MAY 2014 was still winter as far as the North West of England was concerned.  The Bank Holiday weekend was a wash out. It was also the weekend Claremont Farm hosted the inaugural Farm Feast.

Merseysippi mud pies all round, soggy artisan burger buns,  cars being pushed out of the Bebington swamps and rain bouncing off the Marshall stacks.

This year, Farm Feast has been moved forward by more than two weeks,  but will the weather play ball?

It's looking promising, oh yes, so make hay while the sun shines.

For 2015, The Farm are leading the tunes at the annual food fest ("Gravy" Train, anyone?) with at least one of the band members eminently qualified to discuss the provenance of food - bassist Carl Hunter wrote and directed the film Grow Your Own.

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Away from the music, John Whaite, chef and British Bake Off winner 2012 will be doing a turn alongside TV presenter Katy Ashworth, a familiar face to CBeebies viewers. Meanwhile Mowgli mogul Nisha Katona returns to share recipes and her love of curry. Chef Matt Worswick, Luke Thomas and Moyo Benson also offer their culinary tips and tricks.

Wirral is home to some of the region’s finest producers and Farm Feast can prove it, it says here. The festival features an ale tent from The Ship & Mitre, Beer & Cider Festival, Little Feasters, the Good Life Marquee, Chef’s Theatre, Sheep Show and Capstan’s Bazaar add to the entertainment with over 50 local food producers. Food champions like Chef Adopt a School and Real Junk Food Campaign are at Farm Feast to talk about food waste and offer sustainable cooking tips.

Aside from The Farm, the main stage features The Mono LPS, Married to the Sea, The Maydays, The Ragamuffins and Paddy Clegg. Mellowtone has programme the Courtyard Stage with a weekend of acoustic acts.

 

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There is also a chance to catch the winners of Farm Feast and Bido Lito! music competition, alt-folk Cavalry, Wirral indie pop band VYNCE, Black Mountain Lights, Veyu, and Holy Thursday. Critic’s Choice winner is She Drew the Gun and Popular Choice winner is Scarlet.

Andrew Pimbley is Farm Feast Festival Director:  “My ambition for Farm Feast was to always celebrate everything that’s local and from the region so food, drink and music. It’s celebrating everything that makes us happy and healthy, from the community around us. We’re a unique festival in the heart of the Wirral countryside. It’s over 30 years that we’ve had the farm shop here in Bebington so we’ve fed a generation of people who’ll probably be bringing their own children to Farm Feast this year.”

Farm Feast, Saturday-Sunday June 13-14, Claremont Farm, Wirral.  www.farmfeast.co.uk