6 Main Highlights of Reepham Food Festival 2023

Reepham Food Festival is a perfect event for any food lover. This year the fourth season of this festival is scheduled for 28th May 2022. The local food producers are gearing up their stalls for this upcoming event in Reepham Norfolk. Nearly fifty stalls provide hot food, drinks, and happiness to visitors. It’s the only place to visit all the best local food stores together in a single day. 

Like Seaham Food Festival in Durham, the event is an excellent marketplace for local food producers, breweries, restaurants, cafes, and pubs. Visitors can enjoy cooking classes organized by master chefs and famous amateur cooks, and they share recipes and tips regarding popular dishes.

Reepham Food Festival
Reepham Food Festival

Location of Reepham Food Festival

The food festival will be organized in Reepham Market Place in Norfolk, R10,4AD, United Kingdom.

Reepham Food Festival Opening Timings and Entry Fee

Reepham Food Festival will be organized on 29th May 2022, Sunday. The event will start at 10 am and end with the closing supper at 4 pm. Entry to the fair is free.

6 Highlights at Reepham Food Fest

  1. This one-day festival is the main marketplace for local producers to showcase fresh food items and farm-fresh products. Visitors are offered sample food and drinks.
  2. Reepham Food Festival is also an important business festival for locals. Visitors can buy directly from local food producers, and it’s considered beneficial for locals. 
  3. Many artists choose Reepham Food Festival to showcase their artwork and do business. The St Micheal’s Community Hall is turned into an art gallery during this festival. People can visit this place and can buy items.
  4. The popular Local restaurants also utilize this opportunity to make a considerable profit. Reepham turned into a vast market for different eateries and food producers in one day. 
  5. Many other activities, like a science exhibition by the local school students and cooking shows by professional and amateur chefs, are organized. They also offer courses and presentations on the scientific sides of different cooking styles and dishes. Locals, who are not related to eatery businesses, also participate in this fair differently.
  6. The profit from this festival is mainly used to support the Sunshine Cafe for people with memory loss and other charity events of the Reepham Rotary Club. 

3 Things to Do at Reepham Food and Drink Festival

Reepham Food Festival Day can be considered a day packed with different events and activities. Visitors can troll the fairground and taste free samples of local delicacies, coffee, beer, gin and other fresh items offered by the stalls.

Reepham food festival can be categorised in 3 ways:-

  1. The main recreation of the festival is to visit the stalls and taste food and drinks. It’s the most enjoyable way to blend in with the locals and see all the local restaurants. You can also buy local food at a reasonable price. 
  2. The second important activity is to participate in cooking shows and classes at the fair. Master chefs and amateur cooks share recipes for different dishes and tips about cooking. You can learn a lot from them.
  3. An art exhibition is organized in St Micheal’s Community Hall during this festival. Nearly ten artists come along to display their collection of paintings, ceramics, tapestries and other items. Visitors can shop from there too.

Besides all these activities at the Reepham Food Festival, visitors can always visit famous restaurants like The King’s Arm, Diana’s Pantry, V’s Cafe, The Station Cafe, The Crown, the Dial House and many more.

Reepham Food Fest stall
Reepham Food Fest stall

Sponsors of Reepham Food Fest

The sponsor of the food festival is the Central England Co-operative, and the Norfolk Farm Shop sponsors the cooking demonstrations at the fair.

Central England Co-operative is a popular retail co-operative community in the United Kingdom to inspire all societies to become sustainable. This society is committed to addressing the effects of climate change, and they are proposed to go Carbon Neutral by 2030. The community is a big supporter of the long-term fair trading system.

In Late 2020, the Co-op opened its new store on Station Road, Reepham. The store has gained immense popularity among the residents. The store provides compelling offers like self-scan till points, cold and hot water refilling stations, 100% renewable energy, etc. Also, the Co-op is investing a percentage of its profit into the well-being of the local communities in Norfolk through the Community Dividend Fund Scheme. 

The sponsor of the cooking demonstrations at the fair is the Norfolk Farm Shop. The shop is popular among the citizens for bringing a fresh batch of different food items. 

