Summer Food Festivals for a European Vacation

Foodies planning a vacation in Great Britain this summer should check out the Taste Festivals in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Hundreds of exhibitors appear at these outdoor events (fingers crossed the British weather’s feeling kind) and you can rub shoulders with Michelin-starred chefs, winemakers, organic farmers, micro-brewers, chocolatiers and cookware vendors, among others.

Visitors can attend cooking demonstrations by the likes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Gary Rhodes and Tom Aikens, and wine tastings with top wine journalists, and there’s a chance to get your hands dirty in the kitchen with interactive cooking classes. You can also indulge in a Champagne masterclass before grabbing a glass of Pimms and touring the stalls for a gourmet extravaganza.

The London festival runs from June 18-21, while Edinburgh hosts its event from May 29-31. Birmingham, an hour’s train ride from London, has a festival from July 9-12.

Taste Festivals now take place all over the world, so check out their website to see if there’s one happening during your next vacation – or why not plan a vacation around it?

By Thrifty Gourmet on April 14, 2009 | 1