22 April 2008, 13:32 PM
  • Brought to you by the organisers of the world-famous Taste Festivals, The Real Food Festival is a new large-scale event that will bring hundreds of small, artisan producers to Earls Court between 24th and 27th April, with a dedicated trade day on 24th.

Billed as the best line-up of produce and ingredients you can find, over 400 small producers have been selected by a committee of food experts (including The Daily Telegraph’s Rose Prince, Alex James and other leading influencers) and
subsidised to attend the show. This means that the festival has been able to unearth some of the best producers in the country and around the world based on their excellence rather than their ability to pay, which means you’ll be able to find new products from producers you will have never seen before so that you can really differentiate yourself from your competition.

Real Food’s ground breaking format reflects the focus given to food standards and particularly provenance and sustainability in the UK and around the world. Featuring an incredible line up products, on show will be wines and drinks from small, unique producers, restaurants serving carefully sourced dishes and a comprehensive programme of entertaining and educational workshops where you can discover some of the best food and drink in the world. Hundreds of small producers from the UK and abroad will offer visitors the opportunity to explore, taste and buy their fantastic products. Through a range of interactive features the event will educate and stimulate debate on food choices.

Carole Bamford of Daylesford Organic comments on the upcoming event, “Slow Food is about the way we live life: I believe it is fundamental to our health and happiness. Providing real food, sustainably, is the reason we started Daylesford Organic, it is also why we are delighted to be a partner in the Real Food Festival, to support artisan food producers, small-scale sustainable farming, organic production – and a love of cooking and eating which will inspire everyone who visits.”

Why attend?
Tickets for the dedicated trade day, Thursday 24th April 2008, cost £20 (including VAT) which includes the entrance fee, entrance to the star-studded gala evening, complimentary producer sampling of amazing ingredients and delicious. magazine workshops where you can meet producers personally and take part in tutored tastings. Taste workshops have been categorised into distinct groups including: Discover Europe, Meet the Producer, Undiscovered Food and Gastronomic Nirvana.

Plus, because the Real Food Festival is also a consumer show, you can do your own market research on-site seeing how
potential customers react to your potential new supplier.

Many producers exhibiting at the event may not have been seen before. These include Sussex-based organic chocolate
company, The Chocolate Alchemist, Orkney Rose, which represents 16 local producers from the Orkney Islands and Tapio a
producer of natural gins and vodkas. Sharyn Wortman, CEO of Today was Fun, which is also exhibiting at the event. “It was a no-brainer to want to be involved in the Real Food Festival. The thought of working alongside other small, ethical, honest producers is something that we are incredibly excited about. The ethos behind the Festival has inspired us to create an Inspiration TeaPi for the duration of the event. We are planning to build a unique space where buyers and producers can taste our organic tea, and share their ideas on what inspires them. We’re planning on planting a seed and watching it grow, so do join us there.”

Show features
Aside from playing host to what can be described as the biggest farmers’ market ever seen in the UK, The Real Food Festival will also offer exciting and thought provoking workshops, a cookery school run by sustainable food guru, Barny Haughton, from Bordeaux Quay, the Real Food Theatre which aims to stimulate taste buds with presentations from some of the UK’s top chefs including Raymond Blanc, Jun Tanaka, Mark Jankell and Shane Osborn who will be using seasonal and fresh produce to prepare regional dishes.

A small selection of the UK’s most exciting and forward-thinking restaurants will also feature, while the gala Night – a high profile Gala launch night - will be organised for Thursday evening, 24th April 2008.

Valerie Traynor, senior regional marketing coordinator for Whole Foods Market, North Atlantic Region, explains why she’ll be making the trip to the show. “At Whole Foods Market we are passionate about food and only sell the highest quality products available.  We place a great deal of importance on building strong relationships with local purveyors and farmers - the Real Food Festival is the perfect event to make new connections to people committed to foods that are fresh, wholesome and taste wonderful.”

To find out more information on the Real Food Festival or to purchase tickets please call our hotline 0870 912 0831 or visit www.realfoodfestival.co.uk