Slow Food Peak District & Staffordshire is merging with Slow Food Nottingham. This blog will eventually close along with the Facebook page and Twitter account.

The twitter account will now be run by @SlowFoodNotts and a new Facebook page will be built in the coming months. Please look at Slow Food Nottingham’s blog for more information on their events.

Thanks again for all your support.

Thursday 1st – Saturday 24th December – Derby Christmas Fayre, Derby Market Place

Friday 2nd – Saturday 3rd – Christmas Bazaar, Derby Quad

Saturday 3rd - Christmas Fair, Betty’s Farm Shop, Willington

Saturday 3rd – Sunday 4th – Sudbury’s Christmas Market 

Thursday 8th – Christmas Fair, Betty’s Farm Shop, Willington

Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th – Christmas Market, Ilam Park nr Ashbourne

Thursday 15th - Christmas Fair & Farmers Market, Betty’s Farm Shop, Willington

Saturday 17th – Christmas Fair, Betty’s Farm Shop, Willington

Sunday 18th - Christmas Fine Food Fair, Calke Abbey nr Ticknall

Thursday 22nd – Christmas Fair, Betty’s Farm Shop, Willington

Regular Food Markets

Alfreton – 3rd Saturday of the month

Bakewell – last Saturday of the month

Belper – 2nd Saturday of the month

Burton on Trent – last Friday of the month

Buxton – 1st Thursday of the month

Castleton – 1st Sunday of the month

Cannock – 1st Friday of the month

Derby – 3rd Thursday of the month

Eccleshall – 4th Saturday of the month

Glossop – 2nd Saturday of the month

Leek – 3rd Saturday of the month

Lichfield – 1st Thursday of the month

Newcastle under Lyme – 3rd Friday of the month

Penkridge – 3rd Saturday of the month

Ripley – 1st Saturday of the month

Swadlincote – 3rd Saturday of the month

Stafford – 2nd Saturday of the month

Stone – 1st Saturday of the month

Tamworth – 2nd Thursday of the month

Uttoxeter – last Saturday of the month

Wirksworth – 1st Saturday of the month

If you know of any events we’ve missed leave a message below or email us.

Saturday 12th November – Seasoned  trial charcuterie course. Hartington. Email clare@seasonedcourses.com for more details and availability.

Friday 18th November 19:30 – Leek Christmas light switch on where there will be stalls for local producers. The Wine Shop Leek will have a free in store tasting that afternoon and evening plus all day Saturday 19th to coincide with the monthly Fine Food Market.

Saturday 19th November – Sunday 20th November Fabulous Places Christmas Fair, Roundhouse, Derby

Saturday 26th November – Sunday 26th September Christmas Craft & Food Fair, Kedleston Hall, Derby

And just over the border in Birmingham:

Thursday 17th November – Friday 23rd December Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market

Saturday 19th November – Bite N Write, Custard Factory, Birmingham.

Wednesday 23rd November – Sunday 27th November BBC Good Food Show, NEC

Regular Food Markets

Alfreton – 3rd Saturday of the month

Bakewell – last Saturday of the month

Belper – 2nd Saturday of the month

Burton on Trent – last Friday of the month

Buxton – 1st Thursday of the month

Castleton – 1st Sunday of the month

Cannock – 1st Friday of the month

Derby – 3rd Thursday of the month

Eccleshall – 4th Saturday of the month

Glossop – 2nd Saturday of the month

Leek – 3rd Saturday of the month

Lichfield – 1st Thursday of the month

Newcastle under Lyme – 3rd Friday of the month

Penkridge – 3rd Saturday of the month

Ripley – 1st Saturday of the month

Swadlincote – 3rd Saturday of the month

Stafford – 2nd Saturday of the month

Stone – 1st Saturday of the month

Tamworth – 2nd Thursday of the month

Uttoxeter – last Saturday of the month

Wirksworth – 1st Saturday of the month

If you know of any events we’ve missed leave a message below or email us.

Saturday 1st – Sunday 2nd October  East Midlands Food Festival - Over the border in Leicestershire but worth it!

