Celebrity chefs and chart-topping musicians, including Scouting For Girls and Blue, will be appearing at an event taking place in Little Stoke Park over the weekend of 12th, 13th & 14th May 2023.
Around 3,000 people are expected to attend each day of the Bristol Foodies Festival, which has previously been held on The Downs in Bristol.
The local event is one of 13 similar events planned around the UK for 2023, with other venues including Syon Park (London), Bute Park (Cardiff) and Inverleith Park (Edinburgh).
Visitors will be able to watch the best Michelin-starred chefs and MasterChef champions cooking their favourite recipes and sharing their top tips. Names currently on the bill for Little Stoke include Hywel Griffith, Chris Cleghorn, Noda Marvani and Florence Wilson.
Great British Bake Off stars will share their best baking hints and tips live on stage with “easy to make” recipes.
There will also be drinks tastings and lots of family-friendly attractions, including fair rides and inflatables.
For further information and to book tickets, visit Bristol Foodies Festival 2023.
See also: Foodies Festival on Facebook
The go-ahead for the festival was given by councillors at a meeting of Stoke Gifford Parish Council’s Planning & Transportation Committee on 24th January. The council is charging a hire fee of £6,500 and it has been agreed that the event organiser will “arrange an off-site car park to help the impact on the surrounding roads and neighbouring properties”.
With a football tournament due to take place in the park three weeks after the festival, the council has sought assurances that the grass will be left “in its normal condition with no rutting or indents”.
John Rendell, parish clerk, commented:
“I am delighted to announce that we have managed to tie in the Foodies Festival for 2023 which will be held at Little Stoke Park on the 12th 13th & 14th May.”
“The parish councillors and staff are really pleased to be able to offer the local residents the chance to attend such an event within our own parish. We are very proud to manage and maintain all our recreational spaces here in Stoke Gifford and we look forward to hosting such a family friendly event with the best talents in the world of music and food on show.”
What’s on
At the time of writing, the event publicity lists the following attractions:
- Live music stage
- Chefs’ theatre
- Cake & bake
- Drinks theatre
- LuxuryVIP tent
- Kids’ cookery
- Pop-up bars
- Artisan market
- Street food
- Restaurants
- Healthy living
- Feasting tent
Public transport options
The newly introduced M4 MetroBus service, running from Bristol city centre via UWE and Parkway Station, will allow festival-goers to alight at the Bush Avenue stop on Gipsy Patch Lane and take a 10-minute walk up Little Stoke Lane to reach the park.
Patchway Railway Station, served by trains from Bristol and Cardiff, is just a short walk from the park.
Location map: Little Stoke Park (Google Maps)
Licence application hearing
UPDATE added 17th April 2023.
With less than four weeks to go before its planned opening day, the staging of the Foodies Festival Bristol in Little Stoke Park has been thrown into doubt after a number of statutory consultees raised objections to the event’s premises licence application.
The objections have come from Avon and Somerset Police and the Environmental Health department at South Gloucestershire Council.
The concerns raised by the police include a lack of car parking provision at the site and the associated potential for roads becoming blocked by parked vehicles; the likelihood of anti-social behaviour by “intoxicated” guests leaving the site at the close of the event; and the safety of pedestrians and other road users on Little Stoke Lane.
The council’s environmental health team has raised concerns that residents of properties adjoining the park will experience “significant harm” due to the noise from amplified music; the noise of people enjoying attractions at the event; and the noise created by people entering and exiting the site.
A Licensing Sub-Committee formed of three South Gloucestershire councillors will consider the application at a public meeting being held in the Oak Hall at the Jubilee Centre, Savages Wood Road, Bradley Stoke BS32 8HL on Thursday 20th April 2023 starting at 10.30am.
🔗 Agenda and reports for the meeting on 20th April 2023 (SGC)
I have tickets for all my family. I live close and I hope it doesn’t go on now ! To many worries
Why is the food festival being aloud in little stoke? Residents have not been contacted about this. Parking in Mcgullivan field one entrance going to be a night mare and the field floods! The noise will be to much. When football is playing traffic is bad.
Are we all ment to stay in for the weekend because of the traffic? I work shifts so how am i ment to sleep with bands playing? Drink food music in a Residential area is asking for anti Social behaviour. Will children be able to play safe in the park? Will people be able to walk thier dogs?
Traffic today 10th May in Little Stoke Lsne horrendous, 44 ton arctic lorry blocking part of the road. It wasn’t able to swing into the park. People were queued up Little Stoke Lane beeping, 1 security guy was directing traffic. Absolutely chaotic. Its brought in 6,500£ for the local parish council but surely in this day and age, what about sustainability, using local suppliers, local businesses and yes perhaps the park but make it a sustainable event with care and consideration for locals.