Rochdale Food and Drink Festival will deliver an extra tasty line-up when the event is staged for the first time on Saturday, 24 March 2018 inside and around the famous town hall.
The festival will be open from 10am- 6pm with a food and drink village and more than 40 traders selling delicious dishes, fantastic street food, pop-up shops, bars and much more.
Outside there will be live music alongside mouth-watering fare from around the North West, including meaty, veggie and vegan delights, combining a mix of healthy choices and tempting treats.
Visitors can take their pick from naan sandwiches, Italian tapas, salads, and delicious wood-fired pizzas. There will also be Chinese, Thai and Pan Asian street food, gourmet burgers, fusion quesadillas and homemade pies. For those with a sweet tooth there will be pancakes and churros available.
There will be plenty of conveniently-located bars selling a range of alcoholic and soft drinks. The popular Bubble Box Prosecco Bar returns to Rochdale accompanied by cool cocktail and gin bars.
Inside the Grade 1 listed town hall – one of the most magnificent municipal buildings in England – there will be lots of stalls selling food and gifts to take home, including cheeses, chutneys, relishes, Indian street food, Caribbean cakes, muffins, artisan chocolates, black puddings, fudge and desserts.
On the ground floor of the town hall the elegant reception room will be transformed into a 1920’s-themed bar for the day hosting a series of free workshops every hour from 11am, including ‘Wonderful Wines’, ‘The Gin Experience,’ and ‘Cocktail Making Like a Pro.’ Looking for something even sweeter? Claire Gilbertson, founder and creator of Mr Bee and Mr Bat, the artisan chocolatier from Heywood, will be demonstrating how to make and decorate delicious handmade chocolate truffles.
In the festival kitchen Jean-Christophe Novelli, Nisha Katona, Andrew Nutter and Tom McNeeney will be cooking live, with 40-minute demonstrations scheduled. If you don’t manage to grab a ticket for one of these 7 demonstrations there’ll be a free seating area to watch the chefs on screen and soak up the festival atmosphere.
CBeebies ‘I Can Cook’ presenter Katy Ashworth is promising to bring her energetic burst of silliness and family fun to the indoor stage – with shows at 10.30am and 1:30pm aimed at children and grown-ups packed with games, sing-a-long songs and laughter, learning about where food comes from through music and imagination.
Rochelle the Healthy Hero will also be making an appearance on the day, serving up advice and tips on healthy eating for you and your family.
