Exeter Food Festival reduces single use plastic

The Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink is introducing new ways to reduce single-use plastic at the 2018 event at Exeter Castle and Northernhay Gardens on the early May bank holiday weekend (Saturday 5th- Monday 7th May).

Visitors to the 2018 Exeter Food Festival will be drinking from reusable glasses and can save money on coffee if they bring their own reusable coffee cups.

Michael Caines, co-founder of the Exeter Food Festival, says, “For over 10 years, the Exeter Food Festival has stuck to a strict environmental policy with our food traders and exhibitors only using compostable and biodegradable disposable products, including wooden cutlery. There is always more that we can all do to reduce the amount of plastic we use, so this year we are supplying reusable glasses in the bars and encouraging visitors to bring their own coffee cups.”

Reusable Exeter Chiefs plastic glasses will be available for a £1 returnable deposit from The Otter Brewery Festival Bar and the Oddfellows Gin Bar in the Exeter Castle Courtyard. Visitors can exchange their cup for a clean one each time they buy a drink and finally return it to one of the bars when they leave.

Visitors bringing their own coffee cups to the Food Festival will receive a 20p discount on their coffee at each of the three coffee outlets, Camper Coffee, Lemon Jelli and Origin Coffee Roasters.

Live music at the Exeter Food Festival has been taken up a level this year. Visitors can sit and enjoy the atmosphere in the Exeter Castle Courtyard with live bands and musicians playing throughout the weekend alongside street food stalls, a gin and cocktail bar, local ales and ciders from the Festival Bar and a large undercover dining area. 

The all-new Exeter Beats music event extends the Festival into the night at the Exeter Castle courtyard on the evenings of Friday 4th, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th May. Headliners including nationally acclaimed, Mad Dog Mcrea on Friday evening, top Madness tribute band, One Step Behind on Saturday eve and David Live, the UK’s most sought-after tribute to the late, much-loved David Bowie, on Sunday evening.

Throughout the three-day Exeter Food Festival, visitors can find a tasty mix of locally produced food and drink, workshops, cookery demos, local cider and ale bars, street food and live music from local musicians and bands. Attracting around 20,000 visitors, the Exeter Food Festival offers the chance to meet producers and buy local produce from over 100 exhibitors in two large food and drink pavilions.

Visitors can also watch talented chefs in action at the Exeter Food Festival Cookery Theatre. Chefs demonstrating in the Cookery theatre this year include Festival co-founder and two Michelin starred chef, Michael Caines; Adam Banks, Head Chef at Fifteen Cornwall; Bini Ludlow, award-winning chef and owner of Sweet Cumin Cookery School; Emily Scott, The St Tudy Inn; James Goulding, The Pig and Guy Owen, The Idle Rocks.

Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink is a not for profit event. For more information or to buy tickets in advance visit: www.exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk