Spicing up Market Drayton festival for third time
Spice fans will be well-served at Market Drayton's Ginger & Spice Festival with dozens of culinary events to tickle tastebuds.
The festival, now in its third year, will take over Market Drayton from Wednesday, September 25 to Sunday, September 29.
As well as the 25 fringe events, there will be a number of competitions with prizes including for the best ginger cat and dog, a redhead contest, best produce contest and best decorated gingerbread man competition.
The entertainment on offer through the week will include comedian George Egg's Movable Feast show at the Festival Drayton Centre on September 26.
It will make for an evening of comedy combined with live cookery, on the theme of cooking on the move.
Also on the Thursday, visitors at the Goldstone Hall Hotel will be taken on a tour of the hotel's kitchen garden before sitting down for a seasonal meal with a touch of spice.
Hundreds of children at the Grove School will be trying for a world record for decorating the most gingerbread men at a time, on September 27.
Market Drayton's foodbank will benefit from a music concert at St Mary's Church on September 28 with performers including the Colin Browne Band and Friends.
Cookery theatre
One of the festival's main events on September 28 will see a host of chefs from the Market Drayton area as well as further afield put on a live cookery theatre at the Clive and Coffyne in Shropshire Street.
Rachel Green and Bengali spice expert Mallika Basu will top the bill which also includes Dr Sue Bailey as 'Fabulous Fanny', James Sherwin of Wild Shropshire, the 'Shropshire Lad' Adam Purnell, Paul Trewartha of the Falcon in Hinstock and much more.
The cookery theatre will run throughout the day from 10am. For individual timings view gingerandspicefest.co.uk.
Meanwhile the streets of Market Drayton will be filled with the aromas of ginger and spice as the Spice Exchange Street Market takes over the town centre.
There will be an abundance of speciality food and drink stalls offering gingery and spicy delicacies.
The self-guided Leek United Heritage Spice Trail to explore the town is open to all and suitable for families.
To learn more about the many other fringe events and secure tickets, visit gingerandspicefest.co.uk/events
Festival director Julia Roberts said: "We are delighted with the amount of fringe events being hosted by business owners and local organisations such as the Market Drayton Twinning Association at this year’s Ginger and Spice Festival. The five days will be a fantastic celebration of all that is local, seasonal, and of course, spicy.’’
