The Hampshire Food Festival 2023 was officially launched at a special evening event on the grounds of the Quob Park Estate.

Local business owners, food producers, and charities all headed to the estate in Fareham on June 2 for a lovely evening of music, wine and BBQ food. 

The 21st Hampshire Food Festival, organised by Hampshire Fare, will be the biggest yet with two new events.

Festival Place in Basingstoke will host Celebrate Hampshire for the weekend of July 1, marking the beginning of the Hampshire Food Festival. It will feature two days of cookery demos by top chefs from across Hampshire, including the New Forest, Romsey and Southsea. 

READ MORE: Hampshire Food Festival to be bigger than ever this year

Hampshire Chronicle: BBQ food was served by SoCal using Quob Park Free Range and Organic ProduceBBQ food was served by SoCal using Quob Park Free Range and Organic Produce (Image: The Electric Eye Photography)

Also new this year is the Winchester Food Festival which will take over Winchester Cathedral’s Outer Close on Sunday, July 9, and is set to feature a produce market, demos by local chefs, and advice on creating delicious, budget-friendly and healthy dishes.

Councillor Rob Humby, Leader of Hampshire County Council, opened the launch. He said: "Hampshire Food Festival provides a time to reflect on all the care, time and hard work that goes into bringing quality food and drink to our tables, as the Festival offers plenty of opportunities for residents and visitors to learn more about where their food comes from and how it is made – shining a spotlight on the people who are the driving force behind one of the most valuable and valued sectors of Hampshire’s economy."

SEE MORE: Hampshire country pub chef to feature at Winchester Food Festival

Hampshire Chronicle: Tracy Nash welcomes the guestsTracy Nash welcomes the guests (Image: The Electric Eye Photography)

Tracy Nash, Commercial Manager, Hampshire Fare, added: “The Hampshire Food Festival has never been simply a one-day event, and this year it is bigger than ever with more than 230 dated events throughout July and August, highlighting food and drink producers across the region."

From July 1 to August 31 there will be more than 230 events from Shakespeare in pub gardens, supper clubs and sausage-making demos to BBQ masterclasses, brewery and vineyard tours, farm open days wild foraging experiences, pop-ups in cherry orchards, and a special tasting menu in an art gallery.

To find out more, a digital version of the Hampshire Food Festival Programme and a listing of Festival events can be found on the Hampshire Fare website: hampshirefare.co.uk.

Hampshire Chronicle: Quob Park Vineyard provided a spectacular settingQuob Park Vineyard provided a spectacular setting (Image: The Electric Eye Photography)