England’s most historic and beautiful market towns, there is also family entertainment, barbecues, and sausage-making sessions where you can learn how to get the most flavours out of your meat. Tickets are £5 from: framlinghamsausagefestival.com/

Homemade jams at the Stone food and drink festival

Stone Food & Drink Festival, Staffordshire, 6-8 October

Expect classic British delicacies like organic pork belly, and a range of mouthwatering international cuisines, like sizzling hot Mexican fajitas served with nachos at Stone’s site. On top of that all there’s a range of real ales and ciders, and a variety of entertainment from pub quizzes to live music and cookery demonstrations. Tickets from £7 at stonefooddrink.org.uk

An olive oil-soaked stand at Newport’s Tiny Rebel festival

Tiny Rebel Newport Food and Drink Festival, Newport, today

This October marks Newport’s seventh year and will welcome 80 traders offering the best produce Wales has to offer, from Glamorgan sausage to fresh cockles or leek soup. There’s a range of food to munch on as you watch live chef demos, visit city stalls, and sip on local brewer Tiny Rebel’s range of beers. Better yet, it’s all free. To find out more visit: newport.gov.uk/newportFoodFestival

No elbows on the table at the London restaurant fest

London Restaurant Festival, London, until 31 October

Now in its ninth year, the London Restaurant Festival provides a chance for bespoke dining experiences, all without breaking the bank throughout the month. There are more than 250 menus, ranging from street food Michelin-starred restaurants. Highlights include Petrus by Gordon Ramsay, The Goring Dining Room, and Club Gascon, all of which are putting special offers of £25 to £50 a head for three- and four-course meals. Just be sure to book your tables early at londonrestaurantfestival.com/

Deli delights fill the fridge at Barnsley’s Flavours festival

Flavours Food Fest, Barnsley, 14-15 October

When The Great British Bake Off’s own Nadiya Hussain is on the billing, you know it’s going to be a treat. Here there are more than 60 food and drinks stalls and demonstrations from an array of expert chefs sharing their recipes. Tickets start at £5 from elsecar-heritage.com/flavours-food-fest

Sweet and savoury, yes, but no meat in sight at VegfestUK

VegfestUK London, London, 21-22 October

Despite its lack of meat, VegFestUK attracted more than 9,000 people in two days last year, so for the festival’s fifth year in the capital, you can expect everything to be even bigger (but not beefier). With 200 stalls in its market hub, there is an impressive range of food and drink products alongside bodycare, cosmetics and fashion items. Even if you aren’t vegetarian or vegan, this festival offers a chance to try something new. Pre-booked tickets are £8 from vegfest.co.uk

Glasgow is switched on to the BBC’s Good Food

BBC Good Food Show Scotland, Glasgow, 20-22 October

Eating like a local, visiting pop-up restaurants and bars, and meeting celebrity chefs like Tom Kitchin and the Hairy Bikers is just a flavour of all you can expect at BBC’s flagship event in Glasgow. There will be a wealth of cooking knowledge, culinary flair, and a range of food and drink to try – such as jasmine smoked trout available in the SEC centre. Keep an eye out for visiting restaurants and bars The Drugstore Social, Two Fat Ladies, and Red Onion. Tickets start at £20 a day from: bbcgoodfoodshow.com/glasgow

For better or wurst: amazing food at Crewe

Crewe Cosmopolitan Food Festival, Crewe, 29 October

With the world’s most historic railway station, quaint old Crewe offers a cosmopolitan mix of food, celebrating the cultural diversity in our modern world. At one moment, you might be enjoying some British scones and tea, the next you can be munching on a spicy Indian curry. The icing on the cake? Entry is free. Got to foodfestivalfinder.co.uk/events/crewe-cosmopolitan-food-festival