This is the 4th time that I've been to the Real Food Festival (read my 2010 round up here). The festival is built around the idea of bringing great tasting, sustainably and ethically produced food to as many people as possible.
I've been to so many food festivals in last five years that I thought I'd give my top ten tips for those wanting to make/eat the most of their day.
1. Look at the list of stalls before you go (if available). Get an idea of which ones are on your "must hit" list
2. I always find it best to arrive shortly after the festival opens. It's less busy and easier to look at stalls and chat to the people running them
3. Set a budget for buying food (I always try but end up blowing the budget!)
5. If you have a "favorite" like me, cake/desserts, don't fill up on bread, cracker and chutney samples (as tempting as they are) they are super filling
6. Check out the demonstration timetable when you arrive if you want to watch any
7. Bring a bag to carry your purchases and bring a Tupperware container for lose purchases that you don't want squished
8. Bring cash as most stalls won't be equipped to take cards
9. Bring water (you'll need it after all those samples)
10. For festivals that have restaurant tokens, look at the menus on line before you head out so you don't end up with and odd amount of tokens left over that can't buy anything
Some photos of what I ate and purchased
Fruit punch cocktail. My ticket came with a free cocktail.
Halen Mon Sea Salt from Anglesey, Wales (where Wills and Kate live). I bought some sea salt and smoked salt to use for roast potatoes and steak. I also bought a small tube of vanilla sea salt for fruit and fish.
Mini cake pop from Sweet Tooth Factory. I see them at every food festival and Brick Lane. This is the first time I've bought anything. I really like that they had minis for 50p. I got a vanilla but I honestly couldn't tell if it was vanilla or chocolate. The cake oddly tasted of nothing and was grayish inside. Good chocolate coating and moistness though. I'd maybe try one of their cupcakes next time.
I bought a set of rainbow colored tea spoons at Bellevue Tea
The Dessert Deli was one of my favorite of the day!
Seriously loving the mini cheesecakes in a shot glass for £1.50
I bought a marble whoopie pie from one of my favorite places, Outsider Tart.
Blueberry and Champagne macaron from Lorchidee
Hot chocolate and mini whisk from Jaz & Juls
I bought 2 mini cupcakes from Sweet Things as recommended by Anne
I also bought some chocolate tea from Premier's Tea Limited, a "snacking salami" from Serious Pig and some Freshburst Pearls for cocktails from Imaginative Cuisine (like the ones that were on top of my Choboba bubble tea).
I'm pumped for Taste of London 2011 now!
