Best Autumn Days Out: A Guide For Food Lovers
Go blackberry picking down leafy lanes, volunteer to pick grapes at your local vineyard, taste cider at one of our many cider farms or buy autumn veg from a farm shop and make a hearty soup.
Make the most of this mellow and fruitful season with these foodie breaks and days out.
Celebrate Autumn’s Bounty With These Foodie Days Out
Go to a Harvest Festival at Daylesford Organic Farm
Where: Daylesford Organic Farm, Kingham, Oxfordshire
When: 21st September, 2019
The team at Daylesford Organic Farm in the Cotswolds know how to put on a good festival. Designed to be fun for all ages, this really is a foodie day out for all the family. Enter your prize veg or one of your latest cake creations for judging and see them on display in the Competition Tent. Flowers workshops, live music, circus performers, a well-stocked bar and seasonal food are just some of the temptations on offer. While you’re there, check out the Daylesford Cookery School with its programme of cookery courses and demonstrations. The festival is free but they kindly ask that you register to help them with numbers.
Celebrate Oktoberfest in London
Where: Olympia, Hammersmith, London
When: 24th-26th October, 2019
Celebrate the Bavarian Oktoberfest in London with this special Halloween event at Olympia. It’s the biggest Oktoberfest event in Britain with over 50,000 people expected to attend this year’s festival. Listen to traditional Ompha-Ompha music, tuck into bratwurst and of course, taste lots of German beer.
Taste Signature Dishes Created by London’s Top Restaurants at Taste of London
Where: Tobacco Dock, London
When: 21-24 November, 2019
Taste of London offers visitors the unique opportunity to taste signature dishes created by London’s top restaurants for a fraction of the price. It’s a culinary celebration of London with artisan stalls, bars, cooking demonstrations and workshops all in the line-up. Go with friends after work to enjoy live music and a bite to eat. It’s also a brilliant place to start buying festive gifts for foodie friends.
Tickets for Taste of London 2019 are available to buy from See Tickets.
Discover: More Things to do in London
Feast on Seafood at Dartmouth Food Festival in Devon
Where: Dartmouth, Devon
When: 18-20 October, 2019
Simply one of the best food festivals in the country. Dartmouth Food Festival has it all – an idyllic waterside location, a charming Devon town and abundance of local producers including Riverford Organic Farm and the Sharpham Estate near Totnes. Local food hero Mitch Tonks plays a major part in the activities as do his two Dartmouth restaurants – Rockfish and The Seahorse. Stay for a few days to take advantage of the fantastic coastal walks nearby. Local National Trust gems include Greenway, Agatha Christie’s rather grand holiday home which you can get to by steam train or ferry along the River Dart.
Have a Gourmet Gathering With Friends at River Cottage
Where: Axminster, Devon
Have a gourmet gathering with friends at Hugh’s farm in Devon. The team at River Cottage host regular supper nights where you get to enjoy a delicious farm to fork feast. With the autumn bounty of produce to choose from, it’s the ideal time of year to visit the farm or do a cookery course. If you have a glut of vegetables at home, treat yourself to one of Hugh’s excellent cookery books before you go home.
River Cottage dining experiences and cookery days are available to buy from Virgin Experience Days.
Discover: More Things to do in Devon
Go on a Cider Tasting Break in Herefordshire
Where: Near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
Autumn is the mellow season and the time of year when we celebrate the apple. Book into Brooks Country House hotel in Herefordshire for a cider tasting break. The location of this boutique gem is handy for visiting Westons Cider Mill in Much Marcle where you can watch the cider making process in action. In addition to cider, you can taste award-winning vodka and gin at the Chase Distillery near Hereford and English sparkling wine at Three Choirs Vineyard. Don’t miss a mooch around Bailey’s Homestore, a mecca of all things chic and desirable.
Have a Gourmet Break at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
Oxfordshire
Celebrate the art of French gastronomy in the Oxfordshire countryside with a stay at Raymond Blanc’s quintessential English manor house – Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons. Expect luxurious surroundings, beautiful gardens and attentive service. Make sure you arrive with an empty stomach ready to surrender to tasting sensations and exquisite food. While you’re there, why not take a class at Raymond Blanc’s cookery school? It has a homely feel to it with classes led by an expert tutor.
Discover: Foodie Things to do in Oxford
Go Foraging in the New Forest
Where: New Forest, Hampshire
Autumn is a glorious time to visit the New Forest when the leaves on the trees turn golden brown and you could be mistaken for thinking that you’re in New England. Check in to Spot in the Woods, a boutique B&B near Ashurst for a relaxed New Forest break. Try your hand at foraging for mushrooms on a guided walk or have a cosy pub lunch at the East End Arms near Lymington. Look out for pigs during the pannage season when hundreds of pigs are released into the forest to eat the fallen acorns.
Taste Welsh Specialities at The Gwledd Conwy Feast
Where: Conwy, North Wales
When: 25-27 October, 2019
Gwledd Conwy Feast is held every October in what must surely be one of the most picturesque of food festival settings. On the edge of the Snowdonia National Park and in the shadow of the magnificent Conwy Castle, feast on Welsh specialities as you soak up the unique atmosphere of this popular Welsh food festival.
Discover: Things to do in North Wales
You May Also Like:
Discover the Best Vineyards to Visit in England and Wales
There are over 500 vineyards in England and Wales. Many of them offer vineyard tours, tastings and vineyard stays.
Plan a Foodie Weekend Break
Get inspiration for a gourmet staycation in Britain with our Foodie Weekends Collection. From restaurants with rooms, to gourmet breaks in Scotland, we’ve got some tasty suggestions for your next weekend away.
The Foodie Travel Guide
Sally is the founder and editor of The Foodie Travel Guide. She travels around the UK and beyond in search of the best foodie days out, tasting experiences and delicious places to stay. She loves a glass of English sparkling wine, afternoon tea with friends and escaping London for gastronomic adventures.