Friends of Westonbirt Arboretum

How many different coloured carrots? Must be the Food Hall at Treefest!

Posted: June 1, 2012 at 11:14 am Author: Julie McKellar

Treefest is Westonbirt Arboretum's signature summer event (25 - 27 August 2012) celebrating the best of trees and nature with crafts, woodland skills, family activities, food and music. Keep your eye on the Treefest blogs to find out how our plans for this year's festival are progressing.

It is hard to believe that it has been almost 12 months since the first Treefest last August and now we are only 12 weeks away from this year’s festival.

Crowds start

Already we have 97 exhibitors booked, and what is exciting is that we have 23 new exhibitors joining us. The other exhibitors have been coming to us for years and say this is their favourite event of the year. Thanks for your continuous support.

Tazewell kitchen benchSempervivum

In the indoor marquee we have a new exhibitor, Tazewell Joinery, who builds bespoke kitchens. During the festival he will be raffling off a kitchen work bench like the one pictured above. This will be made of oak and elm and worth around £3,500. Money from the raffle will be going to charity so look out for that one.

More exciting news is that for the first time, we are having plant nurseries joining the event, bringing along 100s of Sempervivum and restios. Sempervivum is definitely one of my favourite plants.

Rob ReesCharlotte Pike

Big changes in the Food Hall, with two celebrity chefs, Rob Rees MBE, the Cotswold Chef and Charlotte Pike from Go Free Foods. They will be cooking using local produce, and hopefully some Westonbirt venison. Check out Charlotte’s online blog with Hello Magazine.

Duchy CarrotsDevon County

The Veg Shed from Duchy Home Farm will be back, I never knew carrots came in so many different colours, amazing! They even have different coloured beetroot. Of course it is all organic and very local.

We've also got some meat producers selling organic and rare breeds, including Peradon Organic Farm. You can try before you buy because they will both be cooking burgers and sausages etc. for you to buy for your lunch.

Peradon Organic FarmBristol Cider Shop

And for some extra added entertainment, Vowley Farm will be taking to the stage in the Food Hall and giving a sausage demonstration daily.

Bristol Cider is back and this year you can even buy a glass of cider to drink while you wander around the exhibitor stands.

New this year they will also be bringing along Cider Brandies, Cider Aperitifs, Cider Chutneys and ornamental traditional cider jugs. I like the sound of Cider Chutney!

Useful links

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Links to some of the people mentioned in this blog

Tazewell Joinery: www.tazewelljoinery.com

Rob Rees: www.thecotswoldchef.com

Charlotte Pike: www.gofreefoods.co.uk

Peradon Organic Farm: www.peradonorganicfarm.co.uk

Vowley Farm: www.vowleyfarm.co.uk

Bristol Cider Shop: www.bristolcidershop.co.uk