What to wear at the Reepham Food and Drink Festival

The Festival is organized during the summer season of May. The Temperature during this time stays a little higher. As a casual fair, the visitors can come in casual attire. You can try the bohemian, eclectic type or any casual attire. Shorts, shirts, skirts, jumpsuits, or casual outfits will work. 

As the festival is in the summer season, carry an umbrella, hat, sunglasses and a bottle of water. 

Types of foods in Reepham Food Festival

Reepham Food Festival is a showcase of local delicacies besides international ones. Popular food items are baked foods, hog roast, and ciders. Visitors can also try the local beer, coffee and gin, besides tea and other drinks.

How to reach to Reepham Food Festival

You can take a bus or a train to reach Reepham from London. There are three stations in Reepham. They are the King Head Cottage, Booton, New Road and School Road.

Board a bus on route 43 from London Stratford City bus station for Reepham. It will take nearly 4 hours to reach. 

Both train and bus journeys are tiring, so it’s best to go there by car. The School Ground in Reepham offers free car parking near the festival. Park the car there and ride the shuttle bus specially provided for the visitors to the festival. 

Reepham Food Festival Exhibitors

The number of exhibitors is almost the same as the previous year. The popular exhibitors are going to put up stalls and showcase their items. Here is a list of all the exhibitors this year.

  • Norton’s Dairy
  • Reepham Scouts
  • Tin & Fings
  • Walnut Tree Distillery
  • Bakeaholics UK
  • Norfolk Raider Cider
  • Natural Born Grillers
  • Dann’s Ice Cream
  • King Food
  • Eves Hill Veg Co
  • Babu’s Vinyard
  • Hope Coffee Company
  • Lilwalls Hog Roast
  • Reepham WI
  • Country Markets
  • Harrisons Chocolatiers
  • Katherine Barney Ceramics
  • Wildcraft Brewery
  • Reepham Rotary Club
  • Balkan Pottery
  • Marsh Pig
  • The Tiny Tipple Company
  • Seasons Bounty
  • Bakeshack
  • Candi’s Chutney
  • Scrubby Oak
  • Reepham Lions
  • Nelson &Norfolk Tea
  • Bhaji Man
  • Panther Brewery
  • Sandringham Apple Juice

Volunteering at The Reepham Food Festival

Many people are required to organize a successful festival. Besides many individual volunteers, Reepham Rotary Club, Reepham WI, Reepham Lions, Reepham Scouts, Chamber of Commerce, and Business networks offer volunteering services during the festival. Many bus drivers, chefs, artists, traffic barrier men, and sales personnel are required to run this show successfully.

Reepham Rotary Club

The Reepham and District Rotary Club is a small community of 30 people working around Reepham. It’s a small part of a larger international organization.

Every year they support a wide range of charity and community service projects selected by the president. The list includes international and local. The Rotary Club has supported many local projects to ensure continuity which they need. They also provide experienced and skilled people to run a successful business.

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About Reepham

Reepham is a beautiful small market town in Broadland of Norfolk, UK, situated on the B1145 road and between the Bure and Wensum Valleys. It’s 12 miles northwest of the city of Norwich, which is the cheapest and safest place in the UK.

Beautiful 18th-century buildings and streets surround the city as a 16th-century pub. Also, the famous eatery “The Dail House” is a 17th-century building made of entirely red bricks.

There were three churches in a single compound in the city. Legends say that three sisters built those. The St Mary’s church is open for visitors, and the compound is used as a community hall.

A small museum, a bike rental shop and a tea shop are in the Reepham Station. It’s the starting point of Marriott’s way trail. People walk or cycle or ride a horse through this 21-mile track route via the former rail track to Whitwell Station. Reepham is a beautiful countryside full of history and beautiful architecture. 

A plan for a road trip to Reepham Food Festival and a visit to the city is the best option for a short family vacation at weekends. 

The first mention of this town is in the “Doomsday Book” of 1086. The town’s marketplace was established in 1277 by Sir John De Vaux when he obtained a charter from King Edward I. 

