Charnwood Forest is set to welcome back the popular Edible Forest Festival from 9-16 September 2018.
The Festival, created by Leicestershire Promotions, offers a range of unique food and drink events that will showcase local produce at a number of iconic settings in Charnwood.
The Secret Gourmet dining experience will take guests on a gastronomic journey with a forest-inspired menu created by renowned local chefs, John Duffin and Paul Leary. The menu includes:
- Mallard liver parfait cornet
- Crispy Longhorn ox cheek with charcoal
- Trappist ale bread and cultured butter
- Stonehurst farm heritage potatoes, Charnwood Forest mushrooms
- Trout from Cropston reservoir cured in Burleighs gin and lightly smoked, yoghurt and pine
- Loin of Bradgate Park venison cooked over embers, venison faggot, celeriac cream, acorn and hazelnut, damson sauce
- Swithland slate
- Mulberry jelly
- Mushroom chocolate
- Honey and bee pollen fudge
New for this year, with the Forest Dining Pod Experiences, you can choose from menus for Bubbles & Brunch, a Picnic Pod Experience or Dining Beneath the Stars, all within a picturesque forest dining dome with food highlights including:
Bubbles & Brunch
- A glass of pink fizz on arrival
- Pancakes with fruit compote and syrup
- Charnwood foraged mushrooms on toast with leek and Parmesan
Pod Picnic Experience
- Homemade quail scotch eggs
- (v) Nettle, leek and foraged mushroom rolls
- Selection of Leicestershire cheeses
Dining Beneath the Stars
- Mussels in Charnwood cider & roasted shallots
- Steak, Charnwood Brewery Vixen ale and mushroom pie
- (v) Mini baked Camembert toasted focaccia bread sticks with fig & red onion jam
The unique Safari Supper starts at the Griffin Inn, Swithland, before a vintage 1968 Midland Red Bus, sponsored by Everards, transports you around the forest for a delicious, locally sourced dinner at the White Horse, Quorn, a mouth-watering dessert at the Waterside, Mountsorrel then back to The Griffin, Swithland for a nightcap.
At the Forest Funk event, you will be fed and watered with Charnwood Cider and venison (and veggie) burgers & hotdogs, whilst dancing to top tunes from a DJ in the ancient woodland of Charnwood.
At the Family Forest Food Adventures, you and the family can take part in woodland inspired workshops and lots of other outdoor fun activities including picking blackberries to make jam, making flatbread, collecting acorns to make coffee, nettles to make tea, ‘have a go’ fire lighting, stone painting, eco-smoothie making, apple pressing demonstrations, and toasting marshmallows around the camp fire.
At the popular Tea in the Tower, you can enjoy afternoon tea, made with love by the team at Grey Lady Deli at the local iconic landmark, Old John Tower at Bradgate Park.
You can also make an early start to your day with a guided walk in Bradgate Park, followed by a locally-sourced Edible Forest Breakfast.
At the Afternoon Tea Experience, you can also take afternoon tea at the beautiful Abbots Oak Manor country residence including a selection of hand crafted lady’s and gentlemen’s afternoon tea, sourced from local ingredients and reflecting the Lord and Lady of the Manor’s traditional tastes.
The festival is supported by Charnwood Borough Council and Everards.
