Celebrities, chocolate and champagne... Katherine MacAlister gets a taste of all the mouthwatering attractions at the Foodies Festival in Oxford this weekend

The line-up for this year’s Foodies Festival at Oxford’s South Parks this weekend is second to none.

Hosted by none other than 2013 MasterChef winner Natalie Coleman, the festival also features our very own BBC Great British Menu champion and Guide columnist Emily Watkins from the Kingham Plough (big cheer), Michelin starred Glynn Purnell, MasterChef finalists Andrew Kojima, Saira Hamilton and Larkin Cen, food writer Xanthe Clay, Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi of The Caldesi Cookery School and TV chef Manju Malhi, all of whom will cook their signature dishes in the Chefs’ Theatre for home cooks to recreate at home for family and friends.

As if that wasn’t enough, the adventurous Chilli Eating Challenge takes place at 5pm daily, when those brave or foolish enough are invited to try to break the current record of 13 varieties of chillies eaten in one sitting. This event attracts a huge crowd, who cheer on their friends and family to lift the chilli-eating crown, while burning their tastebuds to a cinder.

Little foodies are also catered for, with a Children’s Cookery Theatre hosting Around the World themed cookery classes to help children find their tastebuds and teach them basic cooking skills.

New features for 2014 include a spectacular Chocolate, Cake & Bake Theatre hosting hourly demonstrations with pastry chefs, chocolatiers, bakers and sugarcraft experts.

These masterclasses are complemented by the new Chocolate, Baking and Preserves Village for those who enjoy home baking, with a selection of stalls selling baking essentials and the latest gadgets.

There is also a brand new outdoor BBQ Arena for lovers of al fresco dining featuring hourly BBQ cooking demonstrations and inviting the audience to take part in BBQ challenges, meat-eating competitions and even a ‘BBQ cake’!

Regulars will recognise the favourite Drinks Theatre, where regular masterclasses and demonstrations offer you the chance to taste and learn about wine, champagne, sherry, ales and cocktails with experts including TV’s wine expert Charles Metcalfe, beer expert Melissa Cole and champagne expert Neil Phillips.

There are also daily cocktail making competitions to find the best cocktail in Oxfordshire, judged by an audience of Foodies visitors.

Throw Street Food Avenue, offering a huge selection of awardwinning hot and cold food from around the world including hog roasts, Vietnamese buns, exotic meats, tapas, churros, burritos, Moroccan tagines, South American prime beef, Jamaican and Thai street food, and a new Feasting Tent, into the melee and you know you’ll be in for a good time.

But if after a day of feasting, you need a rest, visitors can relax at the Champagne, Gin and Pimms tents with deck chairs and picnic rugs, or escape to the White Isle at the Ibiza Riot Bar with live DJs, giant beanbags, hanging chairs and hammocks from where they can watch the entertainment stage featureing live music and acts throughout the day until 7pm. All-in-all a top day out.

GO ALONG
Foodies Festival is at Oxford’s South Parks from Saturday to Monday. foodiesfestival.com 
One-day adult ticket £12, three-day adult ticket £18.

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