Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival returns to Snape Maltings

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival - a not-for-profit event held each year at Snape Maltings - has become a major draw for food producers, chefs, food writers - and food-lovers.

Now in its 18th year, the event - on the weekend of September 23 and 24 - aims to showcase sustainable, quality producers - and champion local growers and producers by highlighting its culinary and agricultural heritage.

It takes place against the stunning backdrop of the maltings, the River Alde, its reedbeds and the countryside beyond. It is co-ordinated by Bella Scarr.

Festival president and co-founder Lady Caroline Cranbrook, said it was a celebration of the county's food producers and its people.

"The Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival is now well established as one of the very best in the country, famous for the quality, quantity and variety of its locally-produced food and drink, its friendliness – and for the beauty of Snape Maltings where it is held," she said.

"It has proved to be a highly successful and very enjoyable way of introducing visitors to Suffolk’s wonderful food and drink, to the people who produce it and to the land from where it comes.”

As well as cookery masterclasses hosted by renowned chefs, the festival features 140 stalls including some of Suffolk's big name producers and rising stars. There will also be a number of new features.

These include a huge barbecue hosted by prestigious Aldeburgh restaurant The Suffolk at its new festival eatery on the quay.

Award-winning Suffolk chocolatiers Pump Street Chocolate of Orford and Bentwaters will be taking over the Hoffmann Building with talks and chocolate tastings every hour, on the hour.

Visitors will be given an insight into the chocolate-making process and a chance to sample the brand's celebrated chocolate bars, hot drinking chocolate and soft-serve chocolate ice-cream.

The Street Food area returns with more vendors than ever - and will include a new cocktail bar from Suffolk cocktail company Niche.

Among the top chefs headlining the festival are George Pell, director of The Suffolk in Aldeburgh and L’Escargot in London, Dave Wall, chef patron of The Unruly Pig in Woodbridge which was named Estrella Damm best gastropub in the UK, and Nicola Hordern, award-winning head chef at Southwold’s The Canteen.

Other names include Wahaca restaurants co-founder Thomasina Miers - who is honorary festival patron, French chef at three-Michelin starred La Tante Claire in London Pierre Koffmann  and Jeremy Lee, who is chef proprietor at Quo Vadis in London.

Cyrus Todiwala OBE of acclaimed Indian restaurant Café Spice Namasté will also be at the event.

The Passion For Seafood Stage will focus on Suffolk’s sustainable seafood businesses with live cooking demonstrations, talks and street food.

Masterclasses - which must be booked and paid for separately - include an Adnams cocktail class, kimchi-making with Jeong-un Creagh of Korean Kitchen, Two Magpies Bakery co-founder Rebecca Bishop on bread-making, Pump Street Chocolate, “Fish Boss” chef CJ Jackson, and TV chef Cyrus Todiwala .

More than 140 Suffolk producers will be exhibiting at the festival this year, offering a wide range of fare from organic vegetables and locally-produced honey to hand-crafted chocolates, cheeses and bread.

Festival organisers say they are keen to support the abundance of established and emerging businesses who are producing innovative and original food and beverages throughout the region.

Vegan and restricted-diet foods will feature throughout the festival offerings.

Former dairy farmer Katherine Manning of Suffolk Meadow Ice Cream at Walpole said the festival was a great opportunity to show her produce to a wider audience.

"Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival is the highlight of our year, giving us a unique opportunity to showcase what we can do," she said.

"We love being able to interact directly with all the amazing visitors and local chefs. It is such a great source of inspiration for future product development and partnerships."

For more information and to book tickets, visit www.aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk Tickets cost £10 in advance, £12 on the day. Under 16s go free. All entry fees and donations are invested into the next year’s festival.