Virtual food festival to include online spice exchange

The town's 's fourth annual festival is to hold a virtual market in support of the Market Drayton Foodbank.

The coronavirus crisis means that the festival is taking place online this year.

The Dentons Spice Exchange Market will take place throughout the festival, from 10am on September 23 to 5pm on September 27. The market will showcase artisan producers who have previously supported the festival as well as some new producers who specialise in spicy goods.

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Shoppers will be able to browse the virtual market and then purchase goods from the online spice larder store and for every purchase made, a percentage of sales will be donated to the food bank.

Julia Roberts said: "We are delighted to be able to continue to support those local producers who have been with us since the start of the festival in 2017 and also to work with new producers of spice-based goods, and we thank Dentons for all their support in helping us achieve this process.

"We are also extremely happy to be partnering with the Market Drayton Foodbank again this year. During the five day festival we will be donating a percentage of sales made in the Dentons Spice Exchange Market to this local charity who offer vital support to those in crisis within the local community of Market Drayton."

Helen McSherry, the manager of Market Drayton Foodbank said: "Market Drayton Foodbank is delighted to be receiving continued support from the Ginger and Spice Festival for the second year in a row.

Hunger

"The proceeds donated from the Dentons Spice Exchange Market will help local people in crisis who are struggling to put food on the table. Market Drayton Foodbank is part of The Trussell Trust's UK-wide network of foodbanks and we are part of the movement to help the many people affected by poverty and hunger in our society, especially those facing hunger because of a crisis.

"For example the parents skipping meals so their children can eat, or the tenant forced to go hungry just to pay the rent, or the elderly person making the stark choice between heating or eating.’’

Babette Märzheuser-Wood, partner and global retail chair of Dentons Retail Group and judge for the Global Restaurant Awards, said: "We are delighted to be sponsoring this year’s innovative virtual Spice Exchange Market.

"We are proud to have helped the Spice Larder [a podcast run by the festival organisers] set up their e-commerce site for their online platform in support of the first virtual Ginger and Spice Festival and we wish the team every success at this year’s festival."

The Dentons Spice Exchange Market will be live on the festival website, gingerandspicefest.co.uk, from Wednesday, September 23, and can be found by visiting the website's What’s On page or accessed via the interactive festival map.

The Ginger and Spice Festival will be offering shoppers discounts and incentives in the run up to and during the festival.

This year’s festival will also include a virtual food theatre with regional and local chefs; a heritage spice trail contest place on an interactive map with incentives and discount to spend in the town High Street; a best gingerbread house and biscuit contest; Feast for your Eyes event; Gingerbread Tales; Museum Memories; virtual cookery classes with Lajina Masala and My Little Persian Kitchen; a best ginger cat and dog contest; food heritage talks and more.

Learn more about what is on offer by visiting the website, or by emailing gingerandspicefest@gmail.com.