BANK HOLIDAY FEAST-IVAL!

Come to central Bristol for the opening weekend of Food Connections, Bristol Green Capital’s flagship event, which will kick off with a bumper weekend of Bank Holiday events! The city centre will burst into life with an incredible line-up of free and ticketed events and bustling markets all across the centre of town. It’s going to be glorious!

  • Feasting and festivities at The Orangery at College Green
  • Fascinating BBC food talks at The IMAX theatre
  • The Producers Market at College Green, where you can sample the best of the West!
  • Go around the world in 50 flavours at the Street Food Market in Millennium Square
  • Stretch your green-fingers with the kids at Grow Festival, College Green
  • Fancy a career in food? Hear from the pros in our ‘Business of Pleasure‘ At-Bristol talks series
  • Don’t miss the cookery demonstrations at Over at the Lab

The Orangery, Food Connections’ pop-up event hub on College Green, will host a number of ‘Feasting & Festivities’ events: from an Ark of Taste Slow Food banquet cooked by celebrity chefs Tom Hunt, Giorgio Locatelli and Thomasina Miers to a huge ‘Eat-In’ where people from all walks of life will bring a dish to share around a communal table whilst exchanging ideas and opinions about Bristol’s local food system.

As part of Food Connections’ partnership with the BBC, a series of food themed talks and live recordings will take place in the IMAX theatre. These free events, curated by the BBC, will feature Rick Stein and Simon Hopkinson discussing their lives in food, a tribute to Jane Grigson, and many more.

On College Green and in Millennium Square, you’ll be able to sample a cornucopia of the very best produce the West has to offer. The Food Connections Producers Market on College Green will feature over 40 stalls with everything from charcuterie to cheese, cider to chocolate.

On Sunday, May 3rd in the Orangery, some of the West and Wales’ best producers will compete to win an incredible £100,000 prize, funded by The Seed Fund and supported by First Great Western. We need your help - come along and taste test the shortlisted produce and help the judging panel to pick a winner!

And then over in Millennium Square, take a taste trip across the globe at the Food Connections Street Food Market, with award-winning street food from all over the world! Grab a dish, pull up a pew and listen to some laid-back music throughout the weekend – what could be better?

The Grow Festival, taking place on College Green from May 2nd to May 4th, is one of Food Connections’ biggest events. Supported by Riverford Organic, Grow will feature an inspiring programme of talks, activities and workshops designed to reconnect people and planet. Local experts and organisations will give talks on a whole host of topics including aquaponics, bee-keeping and composting. Children of all ages will be treated to hands on cookery and craft classes hosted by At-Bristol, Riverford and the Children’s University, as well as live performances across the festival.

For those keen to turn their passion for food into a career, there will be a series of talks and seminars in At-Bristol. ‘The Business of Pleasure’ will cover everything from blogging to entrepreneurship, with advice from the best in the business.

You’ll be able to see cookery demos at Over at the Lab on the harbourside - the hub for Bristol 2015, European Green Capital. There will be live cookery demonstrations throughout the weekend with chefs from across Bristol and the South West covering a whole host of topics from filleting fish to cooking for health.

So head into Bristol City Centre this May bank holiday for one massive celebration of food, with everything from banquets to workshops to street food. Come together and be inspired by the wealth of pioneering food initiatives in our city!