5 Best Places to visit near Reepham

  1. Baconsthorpe Castle
  2. Whitwell & Reepham Station
  3. Blickling Hall
  4. Foxley Wood Nature Reserve
  5. St Michael the Archangel Church

1. Baconsthorpe Castle

Baconsthorpe Castle is the ruins of a 15th-century mansion built by a prominent English family, the Heydons. After Sir John Heydon made the inner gates of the moated mansion, it became the witness to the ups and downs of this 200-year-old family. 

Non-members need to pay £2 for car parking. Otherwise, entry is free. Pets are allowed on the ruins. The place is isolated and risky, and visitors need to go to the town for the eatery. 

2. Whitwell & Reepham Station

The historical Whitwell & Reepham Railway station is 1 mile away

from Reepham. The Railway is alongside the Marriott’s way. The station is famous for steam rallies. There is a bookstall, museum, and cafe. The renewed Sidings Function Room is perfect for organizing functions. 

The train fare is £3 for adults and £1 for children. Pets are allowed here. Some stairs are replaced with ramps, and a fully dedicated disabled personal toilet is there. 

3. Blickling Hall

The historical Blickling Hall was built on the ruins of the original Blickling Hall in 1616. The marvellous mansion is surrounded by beautiful gardens and parks, which are great for biking. There is a bookstore and museum here. This place is related to the famous Boleyn Family. 

The owner of this mansion is The National Trust. They organise different occasions like Apple Weekends and Cooking in the Kitchen throughout the year. The entry fee for adults is £14 and £7 for kids. Pets are allowed. 

4. Foxley Wood Nature Reserve

It’s the oldest woodland and coppice in Norfolk. The Norfolk Wildlife Trust owns 123 hectares of land. Few parts of the reserve forest are estimated to be as old as 6000 yrs. There are nearly 250 types of flora found here. 

5. St Michael the Archangel Church

This beautiful church was created by clergyman Reverand Whitwell Elwin, the decedent of Pocahontas, between 1849 and 1900. The church is open from 10 am to 4 pm for visitors, and entry is free. 

4 Best Places for Shopping in Reepham

  1. Koti Store
  2. Norfolk Farm Shop and Deli
  3. Vegas Vintage
  4. Kerri’s Farmhouse Pine

1. Koti Store

Koti Store is a unique shop dedicated to reducing the usage of single-use plastics. They refill your bottle of household items and cleaning products. Visitors can also shop for vintage and locally produced household items. It is open from 9 am to 4 pm. 

2. Norfolk Farm Shop and Deli

It is another famous food outlet in Norwich and Reepham. They sell fresh vegetables, cheese, bread, cakes, dairy products, fish and meat. All of these are produced locally. The shop is open from 8:30 am to 5 pm. They have started home delivery services recently.

3. Vegas Vintage

Hannah Springham and Sarah Rogers built this designer clothes store and second-hand antique item shop. Their idea was to re-purpose fashion in the daily life of common people. Their antique shop offers every item possible to decorate a home. 

4. Kerri’s Farmhouse Pine

This beautiful store opened in 1995 with unique furniture, home decor items and gift items. There is a cafe in the store where you can get tasty treats besides tea and coffee. The store is open every day. 

Where to eat in Reepham

  1. The Dial House
  2. Kings Arms
  3. The Station Cafe Reepham
  4. Diane’s Pantry

1. The Dial House

This place in Reepham is the perfect example of vintage dining. The hotel offers dining and banquet services. Corporate dining, parties, and intimate affairs can be organised in the three private dining halls. The rooms are decorated with beautiful vintage items. The chef here offers mouthwatering local delicacies cooked with fresh local items season-wise.

2. Kings Arms

It’s a family business of Mark Armitage and Lynette Tilley based on the 17th-century house. The vintage interior gives a warm welcome to every visitor. The bar here provides a rare collection of alcoholic beverages. The place is pet-friendly. 

3. The Station Cafe Reepham

The Station Cafe is the best place for local pastries and English tea. Visitors come to this place while enjoying events in Reepham and Whitewell Station.

4. Diane’s Pantry

Diane’s Pantry is a new food store in the Reepham marketplace that offers local delicacies besides international delis. Visitors can buy fresh bread and dairy products. The store is best for an English breakfast and a light lunch.

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