Saturday 1st October 12pm – 11:30pm Burton Bridge Inn – Beef Festival with Bangers

Sunday 9th October Calke Abbey Apple Day (check your local National Trust property as many are doing Apple Days during October)

Sunday 9th October Taste of Asia & Food Fair Baslow Village Hall

Friday 21st October – Sunday 30th October Daily noon-late. Lager – Biere & Delicatessen Festival. Bulls Head, Repton

Regular Food Markets

Alfreton – 3rd Saturday of the month

Bakewell – last Saturday of the month

Belper – 2nd Saturday of the month

Burton on Trent – last Friday of the month

Buxton – 1st Thursday of the month

Castleton – 1st Sunday of the month

Cannock – 1st Friday of the month

Derby – 3rd Thursday of the month

Eccleshall – 4th Saturday of the month

Glossop – 2nd Saturday of the month

Leek – 3rd Saturday of the month

Lichfield – 1st Thursday of the month

Newcastle under Lyme – 3rd Friday of the month

Penkridge – 3rd Saturday of the month

Ripley – 1st Saturday of the month

Swadlincote – 3rd Saturday of the month

Stafford – 2nd Saturday of the month

Stone – 1st Saturday of the month

Tamworth – 2nd Thursday of the month

Uttoxeter – last Saturday of the month

Wirksworth – 1st Saturday of the month

If you know of any events we’ve missed leave a message below or email us.

Friday 2nd Sept – Sunday 4th Sept Chatsworth Country Fair. Gates open at 9.00am, closing ceremony at about 6.30pm. £15 Friday, £17 Saturday and Sunday (under 14 free)

Saturday 3rd Sept - Family Fun Day, Betty’s Farm, Willington

Saturday 10th Sept – Beer Festival with BBQ & live music, Mill Wheel, Hartshorne.

Saturday 17th Sept – The Calke Show – Pot to Plate, National Trust – Calke Abbey, Ticknall

Sunday 25th Sept Derbyshire Day, National Trust – Sudbury Hall

Friday 30th Sept – Sunday 2nd Oct Stone Food & Drink Festival

Just outside the counties

Saturday 3rd Sept – Sunday 4th Sept Liverpool Food & Drink Festival 

Friday 9th Sept – Sunday 11th Sept Ludlow Food & Drink Festival 

Saturday 17th Sept – Sunday 2nd Oct  British Food Fortnight

Saturday 24th Sept – Sunday 25th Sept Stratford upon Avon Food Festival 

Saturday 24th Sept – Sunday 25th Sept Mold Food Festival 

Regular Food Markets

Alfreton – 3rd Saturday of the month

Bakewell – last Saturday of the month

Belper – 2nd Saturday of the month

Burton on Trent – last Friday of the month

Buxton – 1st Thursday of the month

Castleton – 1st Sunday of the month

Cannock – 1st Friday of the month

Derby – 3rd Thursday of the month

Eccleshall – 4th Saturday of the month

Glossop – 2nd Saturday of the month

Leek – 3rd Saturday of the month

Lichfield – 1st Thursday of the month

Newcastle under Lyme – 3rd Friday of the month

Penkridge – 3rd Saturday of the month

Ripley – 1st Saturday of the month

Swadlincote – 3rd Saturday of the month

Stafford – 2nd Saturday of the month

Stone – 1st Saturday of the month

Tamworth – 2nd Thursday of the month

Uttoxeter – last Saturday of the month

Wirksworth – 1st Saturday of the month

Wednesday 3rd – Thursday 4th August – Bakewell Show.

Tuesday 16th August - Kids Food is Fun Day. Brown & Green, Trenham Estate. All activities are FREE, but due to popularity booking is required for the gingerbread decorating sessions and the teddy bears picnic.

Friday 19th – Sunday 21nd August – Just So Festival. Near Barnswood, Staffordshire. Includes pop-up bakery in the woods.

Saturday 20th August – Sunday 28th August – Taste of Trentham Food Fair.

Friday 26th August – Sunday 28th AugustThe Exeter Arms Beer Festival, Derby.

Friday 26th August – Monday 29th August – Taste the World, Sudbury Hall.

