Pub in the Park returned to Tom Kerridge’s home town of Marlow last weekend – and as the only location in the UK to boast a two Michelin star pub, his very own Hand and Flowers, it was the obvious choice to launch a foodie festival. That’s exactly what Tom did back in 2017 and now, just one year away from the event’s 10th anniversary, the food and music feast might just have hit its highest note yet.
Good Food gained independence from the BBC after 35 years, which Tom addressed during an intimate podcast talk from the brand on Sunday afternoon, as he exclaimed: “We couldn’t have done this if we were still part of the BBC.” Tom also arranged for two varieties of his honey to appear at the show, made at local beehives which had literally been stowed away in his own garden. I headed for a tasting session and although all six spoonfuls, ranging from a crunchy crystal-infused Yorkshire variety to a fragrant one gleaned from the forests of Zambia, were delicious, it was Tom’s lime honey that won hands down. It’ll only be made available in selected M&S stores in future, but it certainly piqued my appetite and I’ll be stocking up as soon as I can.
With 12 major restaurants to choose from, it was still Tom’s The Butcher’s Tap and Grill that had me going back for more.
The Chilli Beef Potato Skin dish, complete with a melt-in-the-mouth four cheese mash, bacon crumb, spring onions and crème fraiche, was truly delicious – and when I later went back to fill my plate for seconds, I was devastated to find that the stall was packing up.
By around 6pm on Sunday evening, huge demand dictated that the majority of the other stalls had sold out too, with my second choice, Vaasu by Atul Kochhar, telling me that only potato patties were left.
There were plenty of celebrity guests at the event, from Prue Leith’s appearance at the Thursday evening gala which kicked off the show, to musical big hitters such as Jess Glynne, Pixie Lott and Ocean Colour Scene across the weekend.
Meanwhile, there was a major blast from the past in the shape of Natalie Imbruglia, who was huge in the late 1990s and early 2000s; renditions of classic songs like City were instant crowd-pleasers, although there were some grumbles that she missed out the rock-infused Big Mistake, in a setlist which was just 45 minutes long.
I’d definitely recommend a return next year – with the caveat of making sure to fill your belly before it’s too late!
With no camping facilities available at Pub in the Park, unlike many of the other festivals, what are the options if you’re travelling from outside the town?
I stayed at Hampton by Hilton High Wycombe, which was a no-brainer in my eyes: although there are rooms at riverside pub The Compleat Angler (the nearest to the festival venue), prices are sky high when events are on and with just 64 rooms, there’s no way they can meet demand from over 7,000 Pub in the Park partiers.
The Hampton by Hilton High Wycombe hotel is just a few minutes drive away, but there’s a high-end vibe at a relatively budget price and you’ll have a blissful sleep far from the festival crowds.
There’s also a 24/7 snack service so in the event that food does run out on site and you come back from the festival peckish, there are late night pizza snacks at any time of day or night: a perfect way to round off a foodie weekend.
