The Big Feastival 2013: A Review

I've just come back from a wonderful weekend at The Big Feastival. My head is FULL of foodie inspiration, must-have products to look out for, funny moments and musical surprises. I've also come back feeling more educated about the food we eat, where it comes from and what issues we face longterm unless we think more wisely about how we feed ourselves.

So what is The Big Feastival? Put simply it's a celebration of great food and music in a family friendly environment, which helps raise money for the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation. It's hosted by Alex James (from Blur) and Jamie Oliver in Alex James' gorgeous home in the Cotwolds. This year it was held over the weekend of 31st Aug and 1st Sept with grounds being open to campers and glampers from the Friday night. This is my review of the Big Feastival with highlights and photos. I had a wonderful weekend and hope to go again next year... and see you there!

My fiance and I had weekend tickets to The Big Feastival and stayed in a nearby cottage in Charlbury, just a 10 minute train journey to Kingham which is where The Big Festival is held. Tickets for The Big Feastival go up closer to the time and are slightly more for on the day entry (this year it was £65 for an adult day ticket on the door). My advice would be to book as early as possible, they are offering earlybird tickets for 2014 for two weeks only (that's only another week left) so for the best deal book ahead. The roads and parking seemed really well organised and we were surprised how calm it all was; I had insisted on getting the train as I wanted the option of having a drink at the amazing Bar stars and also didn't fancy the hassle of driving and parking. But when we got there the traffic was fine so that's a bonus to anyone thinking of driving next year. I'm glad we got the train to Kingham however as it was so easy! The guides were right... it's literally a three-minute walk from the station and the train times were regular up until 10pm.

We arrived by 10.15 on the Saturday morning and excitedly picked up our weekend passes, the queues were small and there was no hassle at all - it was really well done. First things first was to buy a programme, I quite like a keepsake to take home and it also had loads of extra information about the stalls, artists and chefs attending, the plan was to pick up a cup of coffee and plan out what we wanted to do. The layout of the Feastival was great, you had the little dudes den area with loads of activities going on for the children including a great educational and farm animal area from Cotwolds Farm Park, a 'family food big top' from Tesco which had sing-alongs and children friendly cooking demos. You also had music and drama workshops held in the little dudes den itself, not forgetting the Funfair and Kids Bazaar. In the adjoining field you had a great selection of food stalls, pop up restaurants and bars on either side, as well as a Webber BBQ picnic area. Further along was the main stage with plenty of space around it for music fans and picnic blankets. Towards the top of the field you then had a huge selection of artisan stalls selling great produce and of course giving plenty of tasters and last but not least was the area we spent most of our time; the Electrolux Big Kitchen and chefs secrets area. There was so much to do, whether you were a family or not which was great as it kept everyone happy. It also had a relaxed atmosphere so if you didn't fancy getting involved in all the goings on you could easily roll out your picnic blanket and just chill out in the sun (yes we were very lucky to have FAB weather!).

Here is a photo diary of what we got up to (Get ready for LOADS of photos):

The table sessions

This was great! I watched a ganache macaron masterclass, learned how to make wholegrain mustard with Rosie Makes Jam and attended a Q&A with the Chiappa sisters.

The crowds were pretty small so it meant it was easy to get involved and had an intimate feel. Great for foodies wanting to learn more while there. I really loved this idea.

The Food and Drink

We had so much choice when it came to food. There were plenty of pulled pork options woohoo! So I was predictable and had it both days but from different stalls!

The price for each meal was between £6 to £7 which is pretty good considering the quality and size of the portions. We were kept full all day after each meal and didn't get hungry again until the evening.

Alcoholic drinks ranged from £3 to £6 depending what you had, which is standard compared to pubs and bars at home. There were also plenty of soft drinks and tea and coffee available. My advice would be to take a large bottle of water or squash with you (we did) otherwise you'll be looking at paying £1-£3 for water. My fiance picked up a deal in the coconut water stall so we drank plenty of that all weekend too!

The Music

Being a food blogger the main focus for me was the demos and food stalls, we were up early each morning and walked two miles to the train station so were ready for bed by 8pm each evening (lame I know!). We missed a lot of the headline acts because of this, but two of the best surprises were Duke and the Cuban Brothers. They were so good people would just stop in their tracks to listen to them, they created a great funky atmosphere and both adults and children couldn't help but tap their feet or wiggle their hips while watching them (including myself). Big thumbs up to these guys. Jamie and Alex even made a surprise guest appearance with the Cuban Brothers which was hilarious!

The Food Stalls and Markets

As we were on a budget, my Fiance reigned me in when it came to the food stalls and markets, and just as well as I could have spent a fortune! We did indulge in ice creams and brownies and I loved the look of some of the oils, fudges, cheese bombs and scotch eggs so have included some photos of them for you to see below.

