Food and drink producers from Kent, Sussex and London delighted local food enthusiasts at a food festival at Downe on Sunday 8 June.
Hungry visitors tucked into Kentish cheeses and sourdough bread, sampled fruit vinegars and sipped sloe gin, fruit juice and chai latte as they soaked up the atmosphere at Holwood Farm’s Festival of Food, now in its second year.
“It’s fantastic, ” said Simon Watson from Surrey, who visited with his family. “I’ve enjoyed meeting the people behind the labels, because they really know what they’re talking about. For instance, it was great to chat to the beekeeper who told me the honey comes from the area around here, and I’ve tried local cheeses I’ve never come across before.”
Those who attended also enjoyed a barbecue laid on by the farm and queues soon formed for locally produced sausages and spicy lamb. Desserts came in the form of Simply Ice Cream from Bonnington near Ashford and cupcakes made by Holwood Farm’s Grace O’Brien.
“They took me ages,” said Grace of the intricate creations adorned with edible glitter and chocolate hippos.
The owner of Holwood Farm, Gary Mercer said, “My wife Sarah and I followed our dream to set up a business that is truly focused on local food. We love working with independent producers and offering our customers something different from what they’ll find in the supermarkets, so to throw open our doors in this way creates a very special occasion. I see people asking questions, being really curious about the products on offer and getting into conversations with the producers. Enabling that connection is absolutely what we’re about. It’s good to see.”
