Food, craft and music set to bring Devon town alive

Nourish festival of food, craft and music, Bovey Tracey
Music: Fri Sat 5 September
Food & Craft: Sat 5 Sept

Some of the region’s top food producers and craft makers will be in Bovey Tracey for the Nourish Festival, which also boasts a programme of nationally and internationally renowned musicians.

Following the commercial and critical success of the first Nourish Festival last year, food, craft and music will once again bring a buzz to the streets of Bovey Tracey.

On Sat 5 September, an array of gorgeous foods from south west producers will fill Bovey’s high street. As well as the regular Bovey Farmer’s Market, there will be 50 stalls of local produce including handmade cheeses, meat & game, preserves, chocolates and ales, accompanied by some of the region’s most exciting Street Food producers.

The taste-bud-tingling selection of food and drink will get the most experienced foodie excited with wood fired pizza, slow cooked barbecues, vintage tea-time treats, Thai, Caribbean, French, Spanish and even a good old pasty – all washed down by excellent coffee, tea cordials and some robust ales.

There is also the opportunity for everyone to release their inner Mary Berry by entering The Great Bovey Bake Off and Junior Bovey Bake Off, offering opportunities to get the community reaching for their mixing bowls and joining in the food fun.

More than 20 exceptional makers from across the south west will present an inspirational selection of craft. Amongst them, will be Helen Gorick who uses lampwork techniques to create glass beads. Penny Seume is a textile designer who takes her inspiration from the urban to create limited edition high quality fabrics and products for interiors.

Teapots, plates, cups & saucers and other ceramics will be displayed by Arwyn Jones, Penny Simpson and Taja, while Adam Cornish will be there with his exquisite hand turned wooden vessels.

The range of individually made craft will include cushions, lampshades, hand printed textiles, and a range of practical and decorative craft.

The Nourish Music programme takes place on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 September. On Friday 4th, leading UK piano trio The Gould Piano Trio will be playing Rachmaninov, Mendelssohn and a trio by Czech composer Petr Eben. On Saturday 5th, there will be a lunchtime concert by the Sirocco Saxophone Quartet, a young and dynamic group of saxophonists from the UK & Germany. That evening, the internationally renowned Brodsky Quartet will be joined by pianist Natacha Kudritskaya to perform the great Piano Quintet of Brahms, which will be recorded for an album the following week. This will be the ensemble’s only UK performance of the work.

Nourish Festival organiser Sarah James said:
“With food, craft and music, there really is something for everyone. It’s fantastic that we’re able to welcome top international musicians to Bovey to take part in Nourish – I’m really looking forward to hearing them. There was such a buzz last year, and we’re expecting the town to be full again this year. We have some of the region’s best food producers and craft makers so visitors will be able to feed all their senses.”

At the Riverside Mill, visitors will have the opportunity to see the Devon Guild of Craftsmen’s famous summer exhibition and some special events just for Nourish.

Other events include craft demonstrations such as furniture making by local woodsman Ambrose Vevers, and OneHutFull, a multi-sensory experience presented in a beautifully made shepherds hut. OneHutFull immerses visitors in the work of hill farming on Dartmoor.

Nourish Festival is a community initiative led by The Contemporary Craft Festival, The Devon Guild of Craftsmen and the Cheese Shed.

The Food & Craft Fairs on Sat 5 Sept are free to visitors. Concerts on Fri 4 & Sat 5 Sept are ticketed. Full details and ticket booking is available at http://www.nourishfestival.org.