Since launching in 2013, Eat Cambridge (which runs 9-24 May) has become one of the hottest dates in the Cambridge diary, offering up a fabulous opportunity to explore the local food and drink scene and enjoy some truly unique dining experiences. It’s a great representation of just how far Cambridge has come in the last few years, rapidly evolving from something of a foodie dead spot to a city thronging with excellent independent eateries and interesting artisan producers, as well as boasting a thriving street food scene and an exciting array of supper clubs.
“When we started the festival we felt the city needed a boost in the food stakes”, explains Sian Townsend, who co-organises the event with Heidi White, aka food blogger The Moving Foodie.
“There were lots of great independents but we weren’t collectively shouting about them enough, so we hoped the festival would do that. I think it’s fair to say it has been a great success over the past two years and luckily the local public’s interest in food and drink has grown with it. Maybe it’s a trend, hopefully it’s a move towards people wanting to eat well and support local and that’s exactly what we’re supporting and promoting.”
As with previous years, the event will feature a main food and drink fair at the Corn Exchange, coupled with a busy line- up of fringe events at various locations across the city. On the fringe, you’ll find everything from a Marie Antoinette inspired afternoon tea to five course Mexican street food feasts to a pop-up 1940s café and a Spanish Fiesta. The night street food market – always one of the most popular events of the entire festival – will also be making a welcome return.
“The Eat Cambridge fortnight is the only time of year people have the opportunity to discover our fantastic, growing, exciting independent food and drink scene in this way and see it all come together in one place”, says Heidi.
“Our hope is that people use the Eat Cambridge brochure as a guide to explore every inch of Cambridge’s food and drink over the two weeks, finding new favourite suppliers and products along the way, adding new ‘locals’ to their list of beloved cafés, restaurants, pubs, and taking part in some unique food experiences that don’t happen every day.”
This year’s Eat Cambridge will have a theme of collaboration, and hopes to show how the festival continually allows our local food businesses to come together and show off and enhance what they do, with delicious results.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the new and creative collaborations coming up this year between fringe event hosts, venues, chefs, and other food organisations,” says Heidi. “That’s what it’s all about after all! The festival programme features some newbies, and we’ve got some exciting new pop-ups behind the scenes at the Main Event including tasting rooms, a Korean BBQ canteen by GoGo Gogi Gui, and a pop-up deli from Norfolk Street Deli. The format of the festival hasn’t changed, but we think its getting better every year!”
:: What’s on at Eat Cambridge 2015
