Local Food Economy
eat:Festival comes to East Street, Bedminster!
By the eat:Festival team
We hear from the eat:Festival team about how a street in south Bristol will be transformed into an exciting new food festival on Saturday 1 October. This year’s eat:Bedminster is backed by Bedminster Business Improvement District (BID) to connect the Bristol community together in a celebration of local food and drink.
More than 50 food and drink stalls will showcase the very best they have to offer at eat:Festival, which will be transforming East Street into a local hospitality market named eat:Bedminster.
Designed to spotlight leading local hospitality businesses, eat:Bedminster will see the road closure of East Street between 10am and 4pm on the day, allowing for a variety of stalls to take over the area in a food and drink celebration.
From farmer’s market favourites such as beer, cheese and baked goods, the festival will also shine a light on local street food vendors, continental charcuterie providers and award-winning patisseries.
Live music, strolling entertainment and buskers will provide a cheery backdrop to browsing the stalls on offer, as pockets of street-entertainment will be dotted throughout the market.
While recognising that fresh, local produce is integral to the strength and health of our communities, eat:Festivals also acknowledges the importance of inclusivity within food and drink. The Festival will cater for all dietary requirements, including vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free, so that no one misses out on the food and drink fun. Low and no-alcohol options will also be available on the day.
eat:Bedminster will also be fully accessible for all to attend. The East Street market layout will ensure that buggies, pushchairs and wheelchair users can easily move through the outdoor space. The whole family is welcome to come along too, as the festival is not only dog-friendly, but free to attend.
Bev Milner Simonds, Director and Founder of eat:Festivals said: “The partnership with Bedminster BID has given us the opportunity to create a new event for the area – showcasing the bricks and mortar businesses that are here all year round and adding some tasty complimentary producers, makers and entertainment. Bedminster is unique – offering us fresh opportunities for making local connections, discovering new producers and creating new habits.”
Simon Dicken, Chair of Bedminster BID said: “eat:Bedminster is a great opportunity in Autumn to head out and support local traders and explore all the new businesses that have opened in the area over summer. East Street is jam packed with inspirational entrepreneurs and this event will see the street come alive with independent traders with foods from every corner of the world.”
eat:Festivals is a not-for-profit social enterprise, which hosts one-day hospitality festivals across the Westcountry, with the aim of connecting communities with the local producers and productive landscape surrounding them. The festivals are low-cost for traders to attend, with all the profit raised throughout the day being plugged straight back into local businesses.
By setting the wheels in motion now, together we can transform the future of food in our city, building in resilience over the next decade. So, what change do you want to see happen that will transform food in Bristol by 2030? Do you already have an idea for how Bristol can make this happen? Join the conversation by filling out the form below.
So, what change do you want to see happen that will transform food in Bristol by 2030? Do you already have an idea for how Bristol can make this happen? Join the conversation now.
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