A new food festival coming to Cranbrook later this year aims to showcase some of the best food and drink produced or grown locally.
Cranbrook will hold its first-ever Gate to Plate event in the autumn, a one-day food and drink festival, on Sunday, September 13, where more than 70 local producers, growers and makers will descend on the town. Entry is free and dogs are welcome.
Gate to Plate organisers eat:Festivals hopes the community celebration of locally-produced food and drink will become an annual event.
Stalls in Church Street, Axminster Gate to Plate Festival.
Photo: with permission.
The Cranbrook food festival has won the support of the district council, who said similar events in East Devon have proved a success.
Councillor Paul Hayward, East Devon District Council portfolio holder for assets and economy, said the authority was pleased to champion the area’s food and drink producers.
He said: “We take great pride in supporting inaugural events that celebrate these businesses, building on the success of Gate to Plate initiatives we’ve backed since Honiton in 2018, and helping to deliver on our economic development strategy.
“This new festival in Cranbrook will not only showcase the fantastic food and drink businesses delivering lower food miles, but also help establish Cranbrook as a vibrant and welcoming place to visit, live and do business.”
Visitors to the festival, set to be held in the town centre and around Tillhouse Road, can expect to find more than 70 makers, growers and producers, all coming from within a 30-mile radius of Cranbrook, plus entertainment, live music and plenty of seating areas.
District Councillors for Cranbrook, Kim Bloxham, Kevin Blakey, and Sam Hawkins said the festival would be a welcome addition to the Cranbrook event calendar.
They said: “Bringing together producers and visitors in this way not only showcases Cranbrook but also highlights the importance of sustainable, locally rooted food systems.
“It’s a fantastic milestone for Cranbrook, and we are excited to see it become a highlight in the town’s calendar for years to come.”
Cranbrook Town Council said the September event would ‘bring activity to the town centre’.
Bev Milner Simonds, festival organiser, said: “We specialise in developing festivals that bring the community together, showcase local producers and give businesses the chance to welcome new people into their premises.
“We will be focusing on producers from within 30 miles of Cranbrook and we are now open for applications.”
She added: “We are grateful to East Devon District Council for their support of this first festival. We hope the festival will grow and develop and become an established part of the Cranbrook calendar.”
