Next month sees the return of the highly successful ‘Royal Leamington Spa Food & Drink Festival 2008’. Due to its popularity, the Festival has been extended to take place over two days. The Festival, which is free to attend, will take place on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 August from 10am – 6pm at the Royal Pump Room Gardens.

Leamington Spa has an abundance of quality and diverse food and drink producers and suppliers. The aim of the Festival is to celebrate and showcase the very best that the town can offer and as such will help develop the reputation of Leamington Spa as a top food and drink destination.

The event has already attracted some major High Street names such as Greggs and Starbucks as well as local Cafes and Delicatessens such as Cafe Saint Jacques, Country Bumpkins and Aubrey Allen. Rangemaster has been announced as the official sponsor.

Over the two days, visitors across all ages can enjoy a range of different activities. Highlights at this year’s Festival include

• Live cookery demonstrations by local Chefs in an open air kitchen
• Free sample tasting
• Learn the art of cocktail shaking
• Enjoy a refreshing cup of tea in the ‘Rangemaster Tea Rooms’
• Sample different types of fresh coffee
• Wine tasting with expert advice plus the chance to try different wines before you buy
• A wide selection of Asian, European, Oriental and Organic dishes
• The chance to buy fresh Italian produce at the ‘Italian Market’ located in the Regent Court Shopping Centre
• A Farmers Market where you can buy local, fresh produce
• Great programme of live music including Salsa and Jazz plus entertainment for the children
• Live radio broadcast by BBC Coventry & Warwickshire..

Taste Trail (NEW)        

This year you can take part in our exciting ‘Taste Trail’ where you can visit a number of restaurants in the town as indicated on a map provided. Restaurants already participating include ‘The Newbold Brasserie’, ‘Strada’, ‘The Leamington Bar and Grill’ and ‘Nicolinis’. You simply sample their speciality dishes and have your map stamped to show you’ve visited that particular restaurant. Everyone who takes part can enter a fantastic competition to win dinner for two at the winning restaurant.

Whether you’re a serious foodie or someone who just appreciates good food and drink, there’ll be plenty to entertain you at this year’s Festival.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Royal Leamington Spa Food & Drink Festival 2008!
Interested in show-casing your products?

Benefits for Businesses

There are a number of key benefits for businesses interested in show-casing their products at the Festival. This year the event is expected to attract thousands of visitors from around the area and further afield. This gives you the opportunity of showcasing your products and culinary skills to a much wider audience.

At the same time the Festival enables you to reach out to new customers and cement relationships with your existing customer base. The Festival will be extensively promoted across all media channels so your business will benefit from pre and post publicity.

There are a range of covered stall options to cater for all sizes and types of business. For BID Leamington Levy Payers, the stalls and power are offered free of charge.

Businesses interested in participating should contact Helen Smith at BID Leamington on 01926 470634 or by e-mail to helensmith@bidleamington.com