Bristol Food Connections 2015

A nine-day city-wide food festival, you say? Yup, just another example of Bristol being blimmin’ awesome.

Bristol Food Connections has just kicked off for the second year, and having been somewhat preoccupied swanning around Belgium last year, I’m jolly excited to be back in this fabulous city to see what’s in store for 2015.

Granted, I would be more excited if I weren’t stressed to the max about my two essays and impending ten exams (cry), but I’m going to try and get to as many of the exciting events as I possibly can. (Why does all the fun stuff happen at exam time? #studentproblems.)

I was lucky enough to be invited to the press launch yesterday and find out a little bit more about what’s going on, so for anyone who perhaps has more time on their hands than yours truly, I thought I’d fill you in on what’s undoubtedly going to be an awesome nine days.

What with it being a bank holiday weekend, Bristol Food Connections has kicked things off with loads of fun stuff today.

The idea is to add momentum to the food movement and encourage eating with a conscience – the BBC’s Clare McGinn yesterday said that Bristol is the perfect location, and what with being European Green Capital 2015 and its incredible food scene, I couldn’t agree more.

There are six themes and a mahoosive 120 events spread out all over the city, which I think is great. Some events are free (yay!), other aren’t (shame.)

So what’s in store? Well, there are celebrity chefs cooking a Slow Food Banquet, food-themed talks, markets, cookery demonstrations and a huge ‘Eat-In’ where people will bring dishes to share around a communal table whilst discussing Bristol’s local food system. So edgy, so Bristol.

The whole programme of events is epic, I suggest you have a look but you’ll feel spoilt for choice, I tell ya. And if you too are a food-loving final year student, you will want to cry.

The rather delectable spread at the press lunch yesterday (#perksofthejob #pretendingtobeajournalist) was all made by local suppliers which certainly fits in with Bristol Food Connections' message. We were all jolly surprised, however, to learn that everything there is served on First Great Western trains (who sponsor the whole festival.)

Um, WHAT!? we all thought. I've certainly never seen burrata on the trolley as it rolls down the aisle, but maybe that's only in first class. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least, even if the Victoria Sponge was a tad on the dry side, if I'm being picky. I obviously still ate it though so it can't have been that bad.

So, Bristol-based chums, I suggest you stop what you're doing, head on over to the Bristol Food Connections website and find some fun events to attend. And fellow students, c'mon... We all need work breaks!

Did you go to Bristol Food Connections last year? What do you think of the festival?