LOVE this West Country festival!
I love my home in Hackney but I’m a West Country girl at heart. My festivals so far this summer were Glastonbury and Buddhafield, both in the countryside in the west, and I’m looking forward to my third, Valley Fest, in the same part of the world. Someone told me round a festival campfire that the legendary UK festival scene was born in Somerset where community celebrations have always honoured the land and the seasons. They and I certainly feel at home here.
Valley Fest is a feasting and music festival with wellbeing and regeneration at its core. It is small and young, especially when compared to the epic Glastonbury down the road. The iconic Arcadia at Eavis’ 60-year old shindig is put on by the people at Valley Fest. This event will showcase Bristol’s internationally famed musical talent, as well as its burgeoning restaurant and culinary treasures.
As a Bristolian born and bred I admit to a certain bias. The first restaurant my father and I went to after lockdown was the Michelin starred Pony and Trap on Clifton Downs, whose sibling chefs are making an appearance at the festival, showcasing some ‘sexy seafood’. My favourite place to have lunch with my mum, the Ethicurean, will also be at Valley Fest. These, along with other chefs, will be championing the food and drink of the West Country. I am already feeling a lot of love for Valley Fest and planning to take my much-loved family.
4 to 8 August 2022
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