Tickets for a series of special events which will be held at Bolton Food and Drink Festival are now on sale.
The festival is organised by Bolton Council in association with Aldi, and will take place over the August Bank Holiday weekend (Friday, August 24 to Monday, August 27).
Tickets will be available from Quay Tickets. Special event highlights include:-
• Pour me a tipple
Gin lovers can discover more than 50 gins in the festival marquee on Victoria Square, on Saturday (August 25) from 6pm until 10.30pm.
Tickets are £10 (over 18s only). Included in the entry price is a gin glass, information booklet and pen. Once inside the event, there will be free samples and tickets can be bought for £5 in exchange for gins.
There will also be food, which complements the gin, available to purchase from Greenhalgh’s Bakery.
• Beer and pasty
On Sunday, Ainsley Harriott will host the festival’s popular beer and Carrs pasty event from 12.30pm to 2pm.
Sample a range of the finest Carrs pasties and beer at this adults only event, tickets are £25.
• Brunch and cakes
BBC Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya will showcase recipes on Saturday (August 25) at a cookery demo with brunch supplied by Aldi, starting at 10.30am. Popular with families, tickets for this event are £20 and £10 for concessions.
Nadiya will also host a Slattery afternoon tea from 2.30pm to 4pm where she’ll be joined by some familiar festival faces. Tickets for this event include a delicious selection of sandwiches, snacks, Slattery cakes and Aldi prosecco. Cost is £25 (adults) and (£10 for child).
• Night with top chefs
A night with two of the North West’s leading regional chefs - Andrew Nutter and Aiden Byrne - will be sure to entertain foodies.
Entry to the evening, which will take place in the festival marquee, costs £25. Guests can build their own burger and enjoy a chef demo, while being entertained by a comedy compere.
Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Linda Thomas, said: “We are already on countdown to the festival returning. It is the biggest and best food fest in the north, with more than 267,000 visitors last year flocking here over the weekend. There are some fantastic special events lined up with something for everyone.
“We look forward to putting on a great weekend in August for our residents and visitors, with the support of our sponsors and partners.”
Ruth Doyle, Aldi’s Regional Managing Director for Bolton, added: “This is our fourth time in a row as headline sponsor and experience tells us that the festival will be a roaring success again this year. It’s a great opportunity for us to get out and meet the community and showcase some of our fantastic products.
“We are bringing back last year’s popular wine tasting where festival-goers can purchase a bottle from our Exquisite Collection and a platter of nibbles at the headline sponsor marquee in the town centre square.
“Supporting local farmers and growers is incredibly important to us, and getting involved in an event that celebrates Bolton’s food culture is the perfect way for us to do this.”
Chef Michael Caines will launch the foodie event on Friday (August 24) before hosting a gala dinner the same night. Celebrity chefs Nadiya, Ainsley and James will also hold demos over the weekend. Tickets for these events are already on sale priced £10 (adults) and £5 (child).
The festival will also feature cookery demos from top regional chefs, a speciality food, drink and crafts market with more than 200 traders, live music, street performers, and children’s activities.
Additionally, a fantastic new children’s show is currently being developed by local touring theatre company Little Diamond Theatre. More details and tickets for this will be released later this month.
Sponsors are: Aldi; Stateside Foods, and Willmott Dixon. Partners include: Arts Council; Bolton Market; Bolton Library and Museum Services; Carrs Pasties; Greater Manchester Combined Authority; Greenhalgh’s Bakery; Octagon Theatre, Market Place Shopping Centre and RRG Group Ltd.
For updates, visit the Food and Drink Festival website and follow the Bolton Food and Drink Festival page on Facebook or @boltonfoodfest on Twitter.