Electrolux areas

I was so impressed by the events by Electrolux. They had four main areas, Chefs secrets (small hands on tutorials by top chefs), Big Kitchen (live cooking demos by even more top chefs), Mobile academy (adult and children friendly cooking sessions) and Chefs Table (top quality meals made for a select group of lucky people, that you could watch/oggle as they prepared and ate).

I was desperate to get into a chefs secrets course, they proved SO popular that I missed out on the Saturday after queueing twice (the second time I JUST missed out... my heart was going mad with excitement thinking I'd got through but the person in front of me got the last space! I could have cried). Luckily the lovely team at Electrolux managed to get me a space on the Sunday sessions with Simon Hulstone. Advice to anyone attending next year is to either get there ASAP when the gates open or pop round at least an hour before the afternoon sessions (yes that early - that's what I did and I still missed out). There is always the chance that people forget to come back as well so it doesn't hurt to see if you can fill the space of any 'no shows' throughout the day. We were cooking on the inspiration range, with induction hobs and a steam combi oven. We also found out that around half of all Michelin starred restaurants work with electrolux appliances, if you're a regular to the blog you'll know I'm in the middle of a house renovation and the kitchen is one of my priorities, oh how I'd love Electrolux in my kitchen! (hint hint). We made a warm chicken salad with Simon Hulstone (who's restaurant is based in Torquay called The Elephant). One thing I have to point out is how down to earth the chefs were, I was so nervous about meeting them let alone speaking to them after all they are top quality chefs and I'm a wannabe food blogger (their worst nightmare right?!) but they were SO down to earth and nice! There really was a family atmosphere there, with one of Jamie's daughters coming on stage during a demo to give him a kiss goodbye (she was running off somewhere with her friends) and Jules also coming to give him a kiss. And Simon Hulstone's adorable children waiting for him after chefs secrets. One of his older daughters was proudly handing out flyers for his restaurant (SO cute). She thought I was crazy for nearly forgetting to wash my hands after the cooking session. Unfortunately we didn't win the taste test which would have won us a seat at the Chefs Table but we had great fun cooking along anyway.

The Big Kitchen was also great fun! We watched demos from Valentine Warner, Jamie Oliver and Gennaro Contaldo, Craig Flinn, Jamie Oliver and Adam Henson with a quick appearance from DJ BBQ (wearing a rather awesome lycra one piece!), Gizzy Erskine and the Chiappa sisters. I came back with loads of recipes and ingredients I want to try as well as great tips in the kitchen. We loved the cooking demos and these were one of the highlights of the weekend (as well as Chefs secrets).

Cotswolds Farm Park

This area was in amongst all the events geared towards children, but in the late afternoon on the Sunday when we were winding down and had seen most of the things we wanted to see we thought we'd take a look around - for review purposes obviously! The animals there were so cute we nearly ended up taking a piglet and a chick home in my handbag (I refrained from doing this you'll be glad to hear). It was a great hands on experience which was also educational. It really puts things into perspective with regards to animal welfare and I am glad that this is taken seriously in Britain.

The Webber BBQ experience

This was such a great idea! There were demos going on all day about all the delicious things you can do with BBQs like pulled pork and beer can chicken. You also had nearby stalls set around a picnic area where you could buy meat (sausages, burgers and fish), and burger buns, then take them over to a fired up BBQ and cook your own food with advice from the Webber team. All together the Cheeseburger my Fiance had came to £5 which is pretty good value compared to other stalls, and also a great experience.

Things we missed but hope to see next year

We had our mouths shaped for Pizza Pilgrims on the Sunday evening. But as we were walking past them in the late afternoon we were devastated to see they had sold out and were packing up! Gutted! I'd love to try their pizzas if I get another chance.

The Cheese hub was a tent set up with talks and demos about cheese, beers and pairings. It was on our to do list but every time we passed, it was either really full or we were on our way to something else. Definitely one not to miss next time!

And Finally

Just a final note to say Thanks to Jamie Oliver and Alex James for organising such a great, family friendly, delicious and musical event in the idyllic Cotswolds. Jamie Oliver's Foundation is a great charity, and the proceeds raised from the Big Feastival still only manage to pay for four students, so they can always do with more help or donations! When you read into the foundation you realise Jamie is an ambassador (and always has been) for good food for all and supporting young British people so if anything he is perfectly placed to make the comments (which no doubt were taken out of context) so publicly deliberated over in the media recently. Sorry for the cheese overload - I promise it's nearly over... when my Fiance and I lived in Cornwall we regularly ate at Fifteen Cornwall (I'd recommend it) where we learnt more about what the foundation does and it's always been something we admire. We'd Love to go again next year and even one day take our family there (so I can have a better excuse to have a go at all the kiddie stuff). If you're planning to go next year and have any questions or went this year and have any comments please get in touch!

* We were given a pair of weekend tickets in exchange for an honest review. This is not a paid post.