Friday 26th August – Monday 29th August Ashover Music Ale Festival

I’m sure there must be more events that we don’t know about. Let us know by emailing on sfpeaksandstaffs@gmail.com

Regular Food Markets

Alfreton – 3rd Saturday of the month

Bakewell – last Saturday of the month

Belper – 2nd Saturday of the month

Burton on Trent – last Friday of the month

Buxton – 1st Thursday of the month

Castleton – 1st Sunday of the month

Cannock – 1st Friday of the month

Derby – 3rd Thursday of the month

Eccleshall – 4th Saturday of the month

Glossop – 2nd Saturday of the month

Leek – 3rd Saturday of the month

Lichfield – 1st Thursday of the month

Newcastle under Lyme – 3rd Friday of the month

Penkridge – 3rd Saturday of the month

Ripley – 1st Saturday of the month

Swadlincote – 3rd Saturday of the month

Stafford – 2nd Saturday of the month

Stone – 1st Saturday of the month

Tamworth – 2nd Thursday of the month

Uttoxeter – last Saturday of the month

Wirksworth – 1st Saturday of the month

If you would like to see the image in better detail just click on it.

On the 4th July we finally hosted our first event at the great surroundings of Freedom Brewery near Abbots Bromley that had a fantastic views over Staffordshire. Edward and Susan Mayman, owners of Freedom Brewery, gave a tour of the brewery along with tasters explaining how their beers made and what makes then unique. After the tour we all tucked into a BBQ. It’s fair to say that we were very fortunate with the beautiful weather.

All of the food for the event was kindly supplied by some fantastic producers within Derbyshire & Staffordshire. The sourdough Baguettes Traditionelles had been picked up fresh from the The Loaf oven in Crich 2pm that afternoon; Denstone Hall Farm Shop used the pork supplied by Packington Pork to make a batch of delicious limited edition sausages made with Freedom Lager alongside a selection of  Cottage Delight sauces including their newly released Feta & Mint sauce and the Hot Butternut Squash Chutney  that were certainly favoured by many of the people who attended.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped to support the event. We already have ideas for the next event so keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, if you have any ideas for events feel free to contact us either via email, Twitter or Facebook.

Slow Food UK launched their new website a few days ago which is easier to navigate. If you would like to be a member of Slow Food click here.

The PYO farms are now open all over the counties. Get the glorious fruit while you can.

Saturday 2nd – Sunday 3rd July Fabulous Places Summer Food & Gift Fair, Roundhouse, Derby. Lots of fabulous local producers and if the weather is nice you’ll be able to picnic outside.

Monday 4th July Our first event is taking place at Freedom Brewery with a brewery tour and BBQ featuring Packington Pork, The Loaf and Cottage Delights. Please RSVP to clare@seasonedcourses.com

Saturday 9th July from 5pm Beer Festival, hog roast & BBQ, Mill Wheel, Hartshorne, Derbyshire.

Sunday 10th July Baslow Artisan Food Fair, Chatsworth.

Sunday 10th July Calke Abbey Fine Food Fair, nr Ticknall.

I’m sure there must be more events that we don’t know about. Let us know by emailing on sfpeaksandstaffs@gmail.com

Regular Food Markets

Alfreton – 3rd Saturday of the month

Bakewell – last Saturday of the month

Belper – 2nd Saturday of the month

Burton on Trent – last Friday of the month

Buxton – 1st Thursday of the month

Castleton – 1st Sunday of the month

Cannock – 1st Friday of the month

Derby – 3rd Thursday of the month

Eccleshall – 4th Saturday of the month

Glossop – 2nd Saturday of the month

Leek – 3rd Saturday of the month

Lichfield – 1st Thursday of the month

Newcastle under Lyme – 3rd Friday of the month

Penkridge – 3rd Saturday of the month

Ripley – 1st Saturday of the month

Swadlincote – 3rd Saturday of the month

Stafford – 2nd Saturday of the month

Stone – 1st Saturday of the month

Tamworth – 2nd Thursday of the month

Wirksworth – 1st Saturday of the month

We are holding their first event at Freedom Brewery, incorperating a brewery tour, beer tasting, sausage making demonstration using Packington Pork and BBQ.

