PREPARE to embark on a gastronomic journey, as the countdown to Bournemouth’s biggest food and drink festival gets underway.

Having grown from a small three-day trial, organisers of the 2013 Bournemouth Food and Drink Festival, which runs from June 21-30, are promising an event to remember.

The festival officially launches on Thursday night with a Barons of Beef celebration by the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade & Commerce.

From Friday, Bournemouth Square will become the Festival Hub with a ten-day Street Food Festival, a three-day World Food Market, a Mediterranean Day, a Trinidad and Tobago Caribbean Day, a Far East Day, a four-day Education Zone in partnership with Bournemouth and Poole College alongside eight Bournemouth Schools.

“It will ten days of foodie fun and there will be something for everyone,” promised organiser Patrick Marmion.

“But it’s also about supporting local businesses and local produce too.

There are at least two businesses that will be starting up on the back of this event – Omelettoes which is the UK’s first omelette bar using locally supplied free range eggs and the Dorset Bike Kitchen which sells toasties from bread supplied by a local bakery.”

A TASTE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING:

  • Steamer Trading Cookshop will be hosting live Food and Drink Demonstrations including a Royal Tea day served by the manager Suzanne who has served many members of the Royal Family including the Queen.
  •  Flirt Cafe Bar in The Triangle will be hosting this year’s Official Food Quiz from 8pm to 10.30pm on June 23. Book a team of up to six people and you could win cash prizes, dinner at the Norfolk Royale, Festival Drink Vouchers and more! Booking is essential and pay upon booking please - £2 per person. Pop into Flirt to register your team.
  •  Meanwhile in the demo kitchen: Watch as trained chefs from AS Suishi & More, winners of the Taste of Dorset Award 2012, demonstrate how to prepare fresh sushi using locally sourced ingredients. Once you have watched it made, you can buy it to eat from June 21-24 and 28-30 Listed 6th in The Times Top 10 Places to Eat Ice Cream in the UK, Giggi will be serving a variety of flavours which are made in the traditional style in Giggi’s Burlington Arcade base.

For more information, see bournemouthfoodanddrink.co.uk