RHS Garden Rosemoor hosts an Autumn-long Festival of Food & Drink

Award-winning South West based garden Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Rosemoor , is holding a series of events this Autumn to tantalise the taste buds in celebration of the area’s prominence as a specialist supplier of food and drink to top chefs and restaurants all over the country.

The events kick off with Rosemoor’s Local Produce Show on 17 August when local growers and producers bring the finest examples of their efforts to the garden to be judged and for visitors to view. Winners from across the region will be crowned ‘best in the West’ in over 65 categories, including special awards for children, with Rosemoor Gift Shop vouchers for the winners. Visitors will also be able to see cookery demonstrations and take part in family workshops.

Next comes the ‘Taste of the West Country Food Fest’ on 22 September, bringing together traditional regional produce and organic foods, including locally reared beef and lamb, handmade cheeses and English wines, plus a wide range of other tasty foodstuffs. Bring your shopping bag and help to support our local producers.

The following weekend, 27-29 September the garden will host the very first Real Ale & Cider Festival which will feature a range of interesting, unusual and eminently quaffable real ales from near and far – plus ciders too – all served direct from the barrel, plus food and live music. It promises to be a grand day out with take-outs also available for visitors to bring their favourites home.

The logo of the RHS is an apple tree and it therefore comes as no surprise that Apple Day on 6 October is a major event in the Rosemoor calendar. Organised in conjunction with Orchards Live, Thornhayes Nursery and the RHS South West Area Fruit Group, Apple Day is a great day out for all the family and is now in its 20th year. This autumn a bumper crop is expected so there will be fantastic apple displays; cookery demonstrations and apple recipes; tastings; planting & cultivation tips and talks; children’s activities and trails; plus stalls selling fruit, cider and apple juice. Visitors can also bring their own apples for identification there will be truly something for everyone to enjoy.

The festival season is capped off with Taste of Autumn on 12 and 13 October. Visitors and invited to celebrate the fantastic colours and flavours of the season with cookery demonstrations showing how to cope with the glut of seasonal produce from the garden and allotments, guided walks around Rosemoor’s own walled fruit and vegetable garden, plus gardening talks, fruit tasting, food stalls and family fun.

It’s only fitting that these premier food and drink events are being held at Rosemoor as its very own Garden Kitchen Restaurant has been named Best Restaurant by the Garden Centres Association for the second successive year. The restaurant prides itself on supporting local producers and most of its fresh fruit and vegetables come all the way from... Rosemoor’s own Fruit & Vegetable Garden!

For more information on these events, please visit rhs.org.uk/Rosemoor/what-s-on or phone 01805 626800.

Normal garden admission applies to all the events which is free for RHS members.