Hertford Food & Drink Festival 2012

Hertford Town Council is staging the town's first food and drink festival on the weekend of the 12th to 14th October 2012.

The event features markets, brewery tours, cooking demonstrations and a fresh food picture trail sponsored by Waitrose.

The town's mayor, Cllr Sartin said "I am pleased that Hertford is showcasing the excellent food and drink offer that the town has. The range of businesses involved in the event is impressive, ranging from a start-up business selling hampers to long established businesses such as McMullens Brewery, who will be providing tours of their brewery".

"It is good to see a range of local organisations supporting the event with their own activities. We have Courtyard Arts’ exhibition with a food theme, Hertford Library hosting a display of old recipes and Hertford Museum running an event for children on food through the ages. East Herts Council are working with the Farmers Market which takes place during the Festival to give it an Apple Day twist."

Cllr Sartin also thanked Waitrose and Lussmanns, the award-winning restaurant in Fore Street, for sponsoring the First Hertford Food and Drink Festival, and the Hertfordshire Mercury for being the media partner.

Sponsor Andrei Lussmann said: "it's great to support the inaugural food & drink festival where localism of what we eat and where it comes from is fast becoming an essential part of everyday living".

Sunday 14th October is St Andrew Street Day

The focus will be on St Andrew Street on Sunday 14th October when businesses are planning a range of activities as part of the first Hertford Food and Drink Festival which complement the St Andrews Church Harvest Festival activities on that day.

Following the Harvest Festival at St Andrews Church starting at 10.30am a light lunch and produce sales is being organised by the Church.

From 12 noon Clover Kitchens and John Cooper Agas will be holding cookery demonstrations by professional chefs in their showrooms in Beckwith's at 43 St Andrew Street. Clover Kitchens will be showcasing the results of steam combination cooking technology by Swiss company V-zug.

Alongside the Cookery Demonstrations Carol Deacon from Ware, author of Holiday Cakes and Cupcakes, published in September will also be demonstrating her cake decoration designs and selling copies of her book. There will also be a range of stalls selling specialist food and drink products including speciality teas and coffees.

Across the road at the new Arthaus Galleries there will be wine tastings and talks arranged by the Vine Shop, the knowledgeable wine merchant located in the High Street in Ware.

Brewery Tours

McMullens will be holding two tours of their Brewery in Old Cross on Friday 12th October at 10am and 12 noon. There is a limit on the numbers for these tours so tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets are available from the Tourist Information Centre in Market Place (01992 584322) at a cost of £5 per person. Half of the ticket proceeds will go to the Mayor of Hertford's Charities.

The Festival, which is being organised by Hertford Town Council, in association with Lussmann's and Waitrose, with support from East Herts Council and Herts Mercury as main media partner, will run over the weekend of the 12-14th October. It will include a special community market in the Bircherley Green Shopping Centre on 13th October which will complement the regular Farmers and Saturday markets. Cookery demonstrations will be held in the town centre on Saturday 13th October.

A programme of events is available from the Town & Tourist Information Centre in Market Place.