SANKEY’S SPRING FOOD FESTIVAL AT THE PANTILES: A TASTY SUCCESS!

Over 12,000 foodies from Tunbridge Wells and beyond were treated to a glorious weekend of sunshine and delicious delicacies at the lip-licking Sankey’s Spring Food Festival at The Pantiles on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th May.

MOUTH-WATERING MORSELS

From the healthy to the indulgent, The Pantiles came alive over the weekend with its annual Sankey’s Spring Food Festival. With over 500 products and flavours from over 30 local and national producers, there was a range of mouth-watering morsels to suit all palates – from the ‘stick-to-what-you-knows’ to the adventurists! The tantalising trail led from Spanish paella to Indian curries and Italian pizzas to morish Mexican dishes.

Gastronomic delights were demonstrated and cooked on-site by local restaurateurs and chefs. Cooking demos took place on the iconic bandstand with its newly acquired kitchen unit, supplied by Great British Kitchens & Interiors – a company that have been creating beautiful bespoke furniture since 1984.

The demonstrators included Bobby Brown, Rachel Phipps, Adam Shaw, Mark Charker, James Hollister, Mark O’Brien, Anna Stanford, Natalie Seldon, Scott Goss and Steve Anderson.

The two days also saw live music performed on stage, providing toe-tapping tunes as a backdrop for the weekend of family fun.

Jason Vickers, Head of Marketing & Events at Cordis – organisers of the festival – said: “The weekend was incredible. The turnout was fantastic, I’ve never seen so many people at The Pantiles before! The weather was on our side and the historic streets were a hive of activity and delicious smells. With over 12,000 people visiting the site over the two days, double the amount of last year, it is the most successful food festival we’ve hosted at The Pantiles to date. We’d like to thank everyone who contributed to such a great weekend: Great British Kitchens & Interiors for our stunning Demo Kitchen, The Bloom Foundry for the beautiful floral displays, the stall holders, the staff and the visitors. And a very special thanks to our friends at Sankey’s for being our amazing sponsor and for helping make this year’s food festival the best ever! Roll on the Gin & Jazz Festival and the Harvest Food Festival!”

Matthew Sankey adds: “Thank you to everyone who attended our Spring Food Festival. We had a mega couple of days on The Pantiles, where the sun was shining and the streets were packed! A big shout-out to all involved in making the event such a success, including the amazing chef demos by Bobby Brown from The Jolly Farmer, Mark Charker from The Bell in Ticehurst, Steve and James from Sankey’s, Mark O’Brien from Samphire, plus Scott Goss from The Beacon.

As a new addition, we had Key & Quill’s foodie talks on the bandstand with Rachel Phipps, “At Dad’s Table”, Anna’s Family Kitchen and Natalie Seldon, in between the brilliant live music. And Anna Lambert was a terrific host and compere throughout the event.

We hope everyone enjoyed the event as much as we did. We’re already looking forward to the next!”

SANKEY’S

The Spring Food Festival was sponsored and hosted by Sankey’s. With their restaurant at The Old Fishmarket, Kitchen and Bar at Mount Ephraim and specialised fishmongers, their knowledge of the finest cuisine made them the perfect hosts!

Situated in the Old Fishmarket building in the heart of The Pantiles, Sankey’s exclusive Champagne & Seafood bar is the jewel in the town’s crown. It serves a wide range of Champagne and sparkling wines from around the world, and is a luxurious place to relax and enjoy the very best of British fish and shellfish.

The Old Fishmarket specialises in oysters and shellfish, with a range of oysters originating from Carlingford, Colchester, Lindisfarn and The Dutchy of Cornwall to name but a few. Fresh crabs and lobsters from Cornwall arrive live and direct from Cadgwith Cove and are dressed by the Sankey’s chefs on site daily.

The menu comprises oysters, starters and mains as well as the option to build your own seafood platters.

Don’t miss The Pantiles Gin & Jazz Festival on 27th and 28th May!

Photography copyright Key and Quil