You’ve probably noticed the slight increase in temperature, so it’s time to fling out your woolly jumpers and dust off your peace t-shirt and cut-off denims as festival season approaches. With more of a foodie focus than ever before, UK music festivals are upping their gastro game to bring gourmet to the groovers. Now that’s music to our ears. Read on as we reveal where the savviest festi-fans will be enjoying music and munch this summer.
Gone are the days when sustenance at music festivals was viewed as mere dance fuel and punters were faced with food options limited to Bob’s Burgers, where a broken sign read ‘Bob’s urge s’ and, looking at Bob and his greasy stoves, you’d really rather not, thanks very much. Nowadays, you’re more likely to be sipping S. Pellegrino than the tepid Capri Sun you once used as arson against a hangover.
We caught up with some of the headline (chef) acts taking centre stage at this year’s Wilderness, including Raymond Blanc (who will be making the short trip from Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons to the Oxfordshire site), Skye Gyngell of Spring, Lee Westcott from Typing Room and Lima’s Virgilio Martinez, to find out what it’s like to be responsible for feeding ravenous ravers.
Blanc (above) explains: “Catering for such a large sitting requires impeccable timing and preparation, so you need to develop Napoleonic skills of organisation. You have 800 guests wanting the best experience – it has its challenges, of course, but we deliver it.”
Westcott (above) agrees: “You’re out of the comfort zone of your own kitchen, which of course has its challenges – but the combination of cooking among all your pals, while looking out across that beautiful lake, is the best feeling.”
Gyngell (above) has also caught the festival bug: “Cooking at music festivals is a lot of fun; the fabulous music and beautiful open spaces make it impossible not to love what you’re doing. I believe the mood of a chef translates straight onto the plate – and that means a wonderful experience for all those attending.”
But perhaps Martinez puts it best, saying simply: “festivals change the rules”. They certainly do, so we’ve picked out the best for music, munching and rule-breaking this summer.
Bestival
The brainchild of BBC Radio 1 DJ and producer Rob Da Bank and his wife, Josie, Bestival kisses goodbye to the festival season with a party – rivalled in size and style only by Glastonbury – that sees 55,000 revellers flocking to the Isle of Wight for one last hurrah.
Music: Major Lazer, Hot Chip, The Cure
Munch: Traders joining Bestival’s impressive food line-up this year include Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, which made waves with its contemporary west-African cooking at Pop Brixton. Also getting a VIP pass is Makatcha (above), with its beef, chicken or vegan Indonesian rendang, and Seadog, bringing award-winning local fish from Devon with world flavours (below).
Rock star dish: The peanut-butter stew from Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen
Where and when: Isle of Wight, 8-11 September, £190
Camp Bestival
The younger sibling of Bestival (also the brainchild of Rob Da Bank), Camp B is the festival for families, with Lulworth Castle providing the perfect backdrop for tiny tots to play at being kings and queens for the weekend. It’s clearly doing something right, scooping up several festival gongs since its genesis in 2008, with fairground rides, magic meadows, sandpits and bouncy castles turning everyone into big kids.
Music: Fatboy Slim, Katy B, Jess Glynne
Munch: We can exclusively reveal that the traders joining Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, Makatcha and Seadog to make up The Feast Collective this year are Lemlem Kitchen with bold Eritrean dishes, and healthy smoothies and shakes from saucily named S’Juice Me. Also to be found in Camp Bestival’s food haven is DJ BBQ (who promises to be spinning his wheels of smoker steel in his own dance tent), while an emphasis on sustainability and ‘Adventures with Vegetables’ (encouraging children to eat their greens) make the whole thing feel pretty darn wholesome.
Rock star dish: Afro-tacos filled with zigni pulled lamb, cumin and beet slaw from Lemlem Kitchen
Where and when: Dorset, 28-31 July, £197.50
Field Day
This east London party has gone from strength to strength since 2007, consistently selling out well in advance thanks to a stellar line-up of cutting-edge DJs and smoky dance tents beckoning the city’s cool cats to get down and dirty. They’ve not scrimped on the sustenance either, with the foodie roster reading like a who’s who of London’s hippest market stalls.
Music: James Blake, Mystery Jets, Four Tet
Munch: London’s diversity is reflected in the colourful line-up of food trucks that pitch up in Victoria Park, ranging from Mother Clucker’s buttermilk chicken to Indian street food from Rola Wala and Taiwanese steamed buns from Le Bao, via Anna Mae’s mac ‘n’ cheese and pizza from Voodoo Ray’s.
Rock star dish: Pad Thai from British Street Food Awards winner BangWok
Where and when: London, 11-12 June, £94
Gottwood
A mystical little dance haven in the dark depths of Wales, Gottwood is the one for those in the know. The fields are scattered with fairy dust and pulsating with underground electronic house beats.
Music: Joy Orbison, Ben UFO, Felix Dickinson
Munch: An eclectic food line-up mirrors the ultra-hip crowd at Gottwood, as Naughty Roti dishes out spicy burritos next to Bagel Boy, who’s eyeing up My Mate’s Barbeque and Mike and Chaz’s mac ‘n’ cheese, which will definitely need a side of Pimp My Fries.
Rock star dish: Lamb and date kofte and halloumi uber wrap from French & Grace, which is making its debut at Gottwood this year with soul-warming middle-eastern food all the way from Brixton Village.
Where and when: Anglesey, 9-12 June, £140
Wilderness
Established in 2011, Wilderness attracts haute hippies thanks to its magical forests, glassy lakes and rolling fields. It’s also the crème de la crème of foodie festivals, where you can listen to a talk from Angela Hartnett before skipping off on a foraging expedition, trying your hand at archery or catching a show in the open-air theatre.
Music: Robert Plant, The Flaming Lips, Shura
Munch: Go the whole hog with a magnificently medieval Long Table Banquet from Virgilio Martinez, Skye Gyngell and Raymond Blanc, feast with Moro and Hix, or grab a takeaway from Duck & Waffle or Shotgun. Robin Gill (Paradise Garage), Tomos Parry (Kitty Fisher’s) and Lee Westcott will also be sticking their forks in, creating tasting menus for The Chef’s Table, which is perched under a canopy on the hillside.
Rock star dish: Anything from the exclusive Petersham Nurseries and Lavazza pop-up, where a magical garden bids festival-goers to feast on seasonal produce, with plenty of the Italian blend to keep you dancing until daybreak.
Where and when: Oxfordshire, 4-7 August, £164
This article was first published in the spring 2016 edition of Squaremeal Lifestyle magazine