Whitchurch Silk Mill and its grounds open for free as part of Heritage Open Days for the first Silk Mill Food Festival on Saturday 18th September. Organisers are determined to spoil visitors with a selection of delicious delights and tasty treats from local culinary suppliers. The event, which organisers hope will become an annual event, will showcase the tastes and flavours of the local area.
The Mill’s popular country show was last held in 2014 before the Mill was restored, but the Mill Team want to see this new Food Festival become an annual event making the most of the beautiful grounds and gardens of the historic mill on the banks of the River Test.
The Silk Mill Food festival will cater for all tastes and appetites and has a wide variety of attractions including food and drinks stalls, weaving and spinning demonstrations, Face Painting by Messy Nessy face painting, children’s cookery workshops by Cookery Doodle Do and food-themed activities for families.
Stallholders will include Bombay Sapphire and Long Dog Brewery and there will be delicious food from Denning’s of Whitchurch, Grandad Mike’s fudge and The Hampshire Deli among others. There is also a Pimm’s tent provided by the Mill’s volunteers.
Jess Bone, Operations Manager at Whitchurch Silk Mill, said: “We want to create an exciting day out that gives visitors of all ages a mini-festival vibe. A lot of hard work has gone into ensuring a delightful and safe experience that will combine the exploration of culinary and industrial heritage. We’d love to see as many people as possible sourcing their food locally and we hope this will allow them to meet new makers, bakers and suppliers.”
The Silk Mill Food Festival is on Sunday 18th September, from 10.30 am to 4 pm. Admission is free and includes admission to the Mill.