This will be a relaxed, informal event where people can meet, talk and sample some of Staffordshire’s finest produce.

Date - Monday 4th July

Location - Freedom Brewery, Bagots Park, Abbots Bromley, WS15 3ER

Time & details:

7:00 Arrival

7:15 Brewery Tour & Beer tasting

8:00 BBQ with Packington Pork, Cottage Delight sauces and bread from The Loaf, Crich.

Free entry.  (BBQ tickets £5)
Pre Booking is required so that we know numbers – please e-mail clare@seasonedcourses.com to be added to the guest list.

Freedom Brewery (our kind hosts for the evening):

Freedom Lager was originally founded in 1995 in Fulham, London. In 2004, Freedom Brewery moved to its current home in the heart of rural Staffordshire, near the world famous brewing town of Burton-on-Trent.

Freedom Brewery lies in an idyllic country setting, benefiting from its own source of sustainable, pure limestone Spring water. This water, filtered over millions of years through layers of natural alabaster, is the water that has attracted brewers to the Burton area for over three hundred years. Prior to brewing, this water requires no chemical treatment or additives, as it already has the necessary ‘hard’ qualities.

A combination of the finest quality ingredients and optimum maturation period (four to six weeks) ensures Freedom Lagers are satisfyingly full of flavour.

For more information please visit the Freedom Brewery Website - www.freedombeer.com

Packington Pork (kindly sponsoring the BBQ)

Packington Pork is truly free-range meat, with a delicious taste hard to find elsewhere.

Packington prides itself on:

* Healthy, happy, stress-free pigs
* Free-range means free-range! Our pigs are bred and live outdoors for their whole lives
* Packington pigs are produced to the highest of welfare standards (RSPCA Freedom Food accredited)
* Freedom Food – RSPCA Monitored Antibiotic, growth promoter and additive free – natural meat with no water added
* High in selenium

Packington Pork is run by Staffordshire based, fourth generation pig farmer, Robert Mercer. The first Packington farm was situated at Packington Fields Farm near Lichfield in Staffordshire. Since then we have set up several other free-range farms around the local area for our pigs, to ensure they all have plenty of space. The farms are premium, well drained grassland perfect for raising the very best pigs.

For more information on Packington Pork and for stockists please visit  www.packingtonpork.co.uk

If the weather forecasters are right we’re in for a sunny, hot June. Should make up for the drizzly May we had! June heralds the beginning of the English strawberry seasons. One of the best PYO places in Derbyshire is Scaddows Farm near Ticknall. Reports are that the PYO farm at Swarkestone is also open. If you know of any other PYO places in Derbyshire or Staffordshire let me know and I’ll add them.

Derbyshire & Staffs are quiet for food events in July that I know about so I’ve included some events just over the borders there is:

Wednesday 1st June – Thursday 2nd June Staffordshire County Show

Wednesday 15th June – Sunday 19th June – BBC Good Food Show, NEC, Birmingham.

Monday 20th June – Sunday 26th June – Slow Food Week, throughout the country.

Sunday 26th June – Derbyshire County Show

Wednesday 29th June – Sunday 10th June – Nottingham Food & Drink Festival.

Regular Food Markets

Alfreton – 3rd Saturday of the month

Bakewell – last Saturday of the month

Belper – 2nd Saturday of the month

Burton on Trent – last Friday of the month

Buxton – 1st Thursday of the month

Castleton – 1st Sunday of the month

Cannock – 1st Friday of the month

Derby – 3rd Thursday of the month

Eccleshall – 4th Saturday of the month

Glossop – 2nd Saturday of the month

Leek – 3rd Saturday of the month

Lichfield – 1st Thursday of the month

Newcastle under Lyme – 3rd Friday of the month

Penkridge – 3rd Saturday of the month

Ripley – 1st Saturday of the month

Swadlincote – 3rd Saturday of the month

Stafford – 2nd Saturday of the month

Stone – 1st Saturday of the month

Tamworth – 2nd Thursday of the month

Wirksworth – 1st Saturday of the month