Ashford Food and Drink Festival July 2023

Ashford Borough Council is launching the first ‘Ashford Food & Drink Festival’ this July to celebrate food and drink businesses in and around Ashford Town Centre.

Residents and visitors are invited to ‘Taste & Try Throughout July’ and be immersed in the culinary delights and great hospitality that our borough has to offer. Venues will be showcasing their own food and drink products as well as collaborating with producers from around the borough. 

Curious Brewery & Wild Beer Co are running a three-day Summer Beers & BBQ Festival, Friday 21 July - Sunday 23 July. Come along to taste summer small plates, BBQ classics and exclusive brews, plus live music.

An Evening with Wine Garden of England and Boys Hall, at Revelation Ashford in St Mary’s Church on Wednesday 19 July, brings together award-winning Kent Vineyards alongside delicious local produce to Ashford Town Centre.

Enjoy a tutored wine tasting from seven of Kent’s finest wineries including Ashford based Chapel Down, Biddenden, Westwell Wines and Gusbourne, alongside local cheeses and charcuterie, all accompanied by live music from Jonny Hepbir.

The festival’s opening weekend will feature ASHFOOD! – A two-day event at Elwick Place, Saturday 1 July and Sunday 2 July; celebrating the producers, restaurants, pop-ups, and bars from Ashford Town Centre and beyond. Including live music, children’s crafts, DJs and more, this will be a great family-friendly celebration of food and drink.

Kick-starting the festival, everyone is invited to the free launch at Coachworks on Friday 30 June 4pm – 10pm. There will be live music, family-friendly pizza making workshops with Il Pakkero, an independent food and drink market, as well as Coachworks’ regular fantastic food and drink offerings.

Coachworks also has a full line-up of activity for the month, including bottomless brunches, wine tastings with Wine Tours of Kent, pizza making workshops and more, culminating at the end of the month with another independent food and drink market.

Made in Ashford has a series of fun family-friendly workshops with a food and drink spin including pizza bunting, ice cream garlands and making your own piñata – just a few of their all-inclusive programme for the festival.

Other town centre businesses involved in the festival so far include The Little Teapot, Leo & Sage, Low Key Taproom, Valeries, Salata, Matches, Itacas, County Square and many more soon to be added.

If that wasn’t enough, we also have two amazing competitions on offer throughout the month – a cookery class for two courtesy of Kent Cookery School and four tickets to a Gusbourne Discovery Experience, including a wine tasting and three course lunch!

Keli Nolan-Lyons, Town Centre Regeneration Manager for Ashford Borough Council said: “We are excited to launch Ashford’s first Food and Drink Festival. It’s a fantastic opportunity to showcase the brilliant businesses and producers we have in Ashford Town Centre – there really is something for everyone to enjoy throughout July.

“We hope residents and visitors enjoy discovering something new, as well as revisiting old favourites by raising a glass or savouring a dish as we celebrate the variety of food and drink offerings we have here in Ashford.”

Head to the Love Ashford website for all the details and to keep up to date as more is announced.