Draft for Cookery School Event

Devizes Food and Drink Festival have teamed up with Vaughan's Cookery School

 to offer a cookery class that will enable you to reproduce for your own guests.......

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"A Taste of Vienna" 

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This special class at the renowned 'Vaughan's Cookery School' 

is on offer at half-price, especially for the Devizes Food and Drink Festival.  

As excitement rises leading up to the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, 

we are remembering last year's competition and the wonderful patisserie 

that Vienna is renowned for the whole world over. 

It's the perfect match for good coffee (or a nice cup of tea!), a superb way to end a meal.

 and much easier to make than you think, once you know the tricks.

This session will be an introduction to some of the tasty treats for which this Austrian city is famous.  Ranging from quick and easy to show-stopping impressive.

 

Sachertorte

We will show you how to make:-

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Viennese whirls

Melt-in-the-mouth, but put together in a jiffy
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 Applestrudel

Made the traditional way, which means making your own dough!

(but we give tips on using bought in puff or filo pastry instead)
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 Sachertorte

A Luxurious Chocolatey ‘Show-Stopper’ 

(said to be invented by chef, Franz Sacher 

and still a classic treat at Sacher Hotel in Vienna)

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This is a hands-on, busy class that will be good fun, as well as informative.  

After two hours of cooking you will sit down to a light lunch/supper 

whilst your wonderful creations are boxed up ready for you to take home.

The class is suitable for vegetarians.  

Please let us know if you have special dietary requirements.

Dates:-

Thursday 19^th May 7.00pm – 9.30pm

Friday 20^th May 10.30am – 1.00pm

Tickets

 are available through the usual Food Festival Outlets

and cost £30 (which includes lunch or supper)

Location

 Vaughan’s Cookery School, 

Hopton Park Estate, Devizes

Tel: 01380 530203  

(how to get there)

Devizes Lantern Parade

Events in Devizes mirror the changing seasons. The Food and Drink Festival heralds the approach of summer when food crops develop above and below the ground, fruits begin to burst forth from the waning blossom of Spring and animals graze contentedly on the abundant growth of warmer days.

At this time of year we can only look forward to that time, although foodies can anticipate the gentle pleasure of our organised meals with friends you didn't know you had during the 'Come Dine With Me'  event which will enliven the dark days of March in 2016. 

But this season brings it's own pleasures with the Lantern Parade, a calm and almost spiritual prelude to the season of giving and indulging soon to be upon us. This year the parade took place quite early on 27th November 2015. Normally the weather is calm, cold and crisp, ideal for the nature of the event, but this year it was wet and blustery causing problems for the fragile lanterns and larger display pieces and daunting some of the less determined carriers who took a short cut back to the Market Square for the final tree-lighting ceremony instead of completing the full route. 

The route of the parade has acquired a distinctly quirky flavour in recent years passing through the Market Square in grand style and then heading to the Canal Wharf to pick up Father Christmas (where else?) before retracing it's steps to the Market Square, where said celebrity clambers precariously, not down a chimney, but out of a window onto the top of the portico of the Bear Hotel where he makes a brief and inaudible speech prior to switching on the Christmas Tree lights.

This year Santa arrived with the Mayor (above), both understandably clad in plastic macs to ward off the blustery rain and standing in a sleigh-shaped cart draw by a most un-reindeer-like Steam Roller unexpectedly emblazoned with the title of Guiseley Council UDC (which is in Yorkshire not Wiltshire if you didn't know). 

The parade was preceded for part of the way this year by a much more appropriate group of performers carrying illuminated umbrellas which added an artistic visual element to enhance the more modest collection of lanterns that form the bulk of the procession and give it it's community flavour. 

 

The Wiltshire White Horses were the stars of the show again this year, battling bravely through the wind and there were some brave contributions from other participants, notably a yellow tropical fish which would have appreciated the wetness if not the temperature.

The evening climaxed with a short firework display hot on the heels of the Christmas tree Lights switch-on (above) suddenly appearing from somewhere beyond the rooftops. Everyone had a jolly good time and the Market and Fair seemed to be doing a roaring trade. My group paused to enjoy a cup of mulled wine, served up by some of the stalwarts of the Food Festival in years gone by. It was most welcome warming fare on another memorable evening for Devizes folk. How lucky we are!

Planning for 2016

The Devizes Food Festival Committee have begun preparations for the 2016 event. A number of new members have joined the Committee this year bringing much needed expertise, skills and ambition which promises to make next years event better than ever for the people and businesses of Devizes.

The first event of the 2016 Festival will be 'Come Dine With Us' .
It's much more fun than the TV event of similar name
and it has been going for longer too!
A homely warmer for the cold days of winter

For the latest news on next years festival visit
Devizes Food and Drink Festival main website

Our new home!

For details of the 2016 Devizes Food & Drink Festival 

visit our new site http://devizesfoodfestival.blogspot.co.uk/ 

This is the official site for the next festival programme
.

If you currently have this page or older addresses bookmarked,

please visit our new location and update your favourites/bookmarks to replace them there. 

This blog will continue to be available with information about the 2015 festival.
.

Our facebook page with topical items about the Festival is not affected by this change.

Devizes Assembly Room

 

 

Devizes Assembly Room is described as the town's 'jewel in the crown' by the Town Council and with good reason. The room sits behind the the glorious curved architectural facade of the Town Hall and the tall Regency windows and crystal chandeliers illuminate an amazing interior dominated by a multicoloured, Adam-style ceiling and walls covered with grand artworks of the same era.

 

This is a wonderful, fitting venue for the Food Festival's grand finale, the famous cocktail evening.

This event is a chance to chatter with fellow Devizians, greet friends old and new and meet the volunteers who make the Festival happen. As the evening progresses, our helpers will serve you with intriguing cocktails and delicious canapes (all included in the ticket price). There will be live music from the grand piano to accompany. The evening culminates in the drawing of prizes for the Festival Raffle, which is in aid of the Mayor's Appeal and the Mayor will be present to witness it. 

After this there's an opportunity to dance as the evening draws to a conclusion.

2015 Festival tit-bits

Ticket sales for the 2015 festival were up 23% on the previous year

Our Supporters in 2015 - a big thank you!

 

Devizes Food and Drink Festival is organised by volunteers but it couldn't take place without the support of the many businesses and organisations in the town who contribute in so many different ways to making it happen.

Read about our 2015 sponsors and supporters