Valley Fest

Putting our best fest forward

Spreading over one side of Chew Valley Lake, Valley Fest promised to be a chance to meet and greet the movers and shakers of the organic food world, so last Thursday we packed our tents and set up shop in what turned out to be the most picturesque location imaginable.

By ‘shop’ I mean gazebo resplendent with a feast for the eyes of fresh fruit & veg, and over three days we kept the masses entertained and fed with enough quizzes, workshops and games, plums, berries and melons to keep boredom and scurvy at bay. Not that they were ever a risk however with the amazing music and fare curated by the festival headliners,Yeo Valley. Yep, those yoghurt pots you like to peel the label off for the stories? Those lovely people brought it all together, and pulled it off magnificently.

Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbours

With a prime location and view to match, we were able to talk to many like-minded people with a shared passion for organic food and drink, such as the gin wizards from Pothecary and the green-fingered Pukka. We even got to tell a few thousand people a bit more about what we do, and we were able to offer a real insight into our farmers and makers, our support for them and how we do our bit for the environment. Fueled by the Boston Tea Party and our neighbours, Tideford Organics (thanks Rosie!), we ran craft workshops and competitions throughout the day, and teamed up with our close friends May Project Gardens for the enormously successful apple pressing on Saturday. Thanks to the festival’s proximity to a community farm there were also talks and tours to see organic farming in action, such as nature and foraging walks and tours of the orchard. These were very popular (and the free cider had nothing to do with it).

Burning the midnight coconut oil

Thanks to a great line-up of DJs and bands, such as Jose Gonzalez, the irrepressible DJ Yoda and the highly-recommended This Is The Kit, we were able to work off the carrots and houmous with a bit of a knees-up, all the better to talk more organic the next day. Not even the rumours of an alligator taking up residence in the lake could dampen spirits.

Overall the weekend was a resounding success, and although we’ve just recovered from the excitement, we can’t wait for the next adventure. Thanks Valley Fest!